airsoft mag issue_2
TRANSCRIPT
This issue is meant to be viewed through our webpage at www.freeairsoftmag.com, if you have decided to download the PDF version it is best viewed by going to the "view" tab, then "page display," and click on "two up." Thanks, and we
hope you enjoy the magazine.
Welcome back for Issue #2 !!!! First off thank you so much for reading we hope that you enjoy the magazine. So far we have had a great launch to the magazine and have received lots of wonderful feedback. We have had some issues with the magazine and how long it takes to produce an issue as well as some delays in the material that unfortunately have been stalling the operation. We will continue to keep plugging away.
Thanks everyone for the feedback, positive and negative. It is nice to hear kind words and that you readers appreciate all the hard work. It is also nice to hear constructive criticism on how we can make the magazine better. If you have thoughts, concerns, ideas for articles, information you would like to see, please let us know.
In this issue we have some great content. First off for all you do it yourselfers is an article on how to build a hop up tracer unit which includes some tips and tricks we have compiled from the internet. Our Team Interview is with Wolf Recon based out of Wisconsin. We also have an in depth look at Recondo 2010 a Vietnam airsoft event like no other. All this and more, I hope that you all enjoy.
- The Editor -
Letter From the Editor
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- Video of the Month
- Firefight Battle
Deck Review
-
Interview
Wolf Recon Team
-
guide
hop up tracer unit
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Airsoft
Recondo 2010 Vietnam
- Gun of the Month
-
Airsoft
Law Enforcment and
Table of Contents
- Pg 5
- Pg 9
- Pg 18
- Pg 19
- Pg 30
- Pg 55
- Pg 57 2
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" The World Trade Center is a living symbol to mans dedication to world peace… a representation of mans belief in humanity, his need for individual dignity, his beliefs in cooperation of men, and, through cooperation, his ability to find greatness."
Thank You
- Minoru Yamasaki - Architect and designer of the World Trade Center
Another year passes by since the single greatest terrorist attack on our great nation and it seems that as "time heals all wounds" more and more people forget.
We here at Airsoft MAG wish to take a moment to remember all those who lost their lives, and all those who lost their loved ones during the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. And to all those in the US Military who have fought or are currently fighting to defend our freedom.
With clever titles as AFU, Shot Through the Heart, and On the Funny Bone the Firefight Battledeck is a refreshing new spin to an old concept. From respawns to lay where you die, the Battledeck can enhance your airsoft game.
We had the privilege of reviewing the Firefight Battledeck, by Nathan and Julie Frund. While this is not a new concept it is a well put together system that is easy to use and adds a extra level of realism and fun to your airsoft event. It will work anywhere from a neighborhood backyard skirmish to a full scale milsim operation.
The Firefight Battledeck is a drop in medic / wound system for airsoft events. One "deck" comes with 32 cards that range anywhere from a minor flesh wound to a death card. Also there are cards with certain requirements that either damage gear, or deny you the use of a major appendage.
When you purchase the Battledeck you receive a digital copy of the 32 cards in a full color, pdf format. All you need to do is print out the pages, cut out the cards and you are ready to go. The deck itself has a total of 5 different effects that take place when a player has been shot; dead, injured, stopped, broken, and lucky. The "dead" card consists of 25 percent of the deck. The beauty of this system is that depending on the game play type or number of players you can
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configure the number of cards or the number of different types of card within the deck. There are several different ways to customize the deck to make each game different, unique, and challenging. Currently the Battledeck's cost is $ 8.
There are two main ways to use the Firefight Battle deck. One is to have a medic system, when a player gets shot he gets down and calls for a medic. The medic who has the Battledeck cards on him gets to the wounded player and then pulls out the card and whatever is on the card is the wound that the player receives. The second is to hand out a card to each player they then put it in a pocket or pouch somewhere and when they get shot they pull out their card and follow the direction of what is on the card.
There are pros and cons to each of the above scenarios and you will need to play around with it to figure out what fits best for you and your group and how you want your event to play out. The beauty of it is that the deck is customizable.
I took the Battledeck out to my local airsofting group and we had a blast playing with it. It definitely adds a cool factor to the event and for just a regular skirmish it makes it more fun. To see a guy hobbling on one leg due to his "injury" and still laying down cover fire and helping his team advance is great. We have used systems like this before but it always seems to be a lot of work to put together and it is usually a hand written injury on a piece of paper, where the Battledeck has a nice, clean look to it.
The first time we tried playing with the Battledeck we ran into a bit of a problem. With everyone putting their casualty card in there pocket or pouch somewhere. By the time it was time to pull the card out it was pretty mangled, or soaked from sweat and unreadable. I can only imagine what would happen in the rain. This problem is a strong argument for having actual medics. That way you have a
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select amount of people carrying the cards so that they can keep them safe, secure, and prevent the cards from getting damaged. We definitely needed to figure out a way to make this work, so we went back to the drawing board.
