Seal Survival Guide

by Cade Courtley

  NUCLEAR ATTACK

  The chances of an all-out nuclear war, initiated by any of the world’s superpowers, have diminished greatly since the prospect of instantaneous retaliation would mean global suicide. Nine countries, including the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea, have ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. Only the United States, China, and Russia have weapons capable of reaching targets anywhere on the globe. Even if a full-scale assault is less likely than it was twenty years ago, however, the possibility of an isolated nuclear attack occurring in the near future is good. A nuclear bomb or even a “dirty bomb” would surely be used if certain countries or terrorist groups had the means to acquire one. If the way Iraqi insurgents killed their own women and children is any indication of the type of enemy that’s out there, don’t think for a minute that they’d show restraint if given the chance.

  Though we use the words “isolated” and “nuclear” together, there can’t really be anything isolated about a nuclear attack, since even the smallest nuclear bombs available today are many times more powerful than what was used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombs used on those cities were equal to 12,000 tons (12 kt) of TNT and killed about 300,000 people. Some modern warheads are 1,000 kt. The deaths and ruinous aftermath caused by an “isolated” nuclear incident would be far-reaching. Any nuclear weapon is absolutely a weapon of mass destruction, but a nuclear attack is a catastrophe that man can survive. Even among the vast devastation of post-blast Hiroshima and Nagasaki there were those who walked among the rubble, those who survived. With the SEAL mindset, survival is possible, even in the face of a nuclear attack—the most vicious kind of destruction we know of.

  Preparedness

  If you’re given warning, the best place to survive a nuclear weapon’s shock wave, thermal blast, and radiation is below the surface. The fireball and vacuum effects last for only minutes. But, depending on the terrain and whether the bomb exploded on the ground or in the sky above, it will set off fires miles away and will not only blind you but etch your shadow into concrete.

  How It Works and How to React

  A nuclear bomb’s destructive power can be broken down into three parts. Without getting into the complexity of atomic physics, here is a rundown:

  Immediately following the detonation of a nuclear weapon, an incredibly bright and visible ultraviolet light called the thermal pulse, or “flash,” projects out from ground zero. It may cause flash blindness, so immediately turn away from it and drop to the ground or get behind a wall or other strong cover. Nearly simultaneously, there is a discharge of thermal heat, which, at the epicenter, for the first few moments reaches temperatures of tens of millions of degrees. Anything within range and engulfed in this thermal fireball will be vaporized.

  Following the thermal pulse will be the blast wave, which is the outward burst of air from the explosion. This will collapse structures and immediately burst lungs. The blast wave is strong enough to send a person, car, or even buildings blowing away at a speed of three hundred miles per hour. An electromagnetic pulse (EMP), which disables all unshielded electronics within approximately a three-mile radius of ground zero, is created by a nuclear explosion when air around the blast ionizes. Don’t expect to use vehicles, phones, computers, or anything non-mechanical after the explosion.

  The third destructive component is the alpha, beta, and gamma radiation emitted from the bomb, which poses the greatest threat to those not annihilated by the initial blast. The explosion has sent toxic radioactive particles into the air. Eventually these radioactive particles will float back down, resembling snowfall. This toxic snowfall is called fallout and comes in three types of particle radiation. Alpha and beta are relatively weak forms that normally require inhalation and skin contact to harm you. Gamma rays are the most dangerous and can pass directly through the body, killing cells, which can become life-threatening after prolonged exposure. There is no way to neutralize the effects of gamma rays once you’ve been exposed to high doses, and death is forthcoming within about six to seven weeks. Only a dense physical barrier made of solid materials will shield you from lethal radiation.

  Now that I have your attention on the devastation such weapons can cause, you may understand better why we go to war or do whatever is necessary to keep these weapons out of the wrong hands. You will need to take prompt action, be at maximum mental toughness, and be physically prepared to survive a nuclear attack.

  In terms of prevention, the U.S. government has stockpiled two drugs for radiological emergencies: potassium iodine and a product called Prussian blue. The latter is sold over the counter under the name Radiogardase. These products can reduce some effects of radiation exposure. Keep Radiogardase and potassium iodine in your house. You certainly won’t be able to find any after a nuclear strike.

  MATERIALS THAT REDUCE GAMMA RAYS TO A ONE-IN-ONE-THOUSAND CHANCE OF CONTAMINATION:

  Steel that is six inches thick.

  A rock barrier that is two to three feet thick.

  Concrete that is two feet thick.

  An underground trench with a soil roof at least three feet thick.

  An ice shelter that is seven feet thick.

  A wooden barrier that is eight feet thick.

  A tree well (a natural gap created by the branches of trees in snow-laden regions) is a ready-made shelter, given that it can provide roughly twenty feet of snow above you as a barrier.

  Surviving the Blast Wave

  There are really only a couple of things you can do once you see the thermal pulse, but they are important. If you survive the blast, you will have a decent chance of making it through this alive, but realize this is far from over.

