US Army Survival Manual

[MacWa77ace]

Link to the downloadable version here.

https://ia600904.us.archive.org/3/items/Fm21-76SurvivalManual/FM21-76_SurvivalManual.pdf

It takes much more than the knowledge and skills to build shelters, get food, make fires,
and travel without the aid of standard navigational devices to live successfully through a
survival situation. Some people with little or no survival training have managed to survive
life-threatening circumstances. Some people with survival training have not used their
skills and died. A key ingredient in any survival situation is the mental attitude of the
individual(s) involved. Having survival skills is important; having the will to survive is
essential. Without a desk to survive, acquired skills serve little purpose and invaluable
knowledge goes to waste.

There is a psychology to survival. The soldier in a survival environment faces many
stresses that ultimately impact on his mind. These stresses can produce thoughts and
emotions that, if poorly understood, can transform a confident, well-trained soldier into an
indecisive, ineffective individual with questionable ability to survive. Thus, every soldier
must be aware of and be able to recognize those stresses commonly associated with
survival. Additionally, it is imperative that soldiers be aware of their reactions to the wide
variety of stresses associated with survival. This chapter will identify and explain the
nature of stress, the stresses of survival, and those internal reactions soldiers will naturally
experience when faced with the stresses of a real-world survival situation. The knowledge
you, the soldier, gain from this chapter and other chapters in this manual, will prepare you
to come through the toughest times alive.