We printed out another deck of cards, and this time we decided to laminate them with some 3 mil laminate paper. This really did the trick. They were very durable, robust, and after a hard day of airsofting they looked exactly the same as when we started.
After playing both types of systems the group consensus was that each player having his own card was more fun, and realistic. Too often it would take 10 minutes for a medic to get to you just for him to pull out a card that says you were dead. I would've rather been dead and not laid on the ground for 10 minutes, and that was only the 40 percent of the time the medic could actually get to you. Also if in the real world you took a round that was a minor wound you would not necessarily need a medic to get back in the fight.
Fire Fight Battle Deck
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We also incorporated a system of bandaging that would be required to continue.. When a player got hit he would look at his card and find out the wound. If it required medical attention then you would call for a medic who would then apply a "bandage" and then you could continue on. This was the most realistic option, and we will definitely be using this type of set up in our next milsim event.
The Firefight Battledeck is a great system that greatly enhances any airsoft event. It is well put together, versatile, customizable, and very cost effective. The only negative we could find is the fact that it is paper and a lot of airsofting takes place outdoors, but this is easily fixed with some laminate.
Thanks to Nathan and Julie Frund for putting the Battledeck together and providing us with it to review. To purchase a Firefight Battledeck please visit the following link.
- End -
http://stores.lulu.com/firefight
- Jacob Smith -
Have a product you would like us to review? Please visit us at www.freeairsoftmag.com and contact us through our contacts page.
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WOLF RECONWolf Recon is an airsoft team based out of Madison and Baraboo Wisconsin. With a very active roster and a strict training regiment, Wolf Recon takes pride in there ability to operate successfully as a
line unit who's specialty is in assault, and defensive tactics.
WOLF RECON TEAM Interview
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Q. - When, where, and how did Wolf Recon start?
Wolf Recon started back in 2003. We were called the Silver Wolves Airsoft Club back then. A handful of people with some springer pistols and maybe a camo shirt or two was our origin. After we kept playing we upgraded to springer rifles, then full camouflage and tactical gear, then finally AEGs. Back in 2006, we reformed our team as more military simulation and became Wolf Recon.
Wolf Recon is both, actually. One weekend we could be doing a 2 day long mil-sim challenge with game rules so detailed and harsh that most people wouldn't find it very fun... and then the next weekend we can be playing a zombie game or a live action role play. We only have one ex-military member on the team but everyone is in that mil-sim mindset, but we have a lot of gamers so we have some fun with some games too.
Q. - Are you more of a milsim team or recreational?
Wolf Recon currently has 14 members on the roster.
Q. - How many team members do you currently have?
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We do both. We have a practice field in Merrimac, Wisconsin and we go to Apocalypse Paintball in Poynette, WI very often. But we also travel sometimes to Minnesota, all over Wisconsin, to Illinois, and even Indiana for bigger games.
Q. - Do you have a home field that you play at? or do you travel all over to play?
Q. - Does the team get together to practice on a regular basis?
Yes we do. We are a very active team, one of the most active ones in the state, and we practice, play or train 3 out of 4 weekends a
month, sometimes every weekend. It can be exhausting keeping up with that schedule, but we love the sport and look forward to Sunday so we can play.
Q. - What sort of things does Wolf Recon practice when they get together? IE just run force on force, or shooting drills, movement formations....
we do a little bit of everything. Sometimes it is Force Blue VS Force Red, Sometimes we will do complicated scenarios with detailed rules, and Sometimes we will do battle drills and shoot at targets. we have classes on the team (Rifleman, SAW Gunner, Medic, Marksman, Grenadier) that members can earn tabs for and they have to go through a training course for each one.
Q. - Are you more of a outdoor or CQB type of team?
WOLF RECON TEAM Interview
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Wolf Recon is definitely a front-line, in the trenches, taking/holding ground, outdoor team. CQB is one of our biggest weaknesses. We'll fight like mad to get you to the building, but we may not be the best ones to clear it, haha. We do train for it though
Q. - Do you host any events?
The team leader of our team is also an event coordinator. The team coordinates some smaller games, both private and public, and organizes 2 large events in Wisconsin; Operation Vigilance (Middle eastern modern combat theme) and Operation Plague (a zombie survival horror game).
we do attend national events. we drive to Illinois/Indiana (depending on where it is) to participate in the Codename Thunder event series. Wolf Recon has been to every event in this series as part of the US team.
Q. - Have you or do you plan to attend any national events?
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Q. - What is the airsoft scene like in Wisconsin?It is a very active community with people coming out to the
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local fields every weekend to play. We don't have a ton of big events, but there are a number of pickup/local games almost every weekend. There is a good mix of recreational and mil-sim players in the state.
