FM21-76 US Army Survival Manual

During the US Army boot camp training, new soldiers were given a booklet called FM21-76. I think I’ve read this book once [1992] but I did not really absorbed most of the contents.  Boot camp is very hectic and stressful and no time really to leisurely read a book for personal development.  I came across a .pdf version last week and started reading it again.  I’m now in Chapter4 but what caught my attention is Chapter 2-Psychology of Survival.  If the “survival” topic intrigues you, start in Chapter1.  You don’t really need to read the whole book, just speed-read the topic that don’t pertain to you.  Any “military operation” mentioned in the book can be translated as a ‘”work operation”, or a “task” or a “ToDo”.  You don’t need to be at a war zone to apply the message of the book.  I think life itself is worth comparing to any military mission – in simple term-life sometimes is a “war zone” and we have to survive [literally]. In everything we do – we need to survive and complete the mission.  It can be a project at work, or a new hobby, or a new job, or a new passion in life, or a new relationship, or getting a college degree, or climbing the highest mountain, or an getting into a new exercise program , or completing a marathon, or completing an Ironman.  etc.

I’ve used the technique mentioned in the acronym – S U R V I V A L at work, during my long distance bike ride and also during my long distance swim and when the going gets tougher, it make sense to know that there are factors that can jeopardize my current situation and when I began to contemplate about “quitting” I kept telling myself that I need to go on and not easily give up.  Often times, I kept recalling the key points in SURVIVAL a lot.

Enjoy and I hope that you will finish any undertaking that you have started and say at the end –MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

S U R V I V A L
S-Size up the situation [surroundings, physical condition, equipment]
U-Use all your senses [undue haste makes wastes]
R-Remember where you are
V-Vanquish Fear and Panic
I-Improvise
V-Value living
A-Act like the natives
L-Live by your wits

FM21-76 US Army Survival Manual [view/download-.pdf]