SEAL Survival Guide (9 page)

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS CHECKLIST

1. Remove yourself from immediate danger—get off the X.

2. Take a few seconds to assess the situation.

3. Make a self-assessment, including checking for your own injuries and what clothing, food, water, and equipment you have available.

4. Use the Rule of Three (see
page 23
). Formulate a game plan by making a decision. Foster group cohesion by assigning individuals responsibility.

5. Live or die. Pull the trigger! This is your
mission
!

The Mechanics of Survival

Humans have three acute stress responses when confronted with a potentially life-threatening situation: fight, flight, and freeze. These survival tools are found in all species, from spiders and cockroaches to primates and human beings. The best response will depend on the situation. However, to freeze in a life-or-death moment is rarely a desirable reaction. A deer that stares at the headlights gets hit by the car.

You may react with fight or flight while others freeze. If so, be a leader, step up, and get them in gear. Simple verbal commands to someone who is in the freeze state, like “
Move!
” may save their life. Again, step up and be a leader in this situation.

From Freeze to Fight

I recently came upon an intersection where a pedestrian had just been run over by a car. A small crowd had formed by the time I approached the seemingly lifeless, bleeding body. They were all just staring—frozen. I immediately pointed at individuals and gave them very simple tasks: “You—call 911.” “You—stop that traffic.” “You—stop that traffic.” “You—get me a shirt to stop the bleeding.” They all set about doing their tasks as I worked on the injured pedestrian. He left the scene breathing and with a pulse. The onlookers rose to the occasion and
transformed into action mode. We all have the ability to use our natural response hormones to do good and save lives. That day I was very proud of this group of strangers who all pulled together to help a man survive.

I mention this to show how to get people, and yourself, out of the “freeze” mode, which is the reaction many who have never practiced any of the survival methods explained above get locked into. Depending on the circumstances, flight is needed when you see that outrunning an attacker is possible. However, if you find yourself in a situation where the only appropriate response is to fight, make it count. Remember your trigger and pull it!

When you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, decisions are going to have to be made. Make the right decisions, and you live; make the wrong ones, and you die. Some must be made immediately—like whether to fight or flee. Others will provide the luxury of contemplation for a few minutes to several hours, given the situation. I will discuss various scenarios in this book and how best to respond with the mindset of a SEAL. By practicing the various techniques explained above, you will be given a great advantage. Your self-confidence, motivation, preparedness, and mindset will all come together, and you will do what is needed.

USE THE RULE OF THREE

I will never forget one of the earliest and best pieces of advice I got from Warrant Officer R. when I was in training. Yelling in my face, he drove home a very important point: “The worst decision is no decision. Now make a call!” I carried that with me throughout my career and had several opportunities to use it, including recently in Iraq, when I was confronted with the decision to stay, flee, or fight. I had only a minute to decide, and based on variables like whether I was outgunned, whether I had the necessary speed, the possibility of causing an international incident, and the threat of torture, I am happy I made the right choice. It was the only time that “stay and reason” worked.

Warrant Officer R.’s advice is absolutely true and essential in many life-threatening situations. So, once you are out of immediate danger—and only then—you can use something called the
Rule of Three
decision-making process to help you know what to do next.

Come up with three—and only three—possible options or courses of action. Look at the pros and cons of each option. Honestly weigh factors like risk, your ability to accomplish each option, and whether your plan is realistic. This will give structure to your thinking process in extreme circumstances. Then, without debating and rethinking each of your options, make the call and choose the one your gut tells you is the best. When life and death comes down to mere moments, second-guessing yourself will be your death knell. Instead, and most importantly, be confident in your decision and proceed. You can change or adjust later, but this survival decision is now your
mission
. You will accomplish it!

LONG-HAUL SURVIVAL

Some survival situations are going to require an approach very different from one you would use during a mall shooting or a mugging. Instead of taking minutes or hours, the situation might play out over a period of weeks or months, such as being lost at sea. If you find yourself in a long-lasting survival scenario, all the rules still apply. However, you need to readjust your mindset and decision-making when confronted with the challenge of long-haul survival. You’ll need to modify certain priorities while still applying mental and physical toughness to endure and survive. You must place yourself not only physically but, even more so, mentally into an efficient mode. Save your strength and resources; conserve your energy and shift into low gear. Stay positive, but say to yourself, “I may be out here a long time.” Just remember your entire mission is survival, as long as that mission takes.