Seal Survival Guide

by Cade Courtley

  Soon after you are detained, formally request that the U.S. embassy or the consulate stationed in that country be notified of your situation. If the foreign authorities are reluctant, you could inform them that you have a medical condition, which often makes them more cooperative in notifying embassy officials.

  On the Run

  For whatever reason, be it a hostile uprising, riot, or incident with a group of locals, you may find yourself on the run in a foreign land. Assume you are on your own and being hunted. You are now in what the military calls E & E, or “escape and evasion.”

  When my team was discovered during a reconnaissance/surveillance mission, all offensive operations were done. We lost the initiative and had to immediately change our focus to the evader mindset. All prior objectives became secondary to E & E.

  1. Get off the X: First, remove yourself from where you were last seen. Get to an area that is relatively safe and secure to assess your situation. If you have the preplanning map with you, now is the time to pinpoint where you are. If your fleeing was spontaneous, then at least attempt to figure out where you think you are. Your priority is to get to a safe zone, be it a friendly embassy or across the border to an ally country. Making it to an airport or train station might be the fastest way out, although these areas are heavily populated and under a high level of surveillance. A church or religious structure may offer a form of safe house if you are confident their beliefs incorporate offering assistance to a foreigner.

  2. Rule of Three: Come up with the three best options and decide on a plan of action. Your possible options could include staying put until night, attempting to contact someone, or moving to another location. Remember, the most direct and shortest distance to your objective is rarely the smartest or safest. Be alert and recognize heavily trafficked areas and possible choke points. Following rivers and waterways can put you in uncomfortable terrain but can possibly provide rapid and undeterred transit to specific locations. Bear in mind, you are in your pursuers’ backyard. Those looking for you have a huge advantage. (See also “Stalker and Surveillance Detection,” page 277.)

  3. Safe Houses: You may need to travel over several nights and hole up during the day. This will require you to take advantage of hide sites or safe houses, based on your environment. This could be a drainage ditch or an abandoned building. The more uncomfortable the better, because others will be less likely to explore these areas.

  4. Disguise: Do whatever you can to make yourself look like a local, be it a change of clothes or dirt on the hair and face to give a darker complexion, if necessary. You would be amazed how you can disappear in plain sight. In an area rife with homeless, become homeless. Most people will want to avoid you, or even avoid noticing you.

  I would be lying if I said that I never wore a burka during my time in the Middle East. No, I’m not a cross-dresser; it was strictly tactical and mission oriented. And you can hide a hell of a lot of guns and gear under those things. It also helped that I learned to say, “Alalalalalalala.”

  5. Cash is king: This is true in any country. Make sure you have it on you in small bills and in three different locations on your person.

  6. Cover story: Make sure you are able to come up with something innocuous should you encounter someone who may question you. I found that posing as a salesman or missionary from a neutral English-speaking country like Canada is advantageous.

  7. Elicit help from others: Human nature leads us to naturally want to trust and help other individuals—you’ll always find some good people, no matter where you go. You may try to engage others to help you, though be cautious about to whom you describe your plight. You may need to make up a plausible, though fictitious, story that gets others to help you. No one likes to deceive decent people, but if your life depends on getting out of a foreign country, this is an option to consider.

  I participated in an urban-evasion training exercise in Los Angeles, California, where I was on foot being “hunted” by several members of law enforcement as well as “private sector” folks. I was able to convince a total stranger, after faking a bicycle accident, to allow me to use their cell phone, give me a ride to the hospital, give me $50, and give me their phone number and home address in case I needed anything else. Thanks to that person, BTW, for proving there are still plenty of decent people in the world.

  PART THREE

  Gear and Improvised

  Weapons

  GEAR

  First off, my intention is not to turn anyone into a gear fanatic. I don’t want you to carry around a sixty-pound backpack full of survival gear every time you leave the house. You might as well drag around a ball and chain—that’s not living. Without question, the right gear and equipment is important, but it is no substitute for knowledge, training, and using your SEAL mindset. Don’t depend entirely on gear.

  Here are a few phrases we used in SEAL team when it came to gear:

  • Two is one and one is none. (If it’s that important, pack two.)

  • If it takes batteries, it will take a shit exactly when you need it.

  • Take care of your gear, and it will take care of you.

  • Salt water destroys everything and rust never sleeps.

  On the other hand, having the right equipment for a particular survival situation can mean the difference between living and dying. It could be just enough to keep your body that one degree warmer or cooler, provide that vital amount of water or food, or even reach out and get the attention of a search party on the horizon. Obviously, different environments will require different survival equipment. A desert setup will be vastly different from the one that you need on your boat. Nevertheless, there are some basic pieces of gear that you should have within reach at a moment’s notice. This collection of gear is called a go bag.

