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What are the top survival tips in a warzone for a fresh recruit?
Hi, I am Mark and I am from Ukraine. Today we had around 40 000 troops mobilized due to possible military invasion threat from Russia. I wasn't mobilized but if Russia attacks I will volunteer anyway.

Our government doesn't supply their soldiers with nothing but a AK-47 + a few mags + military cloths, NO GEAR.

Answer Wiki
    Take the time to learn how to shoot properly!
    Take care of your weapon and (limited) gear.
    Be ready to improvise tools based on your surroundings.
    Work as a team: Communicate with the members of your unit, ensure everyone is operating to the same level of standards.
    Learn basic first aid, and ensure others in the unit do as well.
    Learn from experience, either first-hand or from well established manuals on war fighting (e.g.,
    wikipedia.org
    United States Army Field Manuals).
    Do not unnecessarily expose yourself in a firefight: Learn to keep low and utilize cover, avoid bunching up, and stay away from obvious targets.
    Water is vitally important, keep track of your own hydration state, know where you can get more when you need it.
    Light and sound discipline is a matter of life or death at night. Make sure nothing rattles or shines.
    Get hold of a good knife
    Document what you see and hear, video is best but even simple written accounts can be very useful for all sorts of purposes.
    Get maps of the area you are operating in. Familiarize yourself with the terrain and streets.
    Do not antagonize the local populace, no matter what side they are on.

Daniel Kearns, Paratrooper. 82nd ABN Division.

I'm not sure how much basic training that you'll receive so I will give you some tips.  I am only looking at this from the perspective of someone new, going to combat with little or no training.

- Learn how to shoot. If they don't teach you, get a combat veteran to teach you.  ALWAYS use your sights, never use full auto. Only shoot from a supported position, either on the ground or against a wall. Standing unsupported shots are very difficult. If they don't issue you much ammo, shoot at only what you can see. Let someone else do the suppressive fire.
- Clean your weapon. As much as possible. Don't let crap build up on it.
- Stay close to someone who knows what they're doing.
- Learn as much as you can, especially about first aid, and the radio, as well as explosives and how to make them.
- Don't bunch up.  If guys are bunched up in a ditch, or behind a wall, stay 5-10m away from them.  If guys are running in a group, and you're in that group, STOP.  Let them run and get 5-10m away and then follow them.
- Hit the ground. Do NOT duck and run. Hit the ground if an explosion goes off near you or someone starts shooting. HIT the ground. The ground is your friend. Get below ground if you can. Ditches, holes, depressions, will protect you far better than even a brick wall.  When something happens, one's first instinct is to run, but that will get you killed.  HIT the ground.
- If you get stuck in a ditch or a room or behind a wall, as rounds are popping all around you, you better figure out a way out of there. You are being suppressed, and they are moving up on you.  Crawling on your belly is better than running in these situations.
- When you do move, jump up, say to yourself as you are running, "Im up, he sees me, I'm down." and hit the ground.
- Do not bother shooting at aircraft or helicopters, and get the hell away from anyone that is. They're just calling attention to themselves, and they won't be able to hit it anyway.
- Make sure you and the guys around you all have tourniquets, and know how to use them. Proper application of tourniquets has saved more lives on the modern battlefield than just about anything.
- If you can volunteer for a special operations type unit, or even an elite unit like an airborne unit, I would do that, rather than be drafted into the lowest type of reserve unit.  The volunteer type units will get the training and equipment necessary to wage war, as well as survive.

- Drink water. Dehydration can kill you as dead as a bullet.
- Eat when possible. Don't feel like eating because you're too nervous? Eat anyway.  Force it down with water if you have to.

- Hesitation kills. It's better to do the wrong thing than nothing.

- Keep the faith. Afghans and Chechens kicked the ass of the Russian military and I'm sure you can too. Maintaining a positive attitude will absolutely help keep you alive.

- Learn how to shoot. If they don't teach you, get a combat veteran to teach you.  ALWAYS use your sights, never use full auto. Only shoot from a supported position, either on the ground or against a wall. Standing unsupported shots are very difficult. If they don't issue you much ammo, shoot at only what you can see. Let someone else do the suppressive fire.
- Clean your weapon. As much as possible. Don't let crap build up on it.
- Stay close to someone who knows what they're doing.
- Learn as much as you can, especially about first aid, and the radio, as well as explosives and how to make them.
- Don't bunch up.  If guys are bunched up in a ditch, or behind a wall, stay 5-10m away from them.  If guys are running in a group, and you're in that group, STOP.  Let them run and get 5-10m away and then follow them.
- Hit the ground. Do NOT duck and run. Hit the ground if an explosion goes off near you or someone starts shooting. HIT the ground. The ground is your friend. Get below ground if you can. Ditches, holes, depressions, will protect you far better than even a brick wall.  When something happens, one's first instinct is to run, but that will get you killed.  HIT the ground.
- If you get stuck in a ditch or a room or behind a wall, as rounds are popping all around you, you better figure out a way out of there. You are being suppressed, and they are moving up on you.  Crawling on your belly is better than running in these situations.
- When you do move, jump up, say to yourself as you are running, "Im up, he sees me, I'm down." and hit the ground.
- Do not bother shooting at aircraft or helicopters, and get the hell away from anyone that is. They're just calling attention to themselves, and they won't be able to hit it anyway.
- Make sure you and the guys around you all have tourniquets, and know how to use them. Proper application of tourniquets has saved more lives on the modern battlefield than just about anything.
- If you can volunteer for a special operations type unit, or even an elite unit like an airborne unit, I would do that, rather than be drafted into the lowest type of reserve unit.  The volunteer type units will get the training and equipment necessary to wage war, as well as survive.

- Drink water. Dehydration can kill you as dead as a bullet.
- Eat when possible. Don't feel like eating because you're too nervous? Eat anyway.  Force it down with water if you have to.

- Hesitation kills. It's better to do the wrong thing than nothing.

- Keep the faith. Afghans and Chechens kicked the ass of the Russian military and I'm sure you can too. Maintaining a positive attitude will absolutely help keep you alive.
 
Written Wed. Asked to answer by Joseph Dedrick.

Mark,

What you are going through now, as an individual and as a people, is one of the most important stories of our time. Many would consider what I am doing by helping you to be reckless and that I should tell you to just sit back and seek shelter. I won't do that. I won't deny you advice I have because of some misplaced sense of right and wrong. I believe the Ukraine should continue to exist and I am proud to support a patriot who is going to do what he is going to do, whatever he is called to do. If not for people like that, Ukraine, as well as any good place worth living in would soon cease to exist. I've compiled everything I could think of that might benefit you in the coming months be it dealing with an insurgency or with the threat of a Russian advance. I've been up writing all night and the sun is rising here, so you'll forgive me for not proofreading this so that the information can get to you sooner. That said I, along with everyone else, sincerely hope you never need anything I mention in this answer, but now you have it. I'm incredibly grateful to have had the chance to get to know you in the few times we've talked and am inspired by your dedication to service. Mostly, I am proud that you would ask me to for advice during this time of your life. Having said that, I want to do everything I can to help you see a day when the Ukraine is at peace.

Semper Fidelis,
Jon