I recently visited a field to get in some summer training and to get back into the airsofting groove. The team that hosted the day decided to start off the day with scenarios to introduce new airsofters to that form of game play and to enhance the training aspects of the battle. One of the scenarios involved our team securing and holding a water supply for a set amount of time, while keeping our “interpreter” from being captured.
I had realized by this point of the day that our team needed to have some form of organization if we where going to succeed. In a previous scenario, our objective was to place a smoke can in a location across the battle field and set it off. All the while we had to prevent the enemy from deploying their smoke can and eliminating our “interpreter”. A main bunker complex lie only 50 feet from our re-spawn point and was a major hold up during the game.
Due to lack of understanding and our semi-uncoordinated team, we ended up rushing the main bunker complex with only a few seconds left and deployed the enemy’s smoke for them!
Back to the game at hand….
To prevent the lack of coordination that had occurred in the previous battle from happening again, I decide to try and get a few players to work as a squad on the left flank of the battlefield. Three newer players, a battle buddy of mine, and another experience player decided to work as a squad to push the left flank. Using a few tactics, watching each others six, and joining up with other players, we were able to form a solid left flank. Although our impromptu squad dissolved as the battle progressed, we had been effective and helped to win the scenario for our team.
I learned that during a battle at a field to stay coordinated and effective:
- Form squads to organize a large team into an effective fighting force. A squad is easier to control and work with than trying to coordinate a whole team to capture an objective. They can be a game changer.
- Ask for help, don’t command it. I just asked a few players if they would be willing to go left with me. They all were fine with it, most likely because it meant they had a sense of direction and purpose. Try forcing people to join a squad, and you’ll just get some cold stares.
- Plan as you go. Besides having a general direction (left flank) we had no other plans on how our squad would operate. I barely knew most of the people on my team. We ended up doing just fine. We used a point man that knew the terrain and implemented a good team formation recommended by one of our squad members. By making up plans as we went and adjusting to the battle, we were able to be effective.
I hope this post helps you to be a good squad member and work with others at your next battle. Let me know if you have a ideas on how to better coordinate a large team; or if you have had any experiences, good or bad, with coordinating a team and working with others at the field, and how you solve those issues. See you on the battlefield!