The most recent large scale Op we've been to is Battle for Breedland in Poynette, WI. Another team in the state coordinates this event and Wolf Recon has been in this event since the beginning as well. We're part of the Domingo army (three color desert) and the event is a nice and well coordinated mil-sim event. This year in May the event saw 120+ players and several APC/armored vehicles along with props and numerous missions.
Q. - Please tell us about the most recent large scale op. Wolf Recon has been involved in.
Q. - Do you have any military or police officers on your team?
We have one member on our team that used to be in the Army, but is no longer in.
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Q. - Does Wolf Recon follow any sort of rank structure?
we do. we follow a somewhat Army oriented rank structure. New players start out at private Third Class and can gain rank the more they train and the more experience they get. to achieve Corporal, they have to do some fire team leadership training. and to achieve Sergeant, they have a take on some responsibility and go through a bunch of training related to leading back on the field and administration/command stuff related to the team off the field.
Q. - What does it take to join Wolf Recon?
Although Wolf Recon is exactly what some players are looking for, our team is not a fit for everyone. We do have some high standards and expect our members to be courteous and respectful (especially to younger players), we do have a team uniform we wear regularly, our attendance requirement is pretty high, we have yearly dues members must pay, and we train and practice all the time. Our primary playing style is mil-sim, the harder the better, and some players aren't into that. We also do other activities too... cook outs, LAN parties, gaming days, etc. We make sure that a person is a good fit for our team before they join.
WOLF RECON TEAM Interview
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Q. - Are you currently recruiting new members?
We are always recruiting, we never really "close" recruitment but we do have a detailed and thorough recruitment process.
Not sure what topic is best to leave parting words about, but if any players are out there looking for advice on teams, I suppose I could talk about that. If you want to join a team, do your homework... practice with them and see if they are a fit. Too many people have a mindset that once they join a team then they can do what they want or change things. You don't let strangers change the layout of your house when they visit, the same goes for sports teams. If you want to start a team, put some effort into it. I've seen a ton of little teams come and go in this sport but the most ambitious, serious, and active ones have stayed. And regardless if you want to join or start a team, the number one tip I can give you is to PLAY SAFE! Nothing can ruin a relationship with another player or team more than showing other people that you are an unsafe player.
Q. - Is there anything else that you would like to say?
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- Jacob Smith -
http://www.wolf-recon.com/
I would like to thank Wolf Recon for participating in this interview.
All pictures were provided by Wolf Recon and printed with permission. For more information, pictures, and videos of Wolf Recon please visit their webpage at the following link.
WOLF RECON TEAM Interview
Want your team to be featured in our magazine? Go to www.freeairsoftmag.com and check out our contacts page. You will find all the information you need to contact us and submit your team
information
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This months video comes from Black Ops Elite, an airsoft team based out of Utah. This video does a great job capturing how much
fun a night game can be. We hope that you enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2VyQdzVrZY
Black Ops Elite can be found at the link below. From what I can see from their webpage they host some amazing events. They operate with a set of core values that makes them who they are, Respect,
Integrity, and Safety.
http://blackopselite.com/board/
Think that you have a great video? Submit it to us at www.freeairsoftmag.com and if we agree your video could be our
video of the month!
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Everyone has probably seen the online videos of the airsoft tracers and thought how cool they looked and how much fun it would be to participate in a night time operation. Then most of you probably looked up the tracer units at your favorite airsoft store and saw price tags of over $ 100 and then thought that it really wasn’t that cool. Well I am here to tell you about a cheap alternative to the high priced tracer units and that is the HUTU.
HUTU stands for Hop Up Tracer Unit, but we will be calling it a HUTU for the remainder of the article. For around $ 15 or less, and with a little bit of work and electrical knowledge it is fairly simple to install a HUTU on your gun of choice. I have personally installed them on M4's, MP5's, M14's, and M249's and I have seen them installed on P90's, Thompsons, Masada's, MP7's and even a Glock 18 AEP. We here at M.A.G. first came across the idea for a HUTU on You Tube. After a little research on the internet on how exactly to build them and what various people have tried; the best source of information we came across was at an airsoft team named 1st Sword's forum.
http://www.1st-sword.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=163
Hop Up Tracer Unit Guide
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Within the last year we have seen quite a few cheaper "Chinese" models of tracer units hitting the market ranging between $ 40 to $ 80. We have personally had bad experiences with these units, the results ranged anywhere from not working at all to barely lighting up the BB's. We are not saying they are all bad, I am sure that some of them out there are good, but from what we have seen they are not that reliable.