  Go Bag Checklist

  When things start getting bad, you grab this and you go. Please remember it should be in something you can throw over your shoulder and run with. If you add too many items and it starts to weigh too much, it will only slow you down.

  It’s called a go bag—not a drag bag.

  Prepare at least one go bag for each person in your family and leave these backpacks or satchels at home. Keep one in your vehicle and one at work. Check the functionality and condition of the items in your go bags every six months. Contents can be modified based on your region or environment, but these are the essentials for every go bag:

  • Copy of passport, driver’s license, emergency contact list, and any necessary prescriptions in small plastic bag

  • Multitool (to include pliers, knife, saw blade, file, screwdrivers)

  • Compass, folding mirror type (also used for signaling)

  • Marker pen or indelible felt-tip pen and small waterproof notebook

  • Flashlight, extra batteries, and a headlamp

  • Cyalume chemlights (glow sticks), red and green

  • Lighter, waterproof matches, and magnesium fire starter, and cotton balls for tinder

  • Candles

  • Plastic whistle

  • Bottled water and protein or energy bars

  • SteriPEN or water-purification tablets and filter (straw type)

  • Lightweight water-resistant windbreaker and sun visor

  • Emergency/space blanket

  • First-aid kit: compressed gauze dressing, tourniquet material, cloth sling, surgical gloves, alcohol wipes, sunscreen

  • Trash bag

  • Hand sanitizer or bleach wipes

  • Zip ties

  • Twenty feet of Paracord

  • Tape

  • Spare socks

  • Eye flush/eye drops

  • Cash in small bills

  • Any medication you are taking or inhaler (three days’ worth, which you can add to the bag when ready to go)

  Again, the above items are minimal requirements for immediate survival and to serve you during several days on the run. If you want to take your kit to the next level, here are some addition
al items you could add:

  • Increase your water supply to several gallons

  • Add food like military MREs (meals ready to eat) or freeze-dried, add-water food

  • Gore-Tex coat and pants

  • Small sleeping bag and additional ponchos

  • Sock hat and gloves; wool is warm even when wet

  • Hand-powered radio

  • Additional flashlight

  • Fishing kit, including line and hooks

  • Snare wire

  • Extra cell phone with additional batteries

  • Larger fixed-blade knife

  • Expanded first-aid kit, to include additional dressings, tape, scissors, bandages, antiseptic

  • Small monocular

  • GPS

  • Lock-pick kit and set of jigglers for vehicle entry

  • Bear spray (extra-strength pepper spray)

  • Folding shovel

  • Insect head net

  • Seawater desalination kit

  • Illumination flares/smoke signals

  • Change of clothes

  • Firearm (train to get a concealed-weapon permit or check local firearm regulations)

  • Last, but not least: Always carry a copy of this book!

  Go bags available at www.SEALSurvival.com

  FIREARMS

  I previously discussed this topic, but it’s such an important issue that I want to elaborate and make the facts about the handling of firearms extremely clear. If you are going to have a firearm, you must:

  1. Know how to use it proficiently. You will achieve this only by taking a course given by an expert. Then you must make a commitment to practice using it, preferably at a designated firing range and in real-world environments. The International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) has lists of where you can get this kind of practice. Every weapon has its own unique characteristics. You need to know the particulars of the weapon you choose to own.

  2. Know how to safely store it (especially with children in the home). My recommendation is a fingerprint-recognition safe for handguns and trigger locks for rifles and shotguns.

  3. Be willing to use it. Be willing to take a life. You don’t want to be the guy who was killed by his own gun.

  Here’s a statistic to drive home the importance of firearm safety: In 2010, there were six hundred self-inflicted accidental deaths caused by improper use of firearms. And according to the CDC, death by firearms is a significant cause of death among youth—so keep them locked up and out of the reach of children!

  What Weapon Is Best?

  I am constantly asked, “What kind of gun should I get for self- and home defense?” My first question is, have you satisfied all the requirements in the list above? If so:

  1. For home defense I generally recommend a pump shotgun. It is very easy to use and very easy to hit things with. And I don’t care who you are; when you hear a pump shotgun ratchet a shell into the chamber, you are going to haul ass.

  2. Handguns are also a great option but require more skill to use effectively. Also understand that a bullet has the potential to travel much farther than shotgun ammunition. If you miss what you are aiming at, it may very well penetrate an internal wall and hit a family member, friend, or neighbor. I’m a big fan of the .40-cal for its stopping power and capacity.

  3. Occasionally, I get the guy who lives in a residential area asking me about a .50-cal rifle, or if he should get an automatic assault weapon (in the old days called machine guns). I have just two words for him—“Watch list.”

