Figure 6-7.—Elements of survival.happens, stop, take a deep breath, and relax; thenstart over. Face the facts—danger does exist. Totry to convince yourself otherwise only adds tothe danger.R—Remember where you and your groupare.V—Vanquish fear and panic.To feel fear is normal and necessary. It isnature’s way of giving you that extra shot ofenergy when you need it. Learn to recognize fearfor what it is and control it. Look carefully at asituation to determine if your fear is justified.When you investigate, you will usually find manyof your fears are unreal.When you are injured and in pain, controllingfear is difficult. Pain can turn fear into panic andcause you to act without thinking, Loneliness canalso cause panic. It can lead to hopelessness,thoughts of suicide, carelessness, and even cap-ture or surrender. Recognizing the effects of fearcan help you overcome panic.I—Improvise.You can always do something to improve yoursituation. Figure out what you and your groupneed; take stock of what you have; thenimprovise. Learn to put up with new andunpleasant conditions. Keep your mind and thatof your group on SURVIVAL. Don’t be afraidto try strange foods.V—Value living.Conserve your health and strength and thatof your group. Illness or injury greatly reducesyour chances of survival and escape. Hunger,cold, and fatigue lower your efficiency andstamina, make you careless, and increase thepossibility of capture. Be aware that your spiritsmay be low because of your physical conditions-not because of the danger. Remember the goalfor you and your group—getting out of yoursituation alive. Concentrating on the time afteryour rescue will help you value living while tryingto survive.A—Act like the local populace.“At the railroad station, there were Germanguards,” one escapee related. “I had an urgentneed to urinate. The only rest room was an ex-posed one in front of the station. I felt too em-barrassed to relieve myself in front of all thepassersby. I walked throughout the entire townstopping occasionally and inquiring if a rest roomwas available.” This man was detected and cap-tured because he failed to accept the customs ofthe locals. When you are in a strange situation,accept and adopt local behavior to avoid attract-ing attention.L—Learn basic skills.The best life insurance is to make sure youlearn the techniques and methods of survival sothoroughly that they become automatic. Then youwill probably do the right thing, even if you panic.Be inquisitive, and search for any additional sur-vival information.SUMMARYEveryone in the Navy has the job of prevent-ing mishaps. Mishap prevention reduces personalinjury and damage to material and equipment.Try to help the Navy reach its ultimate goal ofpreventing all mishaps by recognizing the need formishap prevention; then take steps daily to pre-vent mishaps.6-21
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