This handbook is an aid for soldiers in cold climates. However, expertise in dealing with cold weather operations cannot be gained just from reading this handbook. To develop successful cold-weather field techniques, application training and operational experience are necessary. Additional information is available in FM 31-70, FM 31-71, FM 90-11 (TBP), and FM 9-207. Military history of operations in northern areas shows that man's success or failure is measured by his regard for the dominant characteristics of a cold-weather environment. For a soldier to become a cold-weather expert, he must learn the techniques and rules needed to fight and live in a cold-weather climate.