Basic Survival Course Notes {BSE}

Introduction: Whether you have been separated from your platoon during a lightfight or your starfighter has been shot down in enemy territory, situations may arise at some point during your career that find you stranded in a hostile environment without the benefit of Directorate support or even the support of your closest team members. Knowing how to respond and act if this happens will help keep you alive. There are numerous dangers that arise during this type of emergency, ranging from enemy soldiers hunting for you to hostile terrain. The first 24 hours of your ordeal are the most critical. During this period, you need to accomplish several things to keep yourself alive. This course will familiarize you with these priorities.

First and foremost your attitude will be one of the key factors in your survival. If you believe that you can last until rescue, chances are, you will. If, however, doubt and despair cloud your judgment, you stand a greater chance of failing, which in a survival situation, is the same as death. As soon as you realize that you are without support and need to survive on your own for any amount of time, the key to remember is SURVIVAL:

S – Size up the situation, surroundings, physical condition and equipment.
U – Use all your senses.
R – Remember where you are.
V – Vanquish fear and panic.
I – Improvise and improve.
V – Value living
A – Act like the natives.
L – Live by your wits.

This should be running through your head continually.

Priorities: On most missions, you will have access to emergency supplies. Be it a basic survival kit attached to the belt of your armor, or a more complete kit stored aboard a starfighter or shuttle, they will contain items to help you. In some situations, these kits may be damaged or even destroyed. You need to be able to utilize native materials to allow yourself time for a rescue party to locate and extract you.

Once you have evaluated your situation and available resources, there are several tasks that need to be accomplished. During the first 24 hours, the following need to be completed in the order listed.

Shelter:

Protection from the elements is vital. Sunlight, wind and rain are all factors to consider when searching for shelter. Immediate shelters are locations that are pre-existing and can be used with minimal improvement. Examples include a crashed ship, existing building or fence or a live tree. If no immediate shelter is available, you will need to construct shelter. Once again, environmental factors will determine what type of shelter you will need to build. In an arid environment, such as on Tattooine, your primary type of shelter will be a shade shelter; basically a covering to protect you from the ultraviolet rays of the sun. This type may be built off the ground to help reduce the surface temperature. In a cold climate, such as on Rhen Var, a snow trench or snow cave may be utilized. Even though frozen, snow is an excellent insulator. Care must be taken to include an air vent to prevent build-up of carbon monoxide in the shelter.

Water:

Your body is made up of 50-75% water. It is vital that you maintain this level. It is recommended that you drink at least 2 quarts of water per day, more is you are going to be active. Exertion, heat, injury or illness all increase water loss. There are several sources of water, but all of them may not be available in every environment. There are also guidelines of what not to drink. These include: urine, fish juices, blood, sea water and alcohol. Good sources of water (in order of preference) are: Surface water, Precipitation, Subsurface, Ground water, snow or ice and vegetation.

• Surface water: Water taken directly from streams, lakes or springs. Make sure to treat this water to kill off any bacteria by chemicals included in your survival kit or by boiling it.
• Precipitation: Can be collected by many means. Buckets or bowls that you may have found, a poncho lined pit or even your helmet can be used to catch falling rain, sleet or snow.
• Subsurface: Water can be found in wells or cisterns or even in rocks buried below sandy areas. Care must be taken with water from these sources as you don’t know the circumstances in the area around them. For example, if you find a well in the center of a destroyed village, chances are that whatever destroyed the village probably poisoned the well. This can be done as easily as throwing the carcass of a dead animal into the well. Water from these sources should be treated with chemicals or by boiling prior to drinking.
• Ground water: Water found in standing puddles, animal tracks or drainage areas can be utilized, but is prone to its own hazards. These areas are often utilized by native insects to lay their eggs in or it has flowed across open ground, collecting bacteria and other foreign matter from the ground.
• Snow or Ice: DO NOT eat snow or ice. This causes your body temperature to drop and induces dehydration. It can also cause injury to your lips and mouth. If you need to use snow or ice, it must be melted first. This can be done over a fire, with your blaster, by adding hot rocks or water or even with body heat by placing it between layers of clothing (just remember not to put it next to your skin).
• Vegetation: Many climates support plant life that not only will provide you with food, but produces water or can be used as a collection tool. Water can be stored in leaves or stalks.