We have seen some HUTU's that rival and out perform the TM tracer units but there are a lot of variables that can effect the performance of the HUTU. For the most part a HUTU is better than a cheap tracer unit but not as good as a TM.
Required Items
Parts Tools- 2 - 4 3mm LED's - Soldering Iron- Resistor - Dremel- Switch - Drill with 7/64 or 1/8 bit- Heatshrink - Small File- Connectors - Hot Glue Gun
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What type of LED should I use? This is where I am "standing on the shoulders of giants" in that I have never tried anything less than 13,000 MCD blue LED's. Reportedly these have the best results and from personal experience they make the BB's glow pretty bright. It has also been stated that using 3,000 MCD UV LED's in conjunction with a higher than 8.4v battery and a 150 ohm resistor, will yield a brighter glow from the BB's. Currently I am using 15,000 MCD blue LED's that will be available for sale from our webpage store in HUTU kits very soon.
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What type of resistor should I use? Well that all depends on your battery as well as the type of LED you have. To calculate the amount of resistance needed for the safe operation of the LED's use the following formula R = BV - FV / FC (R = resistance, BV = battery voltage, FV = forward voltage of the LED, FC = forward current of the LED in amps). As an example if you had an 11.1v lipo with a LED that requires a forward voltage of 3.2v and the forward current was 30 mA the calculation would be 11.1 - 3.2 / .03. Which would be 263 ohms. The nearest available resistor would be a 270 ohm resistor. I have always used this method for installing HUTU's but I have seen discussions about overcharging the LED's which will make them brighter which in turns makes the glow in the dark BB's brighter, but this will also decrease the life span of the LED. I personally would rather be safe than sorry.
What type of connector should I use? This depends on how you are wiring the gun and what type of gun it is that you are wiring. Any type of connector will work bullet, spade, JST etc... I have always used a JST connector as the female side is small enough to fit through the gap between the outer barrel and the D Ringon most M4's. I say most M4's as I have seen some JG's with A2 stocks that do not have this gap because they are wired to the back.
Warning: the following process is a general guide on how to install a Hop Up Tracer Unit into an airsoft gun, knowledge of the inner workings of the particular airsoft gun to be modified is required. This work will permanently modify your current hop up and if performed incorrectly will damage the correct operation of the airsoft guns hop up unit.
Hop Up Tracer Unit Guide
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Step 1 - Take your airsoft gun of choice and split the upper and lower receivers. Note: if you are wondering how to do that then you probably have no business trying to install a HUTU, you should consult someone with more experience . Inspect the area around the hop up and try to determine the best location to install the LED's. In this particular build we are using a ICS M4. You will notice on the picture that the sides of the hop up are very open and have plenty of room to install the HUTU with out interfering with the mechanics of the gun.
Step 2 - Now that we have located where we are going to install our LED's we can remove the barrel and hop up assembly from the receiver. With a 1/8 inch drill bit, drill a hole into your predetermined location that you wish to place your LED's (I have seen instructions to use a 7/64 size drill bit but then I usually have to spend an hour filing the hole to make it bigger. I have always had a 1/8 work perfect for me. if you are uncertain I would try a 7/64 first and if it is too small then use a 1/8). The configuration of the gun and the hop up usually dictates how many LED's you can fit in the hop up. I have installed as many as 4 before and I probably could have done 4 on this project, but I only typically install 2.
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Next you will want to take either a small sharp hobby knife or a small round file and remove any of the plastic (or metal, depending on the hop up) flashing that may be in the hop up as a result of the drilling. You want to make sure that a BB can freely pass through the feed tube, and that no flashing is blocking the tube.
Step 3 - Now we will need to prepare our 3 MM LED's. First you will need to use your Dremel tool and cut the top portion of the LED off. Be careful not to cut into the diode portion of the LED as this will render the LED useless. When cutting through the LED be careful not to push through it to fast as this can cause the disk to warp and make an uneven cut.
Now you will need to polish the surface of the LED. I use the Dremel tool with a polishing wheel, and polishing compound to get the surface of the LED nice and clear again.
Hop Up Tracer Unit Guide
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As a side note, I always like to double check my work as I go along, to make sure that the LED's are working before I get to far in the installation process. Pictured, is a 9 volt battery connector that I wired to check my LED's. (Notice that on the positive battery wire there is a resistor on the end to ensure that I do not over power the LED) All you need to do is connect the positive (red) wire to the positive LED anode, and the negative (black) wire to the LED cathode. This helps when sawing, polishing, installing, and soldering to ensure that the LED's are still functioning properly.
important that you do not mix up which side is positive, and which is negative.