  1. Before the blast wave hits you, make sure you are lying on the ground, legs crossed, facing away from the blast.

  2. Keep your mouth open so the concussion of the blast doesn’t blow your lungs out; a closed mouth allows the pressure to become trapped and will turn your lungs into exploding balloons.

  Radiation: Deciding Whether to Run or Shelter In

  So you have survived the detonation of a nuclear weapon, which is absolutely amazing. Now you have to decide if you are going to try to outrun the radioactive fallout that will begin to settle back all around, or shelter in. If you are going to try to outrun the fallout, understand that you will probably be actually running, since nothing electronic will work.

  RUN

  Find out which way the wind is blowing. Travel in a direction perpendicular (90 degrees) to that direction, and you will get out of the path of the fallout the fastest. Depending on wind speed, and the magnitude of the weapon, it’s estimated that you need to be at least thirty miles from the blast to get clear of the most lethal dosages of radiation, which is measured in REMs.

  A breakdown of typical exposure:

  • 3,000 REMs at thirty miles from the blast;

  • 900 REMs at ninety miles (900 REMs causes death in two to fourteen days);

  • 300 REMs at 160 miles (300 REMs can harm nerve cells, the digestive tract, and cause temporary hair loss);

  • 250 miles from the epicenter reduces damage from radiation exposure to non-permanent levels.

  SHELTER IN

  The ideal choice for a shelter is a subterranean concrete bunker, equipped with a filtered-air system and stocked with supplies. Russia has about eight thousand functioning public shelters that could house 11 percent of its population, with five thousand additional ones under construction. China is suspected to have more. Switzerland has enough fallout shelters to protect its entire population. In the United States, many buildings in urban areas were retrofitted to serve as fallout shelters during the 1960s. Many of the old placards can still be seen on some buildings, but most have not been maintained or regularly stocked with supplies. There are a number of fully functioning locations designed for government officials and military personnel, providing self-sufficient survival in excess of 30 months. The locations are classif
ied.

  1. Try to get into a commercial building (brick or concrete) with a basement. If you live in a house with a basement or an apartment building with a basement, get to the lowest level below ground.

  2. If the commercial building doesn’t have a basement, move to the highest floor but remain two floors from the roof. For example, in a twelve-story building move to the tenth floor. This will give you the greatest distance from the fallout on the ground but keep you away from the fallout that settles on the roof. Remember to turn off any ventilation, such as air-conditioning.

  3. To protect yourself from the gamma rays, build a structure around you by using filing cabinets, books, desks, and doors. Gamma rays can’t turn corners, so make an L-shaped entrance to your structure and stay low.

  If outdoors, get to a ravine or ditch, inside a cave—even burying yourself under snow will offer some protection. If you have the time, dig a hole at least six feet deep and as wide, and make a roof of corrugated metal that can be covered with soil. Soil absorbs radiation easily, and this will prevent the initial and most dangerous and lethal radiation from entering your body.

  Aftermath of the Blast

  Unless you have a Geiger counter, there is no way to measure radiation. It is invisible and has no odor or taste, but it’s there. Time to decontaminate.

  1. Wash your body thoroughly with salted water, or soap and water.

  2. If you have no water, use uncontaminated cloth or even newspaper and gently brush off any fallout, being careful not to rub it into your body. Another option is to use soil to absorb radiation on your skin by sprinkling it on all parts of your body. You must use soil that was well belowground during the blast, or you will only contaminate yourself further.

  3. Dispose of the clothing you had on during the blast. Wrap these in plastic and get them out of the area.

  4. Stay put. If you are in an adequate shelter, you should not leave it for a minimum of seventy-two hours. After that point, 90 percent of the radiation from the fallout will have lost its potency. If you are able to shelter in longer, stay put. During this time the irradiated particles of the blast will still be blowing in the atmosphere.

  5. Venture out for one hour a day, and slowly increase the time to two to three hours outside at the end of four weeks.

  6. Consider all water from lakes, ponds, and reservoirs to be contaminated. All fresh food will also be contaminated if it was merely wrapped in plastic, although canned foods should be safe to eat.

  PANDEMIC

  A pandemic is a global epidemic or the spread of contagious and infectious disease across huge swaths of the population. Humankind has dealt with these before. The bubonic plague, or “Black Death,” of the Middle Ages is believed to have originated in China in around 1330 A.D. By 1347 it had spread via trade routes throughout Europe, and it eventually killed a staggering twenty-five million people, or one-third of the known world’s population. The disease originated from rat fleas. The “Spanish flu,” at the turn of the twentieth century, killed more than half a million Americans in a few months and is now thought to be similar to SARS, commonly known as “bird flu,” which is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus. Health departments are on high alert for any suspected contagion. Unlike the days when it took years to spread diseases along trade routes, with our modern transportation systems, global infestation can occur within days.

  Situational Awareness

  It’s important to be alert to warnings issued by health officials, but you must also know how diseases spread in order to avoid them. Knowledge and preparation are always vital parts of any arsenal. There are three main methods of transmission.