Remember, water from live plants should be the only type of water that does not need to be treated. Water from all other sources needs to be purified. Utilize the chemicals in your survival pack or boil for at least one minute.

Establish Survival Signals:

Once you have found shelter and water, your next step should be forming a means of signaling to rescuers. Your most valuable piece of equipment is going to be the comm unit. Even low-powered units, such as those in stormtrooper helmets, can be invaluable if there is a search party nearby. Keep in mind however, that transmitting “in the open” (by opening the channel and broadcasting indiscriminately) can betray your position to hostile forces ho may also be searching for you. Stormtrooper armor usually also includes a beacon. In an emergency, this beacon will transmit on an emergency frequency that is monitored by frienly forces. Once again, this transmission may be picked up by hostile forces. If possible, deactivate it so that it can be used later when rescue forces are nearing your position.

In the event that your Comm is inoperable, there is any number of other ways to signal a search party. The easiest is a signal mirror. This can be any reflective material such as metal or glass that will attract the attention of a searcher. Before using a mirror, ensure that your target is friendly. Other signals can be patterns that can be seen from the air. Any material (manmade or natural) can be used. They should be contrasting to the ground cover and utilize sharp corners and straight lines, however, so that they are not seen as naturally occurring. These patterns should be as large as possible, but also concealed from observation from the ground.

Fire, smoke and audio signals (such as voice, whistle or weapons fire) can also be utilized to signal rescue forces. These should only be considered for use while in a non-combat situation, as they are likely to draw enemy forces to your position.

Fire: Fire is a useful tool for several reasons. It provides heat and light. It can be used to cook food or boil water. It can even frighten off predatory animals that may be in the area. There are three essential elements that need to be taken into consideration when starting a fire. These are: heat, fuel and oxygen. We will look at each element more closely so that you understand how they work together.

• Heat: Heat comes from any number of sources. Matches, flint & steel, sunlight (focused through a lens), pyrotechnics (flares or blaster fire) and friction. The heat is directed onto the fuel, and combining with oxygen, creates the fire.
• Fuel: Fuel is divided into three categories: tinder, kindling and fuel. Make sure to gather large amounts of each type prior to lighting the fire. Tinder is the initial ignition agent of a fire. It should be finely shaved or shredded to provide a low combustion point and fluffed to allow oxygen to flow through it. It can also be treated with an accelerant such as insect repellant or fuel to help it burn hotter. Kindling is larger then tinder, but must still be small enough so that it will ignite from the small flame given off by the tinder. As this small kindling catches fire, gradually add larger pieces until arriving at the size of the fuel that you will be using. Fuel is the main source of the fire. Depending on what is available, fuel can be anywhere from 3-4 centimeters up to half a meter in diameter. Using dry hardwood is strongly recommended, but anything you can find will suffice in an emergency.
• Oxygen: Oxygen is required in the chemical reaction that is known as fire. Without it, any fire will die out.

Environmental Considerations: Being able to survive in the wilderness is one thing, but in assessing your situation, you also have to take into consideration everything that surrounds you. The following is a list of several items to think about. It is by no means complete, as every situation is different.

• Climate: Is the planet or region you are in desert or arctic? Is it temperate or a rain forest? Different climates affect your body in different ways.
• Vegetation: Is the local plant life edible? Or does the plant life find you edible? How can different plants be utilized as tools?
• Local Wildlife: Are there predators? Or is there no indigenous life whatsoever? How will insects affect you?
• Local Populace & Political Stance: Are there native inhabitants or colonists nearby? Are they friendly to the Directorate or will they turn you over to rebel forces without thinking twice?

Find out as much as you can about your surroundings. Knowledge is life.

Conclusion: Upon finding yourself in a survival situation, knowledge will keep you alive. If you remember SURVIVAL and follow the priorities covered in this class, you will make it through the first day. Once you begin the second day, you will start looking into constructing weapons and tools and procuring food. Remember, you are a valuable member of the Imperial Directorate. A significant investment has been made in your training, and we want you to remain alive. Keep in mind that as soon as word of your situation reaches Command, a search and rescue operation will be initiated. It is your duty to survive long enough for them to find and retrieve you.


Sources:

FM 21-76-1
MCRP 3-02H
NWP 3-50.3
AFTTP(I) 3.2.226 Multiservice Procedures for Survival, Evasion and Recovery