ABSTRACT
The news of Kurt and Miguel’s deaths sent shock waves through news corridors everywhere, and questions about whether the tragedy could have been avoided. In reality, military people would agree that no one is supposed to survive such an ambush, but when both Yannis and Mark credited their survival to training they had received at the instigation of their agencies in the days leading up to their assignment, there was renewed interest in Hostile Environments Training, and in preparing people, both physically and mentally, for dangerous work. A hostile environment can be anywhere where there is a threat to personal safety or security, not just war zones or countries like Sierra Leone in the midst of civil strife. Less obvious examples are natural disasters where the dangers are not from weapons and hostile forces but lack of clean water and the increased risk of contracting diseases.