  The Ebola virus is one of the most feared pathogens on earth and has the ability to wipe out the entire population of the planet within ninety days. Its incubation period is two days, with nearly zero signs of symptoms. After exposure you may experience a slight headache and minor queasiness in the stomach. On or about the second day after infection, a person will bleed from every orifice—mouth, nose, ears, sphincter, and even the eyes—accompanied by bursts of projectile vomiting containing parts of their internal organs. One good thing about this virus: It can only be transmitted by direct contact with an infected person’s blood or secretions.

  FOMITE

  This means that contagions can spread via objects, everything from clothing, furniture, doorknobs, and handrails to soap. Depending on the type of virus or other infection and the object that it is on, potency can remain at full strength from twelve to forty-eight hours. People will get ill after touching the infected objects, then transmit the pathogen by rubbing their eyes, ears, or mouth.

  DROPLETS

  The fastest and most effective way diseases are spread is when the disease is transmitted in bodily fluids by coughing, sneezing, or even talking to someone too closely. The virus is alive and active in droplets of saliva and mucus. A sneeze can exit the nose at an amazing 90 mph and disperse more than sixteen million germs over a radius of twenty-five feet. A five-minute conversation with someone can produce more than three thousand virus-packed droplets.

  SPORES

  Some diseases are transmitted by spores, which are lighter than air. When the virus is attached to spores, or is itself in spore form, simply breathing in infected air will spread the disease.

  Preventing Infection

  Limiting contact is the most obvious and commonsense way to avoid disease. Get in the habit of utilizing the following checklist, until it becomes habit:

  Use a tissue to cover both nose and mouth if you sneeze or cough, and dispose of it properly, preferably in a plastic bag that can be tied and sealed. Don’t get others sick.

  Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub or disinfectant wipes.

  Use any type of bleach wipes to clean objects that you frequently put near your face, like a cell phone. Also use them to wipe down shopping-cart handles, for example, or other such objects touched by the general public.

  If you have a habit of touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with your hands, stop it. These are the most common pathways for infection.

  During alerts, employ social distancing. Avoid crowds and close contact with sick people.

  Pandemic in Effect

  The effects of the disruption of a food or supply chain can be as bad as or worse than the actual disease present when it comes to survivability. As mentioned, be aware that if a pandemic strikes and is officially labeled as such by the government, orders will be issued to cancel all public events, and except for medical or law enforcement personnel, citizens will be mandated to remain indoors. Compulsory orders for isolation will be the government’s first course of defense. You must be prepared to remain self-sufficient. Unfortunately, the situation can last anywhere from several days to several months. If enough forewarning is given, try to stockpile essential items. Make a list of all things you normally need each week, then multiply by ten. Of course, there will be no going out to the supermarket once the pandemic hits, and you may be without power. A sufficient supply of nonperishable foods, water, and prescription medication should be the first things on your list. You should also have a portable, single propane-fueled burner to boil water for drinking and to provide minimal cooking needs.

  MINIMUM FOOD ESSENTIALS

  The average adult needs 1,800 calories a day. This can be accomplished for three months with the following nonperishable items:

  • Twenty pounds of rice for needed carbohydrates.

  • Three gallons of canola oil for needed fat.

  • One hundred six-ounce cans of tuna fish for protein.

  Think of the requirements both for physical well-being and to counteract the psychological effects of long-term isolation. Those who practiced hardening up will be able to deal with a dramatic reduction of normal amenities. To fully prepare your dwelling and stockpile all the necessary supplies, check government lists issued by FEMA and other organizations that i
temize the supplies needed for long-term isolation. In such emergencies, those who hesitate will go without.

  If you failed to previously stockpile the above items and are forced to venture out to seek supplies, understand that there will be a lot of very scared and desperate people on the streets doing the same thing, some of whom will undoubtedly be infected with the virus or bacterial pathogen. In addition to all of the previous instructions, keep in mind that you may need to fight to get and keep your supplies. Do what you can to maintain distance from those around you. Once you return from your supply run, wipe everything down with bleach wipes and place what you’ve gathered in the sun. The UV rays will damage the virus’s DNA, killing anything still on the surface.

  Among the more difficult missions SEALs perform are reconnaissance/surveillance ops. These require tremendous discipline: little sleep, no movement, no noise, eating only MREs (meals ready to eat), and the occasional shit/piss in a container (pack it in, pack it out—we were never here). Five days of this, and you are absolutely wiped out. So imagine three months of a similar existence, and you will come to understand the concept of mental toughness. Practice it now—it will keep you alive.

  Your Crew

  Now that you are indoors, keep a very close eye on one another. Someone who has been infected may not show symptoms for three to six days but will still be contagious. This group you are with is considered the safety group. Until the all-clear has been given, these should be the only people you interact with. Anyone outside that group, like a next-door neighbor, has the ability to infect the group. Again, maintain your isolation and social distancing. If someone in your unit is noticeably sick, then they have to be contained for the greater good of the whole. This will be a tough call if your crew is your family, even though expulsion of the sickened individual from the sheltered environment would, in reality, be the best call. You could, instead, try creating a secondary isolation room within the shelter for those loved ones or members of your team you find impossible to send off.