Which is the cathode and which is the anode? If you are wondering this then you get a gold star for paying attention. On hemispherical LED's there is a flat spot on one side. This is an indicator that the wire coming out of the side with the flat spot is the cathode or negative side. If you reverse the power flow in a LED it will not work. It is very
Now that we have all of that figured out it brings us to Step 4. First you will want to test fit your cut and polished LED's into the holes that you have drilled and ensure that a bb can still freely drop through the feed tube. If there is a portion of the LED protruding into the feed tube then you will need to cut and grind it until it is slightly recessed into the hole.
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Next, you will want to take your super glue of choice and apply a layer around the outer lip of the LED. Place the LED in the hole and be sure to pay attention which direction the anode and cathode are facing. In my example the negative is on top and the positive is on bottom. Repeat this step for the other side and make sure that it is installed in the same direction. Allow the super glue tofully dry before moving on to the next step.
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Hop Up Tracer Unit Guide
Step 5. - We will be wiring the LED's in a parallel configuration. Without getting too deep into electrical theory, wiring them in parallel will provide the lowest load impedance, which in turn will maximize the power output to the LED's. This makes them glow as bright as they can with your resistor choice and battery. Since our project is being wired forward we will bend each negative wire to the front portion of the hop up, and twist them together. After a few good twists we will need to clip off any excess wire. At this point you will want to solder your negative connector wire to the LED's cathodes. It is easier to solder one at a time and I highly recommend it.
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keep the heat close to the LED's for to long then it can damage them.
Repeat the same process for the Anodes, and solder the positive connector wire. At this point I recommend installing the hop up and barrel back into your gun to make sure everything fits and there are no clearance issues. Be very careful when soldering, if you touch the plastic hop up it will melt very easily and if you
At this point you are pretty much done with the HUTU installation. All you have left to do is heat shrink your wires (you know the heat shrink that you remembered to put on the wires before you soldered them together) and seal up the LED wires. You can leave the LED's exposed if you want but they may not work for very long. I recommend that you seal them up. You can use silicone, putty, hot
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glue, pretty much anything that you can think of to keep them water tight. I prefer to use hot glue as it is cheap, effective, and if you need to take your HUTU apart for any reason it is not very difficult to remove but is stiff enough that it stays in place. I personally use black hot glue to seal up my Hutu's. It is a little more expensive and usually you will need to order it online (eBay I have found is cheapest). If you cover the LED's in black hot glue then when the HUTU is on there will not be any light that may bleed through the sides of the gun or out the front.
Now we need to figure out what we are going to do for power. There are plenty of options anywhere from wiring in a separate 9 volt battery to using the pre-existing gun battery, it all depends on your set up. Since our ICS M4 has an A2 stock that houses the main gun battery, and it is not an option to run our HUTU wires through the gearbox we will be wiring in a separate battery up front. Specifically an 11.1 lipo housed in a PEQ 15 battery box. I know it is a bit overkill but it is convenient and looks cool.
I always like to wire in a on/off switch so that I can plug in the HUTU and still be able to manually turn it on and off. The switch I will be using in this project is a dual pull singal throw (DPST) switch. Basically this means I have 3 terminals to connect to, but I only need two so I clipped one off. I will also need another set of JST connectors because I will be hard mounting the switch into the front RIS rail of the gun.
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First I will need to take the male JST on one end that will connect to the LED's and a female on the other end that will go to the battery. Clip the positive wire to interupt your circuit to place the on/off switch.
Since we have not yet wired in a resitor we will do it now at the switch. In this case I glued the resistor to the switch and connected one end of the resistor the the switch terminal and the other end to the wire going to the LEDS. The other terminal is then connected to the other wire leading to the battery. (dont forget to place heat shrink on the wires before you solder)
Solder the negative wires, set your heat shrink, and seal up the electrical connections with hot glue (pictued is the black hot glue I mentioned earlier) and you now have your switch. Next I mounted the switch into the RIS rail, you can use screws but I just glued it in place.
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One of the key features of the Hutu's is that the set up is entirely modular so that when you need to take the gun apart you can disconnect the electrical connections at each component. I wired up a T Plug to a JST to connect the switch to the battery and the system is complete.
There are several ways to install a HUTU and several different wiring and battery options. Every gun is different so it will take some creative thinking on your part for what suits your gun the best. I hope that this guide will help you through your endeavor and will save you quite a bit of money in the long run.
