USMC Winter Survival Handbook

MARINES

THE FEW.THE PROUD.

"One of the most important tenets of cold weather operations is that strong and consistent leadership is essential to survival and to minimize injuries."

-FMFM 7-21 "Tactical Fundamentals for Cold Weather Warfighting"

Survival

ASPECTS OF LEADERSHIP. When dealing with leadership challenges in a survival situation, the foremost weapon a leader must employ is his vigilance: a leader's attention should be focused on ensuring all Marines of the unit are contributing to the overall success of the situation.

a. Cohesion. As a leader, you must ensure that all members of the team are working towards the survivability of the unit. You can not allow individuals or small groups to formulate their own goals or plan of action.

b. Self-Worth. A Marine without self-worth is a Marine who does not value living. Leadership is a critical; factor in building self-worth. Tasks must be found for each Marine in which best suits their situation while attempting to receive positive results. (i.e., A man with a broken leg can monitor the fire, A man with a broken arm can still procure water for the unit). This will make each and every Marine feel useful and not a burden to the other members, regardless of their individual situation.

c. Natural Reactions to Stress. Leadership must quickly identify natural reactions to signs of stress his Marines may be displaying (i.e., Fear, Anxiety, Guilt, Depression). Failure to recognize these signs early will result in injuries, illness, or death which will reduce the units combat effectiveness. Corrective action must be taken immediately4

d. Will to Survive. The will to survive is a mind-set that must be instilled and reinforced within all Marines. Without the will to survive, Marines will not succeed. The following tools can aid to develop this mind-set.

(1) The Code of Conduct.

(2) Pledge of Allegiance.

(3) Faith in America.

(4) Patriotic Songs

(5) Spiritual Faith.

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