  REVOLVERS VS. SEMIAUTOMATICS

  Handguns come in two varieties: revolvers and semiautomatics. A revolver has a cylinder that holds six rounds and rotates every time the trigger is pulled, causing the hammer to strike the chamber containing the cartridge. A semiautomatic’s ammunition is in a magazine that can hold in excess of fifteen rounds. It will fire each time the trigger is pulled, which is why it is called a semiautomatic. A revolver has fewer moving parts and therefore is considered to be more reliable; however, if you clean your weapons on a regular basis, you will minimize malfunctions. Take care of your gear, and it will take care of you.

  Basic Firearm Operation and Safety

  Each firearm is different in its specific operation, but there are some very basic and general safety rules you can always apply:

  1. Always assume the firearm is loaded.

  2. Never point the firearm at something you don’t intend to kill. When handling a firearm, treat it like there is a laser coming out of the end of the barrel. Anything that laser touches, it will slice through, which is why holding the weapon at a high port—meaning that the barrel is pointing straight up—is generally the best nonfiring position for a firearm.

  3. Keep the safety on until you are ready to fire. Know how to switch the safety on and off with your eyes closed.

  4. Keep your finger off the trigger, and only move it to the trigger when ready to fire.

  5. Take a gun- or hunter-safety course. Bring your spouse and children. Education and respect for a firearm are a must. The seriousness with which the courses are taught will impress upon children the seriousness of this weapon.

  6. Practice as much as you can, because shooting is a very perishable skill.

  CASTLE LAW

  The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Don’t ask a SEAL if he’s pro- or antigun—you should know that answer—but I’m definitely pro on learning how to use it and to respect its power. Every state and municipality has different regulations regarding registering weapons or obtaining concealed-weapon permits. It’s your responsibility to know the laws on firearm use where you live and wherever you travel with your weapon. If you have a gun in your house for self-defense, become familiar with what’s called “the Castle Law.” In summary, this law states that you have the right to use deadly force against any intruder who enters your house and presents a threat against your life. However, there are fine points you need to know. For example, if the intruder sees your weapon and flees, you cannot shoot him in the back or chase him down the street.

  IMPROVISED WEAPONS

  When it comes to choosing what to use as an improvised weapon for defense, you are limited only by your imagination—and your commitment to using it. The true sense of the word “improvised” means you could make just about anything, from the leg of a table to a stalk of celery, into a weapon. The latter probably isn’t going to be too helpful, and in a situation where you could get injured or killed, you had better pick the item that has the most potential to be effective.

  A former teammate of mine was on a raid in Iraq when not only did his rifle go down but so did his handgun. He had to perform an instantaneous assessment of what was within his reach that he could turn into a weapon. As the enemy charged, he grabbed a toaster oven and used it with deadly force. In doing so, he became the first American to get a “confirmed kill” with a small kitchen appliance. True story—and it proves how improvisation, physical and mental toughness, and utilizing the SEAL mindset can save your life.

  Whatever environment you are in, do a situational-awareness drill and look around at things that you could use as a weapon. If you are in an office right now, look at the things on your desk. What do you think could be used most effectively to disable an attacker? A bit of creativity can go a long way when thinking of what could be transformed into a weapon. For example, while walking to your car, your set of keys sticking out between each of your fingers and gripped in your fist could instantly turn your knuckles into a weapon. A key-spiked punch with this would do considerable damage to an assailant’s vulnerable points, especially the eyes. In a bar, a stool could be used as a weapon and a shield. A thick tree branch makes a powerful club, and even a bench becomes an improvised weapon if thrown at someone. Remember, whatever you use, you must employ violence of action to make it work. This, along with your determination to survive, will help
save your life. Here a few of my favorites:

  Clothing

  • Belts—especially with heavy buckles; wrap part of it around your fist and just start swinging

  • Coats—always great as a defensive tool against a sharp object

  • High heels—ladies, not only can you walk on them, but they are a lethal weapon if used as a hammer, or both at the same time like a set of cymbals

  • Socks—fill with coins or a can of soda

  Toiletries (in addition to the obvious uses, you can throw any and all of these items)

  • Any aerosol canister sprayed in the eyes will sting like hell

  • Nail file

  • Straight razor

  • Foot powder—same as aerosol

  Office supplies

  • Laptop computer—can be used as a shield, but even more effective folded up and used to deliver a shot to the throat

  • Stapler—use as a striking tool and for smashing in an upward motion against an attacker’s nose; could also be used like a vise, opened and closed on an attacker’s fingers to bend back and break them

  • Scissors

  • Ruler (use for slashing)

  • Computer power cords, printer cables, and Ethernet cords are thick and excellent for whipping and strangling