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The War Department Presents,
Recondo2010
4-1 - "Thunder 28, this Hunter 4-1 requesting fire mission"
2-8 - "Splash 4-1"
4-1 - "Good shooting Thunder 28, confirmed hits on both fire
> End Transmission <
missions, hunter 4-1 out"
VC in the field, fire for effect, Danger Close, Over"
2-8 - "Good Copy 4-1, Target Reference Point Casper, adjusting
2-8 - "Full HE at Landing Zone Tweety Bird, battery 2 firing for effect, shot"
> Begin Radio Transmission <
4-1 - "LZ Tweety Bird is hot, full HE, fire for effect, over"
south 50, battery 1 firing for effect, shot"
4-1 - "2-8 this is 4-1 requesting additional fire mission"
2-8 - "Splash 4-1"
2-8 - "Go ahead for additional fire mission"
2-8 - "This is 2-8, Go ahead for fire mission 4-1, tubes are ready"
4-1 - "I need full HE at TRP Casper adjust south 50 meters, multiple
Recondo 2010
Above is one of the several critical radio transmissions that took place at Recondo 2010 on August 6th - 8th in Roy, Washington. Recondo 2010 was hosted by The War Department INC. The War Department is a nonprofit organization whose main focus is the production of historically accurate 20th century military simulations.31
Recondo 2010 was a Vietnam era airsoft event (some of you may refer to it as namsoft) based on one of the original Recondo training courses. All gear, equipment, weapons, and uniforms were required to be historically accurate.
Airsoft M.A.G.
The original 101st Recondo school was established in 1958 by General William Westmoreland at Fort Campbell, KT home of the 101st Airborne. Recondo's (comes from reconnaissance, commando, and doughboy- a slang term for us army infantryman) purpose was to help teach reconnaissance and standard infantry skills to squad, fire team, and patrol leaders. Made up of Ranger qualified instructors it could be considered as a condensed version of Ranger School. Instructors were hand selected for their expertise in the various areas of instruction. This was a 2 week course that consisted of instruction in patrolling, river crossing, mountaineering, land navigation, hand to hand combat, survival, helicopter operations, and code of conduct.
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In 1964 General Westmoreland became the commander of the of the US forces in Vietnam. In 1966 he established the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam's (MACV) Recondo School. Based in Nha Trang, and instructed by the 5th Special Forces Group its focus was Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols (LRRPs). This was a 3 week course, and the final evolution of the training was a 3 to 4 day combat patrol.
Recondo 2010 airsoft event was based on the MACV Recondo in Nha Trang. The stage was set on my initial arrival, the Tactical Operations Command (TOC) was set on top of a small hill with waist high grassland sweeping away to the east and the west. The tree line to the south towered into the skyline creating an ominous wall to which we would soon be deploying into an unknown area with an unseen enemy.
I was instantly immersed into the Vietnam era upon entering the TOC. 6 full size AN/PRC 25 radio sets lay off to the side next to what appeared to be a stockroom's amount of miscellaneous
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gear and uniforms. Two large camouflage net covered tents stood with tables and chairs underneath for a briefing / training area. Next to the briefing area was a stockpile of weapons ranging any where from M16's and XM177's to AK 47's and RPG's.
To the east of the TOC in the grassy field was the base camp for all of the Recondo students. A large mess tent was set up for people to take shade and eat food. Also set up were 5 smaller team tents that once the students were arranged into teams they set up all of there personal overnight gear. Towering high above the field was the most important feature of the camp, the flag pole, which flew the symbol of our great nation and provided a constant reminder of what we were all there for, not just to get dressed up and play with our toy guns but to remember and pay homage to those that fought and died for our present day freedom and way of life.
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At 1630 on Friday the 6th, Recondo 2010 kicked of with the first of many briefings of the weekend. We were introduced to the event staff. As they introduced themselves there was a look of eager anticipation of the weekends events upon the faces of all of the Recondo students. At 1645 the students were broken up into different teams in which they would operate for the rest of the weekend.
Instructors and Advisors
Heavily involved in the Pacific NW airsoft scene since 2001, Scott has been involved in organizing numerous multi-day events, most notably Gallant Saber II. He has been involved with historical airsoft & reenacting since 2006, first as a participant and currently as an organizer.
Scott Johnston
John Robinson was briefly enlisted and is a retired US Army officer and graduate of RANGER school. Jump qualified he also completed the Jungle warfare course in Panama and both the 101st and 9th ID RECONDO schools. He served as the training officer for the 1st Brigade RECONDO school for 3 cycles. He retired from the Army in 1977.
John Robinson
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Cal Rollins served in the Republic of South Vietnam from 1966-1968 in a variety of special operations units. He is a graduate of the MACV- RECONDO school at Nha Trang (Class #51) and also served there as an instructor. Cal has served in the following units: HHC 2/502 Recondo 1st Field Force Vietnam , Echo co LRP 20th INF (ABN) 67 – 68,
SSG. Calvin D "Preacher" Rollins
Team 1-1 “Satans Playboys”, and B-50 Omega Recon
The first training course was on land navigation. We learned everything from how to read a basic map, to making course adjustments for negative and positive declinations. Some of the other tools and techniques discussed were pace counting, compass reading, reading terrain features, and plotting directions. This portion of the training would be vital to our teams success in the upcoming missions
Tactics and Training
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Before we get farther into the event I would first like to explain the casualty rules. Each of us was issued a bandage and a casualty card. If we were shot we would lay in place, pull out our casualty card and find out if we were either wounded, critically wounded, or dead. If wounded we were to call for a medic and once bandaged up could get back in the fight. Critically wounded needed to be medevaced immediately or they would soon be dead. If we were dead then we were to lay there until our squad was able to move us or extract us.
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Next was the practical application of what we just learned. The students were given 6 locations in the form of grid coordinates. They had to get to each location and punch their land nav card with the unique punch that was at each location. The teams broke into groups of 2 or 3 and were given an hour (of course they were not told how long they had) to get at least 5 of the 6 locations, and return to base.
I was attached to one of the sub groups of Hunter 1-1 with Wade, and Twit of the MCHA (Marine Corps Historical Association). After being issued our radio we set off for our first location which we initially over shot by about 30 meters. We then had to back track but we located it fairly quickly. We proceeded on collecting the punches on our land nav card. After the fifth one and not knowing the time limit we decided to hustle back to the TOC. We were the first team to return and we made it back in just under 40 minutes.
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We took a quick break and grabbed some water while the cadre graded our card, we were then informed that we needed to get the 6th location (nav point # 2) and we had 20 minutes to do so. The 6th also happened to be the furthest away from the TOC, figures. We headed back out in the field on a run to ensure that we did not fail our objective. We cut through the field on a road which allowed us to move faster. The road took us about 50 meters to the north of the objective. Once we were directly north of the objective we formed a line 5 meters apart and searched the area. After locating the nav point we hustled back to the TOC and arrived with 10 minutes to spare.
Once all of the teams finished their land nav, moral was high and we broke for chow. I am not sure if it was the nostalgia of the event or the fact that we had just ran through waist high grass for an hour but the spicy pork and rice that was for dinner was excellent. The food all weekend was great and my hat's off to the cook. I took this opportunity to get to know some of the people out there and hang out with the other Recondo's. I was astonished to find out that Jents and McGee from Hunter 2-1 drove all the way from San Francisco to be a part of this event.
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At 2000 was a night time operations course, "We don’t move at night , the enemy moves at night" Cal tells us during one of his stories of patrol assignments he was on in Vietnam. We learned about moving stealthily through the woods, a difficult task at day and even worse at night, and how to minimize noise while moving and properly securing your gear so that when you move you are as quiet as possible. We also went over hand signals, identifying danger areas, road crossing drills, and how to stay together at night.
At this point the sun has begun to disappear beyond the horizon and it is rapidly becoming dark. The teams moved out into the field with the cadre to practice what they have just learned. It became rapidly apparent that night time operations are going to be tough as a simple plan becomes infinitely more difficult once you cannot see. I took this as a reminder of what may be in store for us as the weekends events would unfold.
The next day started out with revile at 0600 followed by breakfast at 0630 and the first morning classes at 0800. The first course of the day was covering immediate action drills and how to react to contact if the security of your team has been compromised. During this instruction a guest speaker arrived and spoke with us a little about his experiences in Vietnam.
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Kregg PJ Jorgenson
Served with Company H, Rangers, and later with Apache Troop, the 1st of the 9th Cavalry in Vietnam. Kregg is an author of several books on Vietnam. Some of his titles include Very Crazy GI, LRRP Company Commander, Acceptable Loss, and MIA Rescue.
We then went out into the field and practiced the immediate action drills. Hunter 3-1 (a group of prior Recondo graduates who helped assist in lane grading and some procedures) demonstrated the "ozzy peel", "left and right peels", "wagon wheel", and other maneuvers to help give us a feel for what was described in training. The Hunter teams then broke off and practiced these maneuvers as a small group. I was attached to Hunter 4-1 for this and the rest of the days events to get a feel for what it is to be a Recondo.
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Long Range ReconassainceAt 1100 team leaders were called to the TOC for their briefing on the first patrol of the day. Part of Recondo and earning the Recondo patch is being able to demonstrate ones ability to lead a patrol. So for each patrol the position of team lead, assistant team lead, and radio operator rotated between team members. For the first patrol I was assistant team lead as well as the radio operator, so my responsibilities while our team leader was being briefed was to make sure that the team was ready. We went over our gear and checked for battle rattle (noise that gear makes during movement), checked ammo and water. Emotions were high within Hunter 4-1 as we were very amped up for our first patrol. With all of the training we have received we were anxious to use it out in the field.
As Hunter 4-1 loaded up in the chopper (jeep) we definitely had our game faces on. The anticipation of what we were getting into raised the excitement level through the roof. As we began moving through the woods we quieted down as we approached our LZ. "1 minute" the pilot tells our team lead who then passed the hand signal back.
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After what seemed like forever our team leader came back from the TOC and briefed us on what our mission was. Hunter 4-1 would insert via helicopter (or in this case a Willys MB a jeep still in use in the vietnam era) at LZ Mickey, perform a area recon through grids 0874 and 0974, set up an observation post (OP) on the town of Ap Long, and extract at LZ Mickey.M.
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Once we landed our team deployed on both sides of phase line pantera. We immediately "laid dog" and once our transport left we all moved south of the road. Ideally we were to lay dog for a longer period of time where we inserted to acclimate eyes and ears to our surroundings, but we were very exposed on the road. We traveled about 200 feet south of the road and laid dog there for 5 minutes while I called in a radio check to HQ and let them know that we had inserted.
As we lay in the underbrush trying to blend into our surroundings we hear shots (these are not AEG gearbox shots, but actual "bangs") echo off in the distance. These were warning shots from locals or VC to alert enemy troops in the area that we were there. We proceed to get up to move farther off the road and begin our area recon when all of a sudden we hear a voice.
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Our first enemy contact was within 50 feet of us on phase line ferrari and our team was completely exposed. When you are not to make a sound, something as easy as going prone can take way to long. Quietly our team gets down. We were moving south and I was the last man which puts me closest to the contact. As the voice drew closer it sounded like he was..... singing? of course he is speaking Vietnamese so we have no clue what he is saying. As he rounds the corner on to phase line pantera we get a glimpse of him, a farmer, or so it would appear to be. He had a large basket he was carrying on his back and no visible weapons. He appeared to be a local from the town of Ap Tien which is nearby and in the direction that he was heading.Note: I do not believe that all of the actors that were the opfor actually knew Vietnamese but they were very convincing and stayed in character the whole time. My hats off to all of them as they added a high level of realism to the event.
With our position uncompromised and the farmer out of sight we slowly got up to move again. I called in the farmer to the TOC and reported his presence in the area. No more than a minute went by
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when we heard more movement on ferrari. We got down again and waited to see what was coming. Through the bushes we spot two Viet Cong wearing black "pajamas" and Non la's (rice paddy hats). They appeared armed but we could not tell with what. After they were out of sight we got up and began to move when we hear them coming back, down we go again. This time they turned onto pantera and we were able to clearly see that one of them was carrying an AK 47 and the other had an RPG 7. I called in a SALUTE report on the enemy movements while we continued to move deeper into the forest.
After around 10 minutes of ups and downs we were finally deep enough into the woods where we did not have to worry about the VC patrols on the road. As we continue our area recon and work our way towards the south of Ap Long I can begin to feel my legs starting to stiffen. When every move is so deliberate as to not make a sound and you force yourself to walk heel to toe on uneven ground it definitely starts to wear you down.
We reached a point directly south of Ap Long and rallied on our team leader. We sent out a two man patrol to two different areas to gather information and get eyes on Ap Long for our intel report. After
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We were able to exfil without further incident. I was relieved to radio into the TOC that we were Romeo Tango Bravo (return to base). All the Hunter teams were then debriefed from their various reconnaissance patrols and the intel was gathered for further operations in the area.
At 1600 we had another training course on "call to fire" . We were instructed on how to call in fire missions from various assets that may be available to us in the field. The instruction was focused primarily on artillery but other options were discussed. We learned how to give coordinates to artillery teams based off of target reference points, how to adjust fire, proper radio protocols, and some tactics on where and how to call in fire. An example was if you saw the enemy break through a tree line and into an open field you would want to call in artillery to the back of the group and cut them off from the tree line so that the only way they can run is farther into the open field, and your ambush.
Recondo 2010being devoured by mosquitoes for 20 minutes we gathered our intel and proceeded to make our way back to our exfil. We traveled south to a fence line and moved back west, adhering to Rodgers orders to never return home the same way you came.
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After the instruction we were given the opportunity to practice over the radio calling in a fire mission. 200 yards away the staff rigged up some VC dummies and we were able to call in artillery on their location. To our surprise the artillery hit with a BANG.
We began to gear up as the newly rotated team leaders were called to the TOC for the briefing for the next mission. Based on the intelligence gathered, we were told that there was going to be heavy troop movements on phase line corvette, ferrari, and pantera. Our next mission was to set up an ambush at the intersection of those three phase lines and eliminate any enemy personnel in the area. For this mission Hunter 1-1, 2-1, and 4-1 would all work together as a platoon size patrol to execute the ambush. Hunter 1-1 would be the security element, Hunter 2-1 the assault element, and 4-1 the support element.The plan was to insert at LZ Casper, and move into the tree line to the north and make our way to the ambush area. Once there the security elements were to get in place to the north and south of the kill zone while the platoon leader set up the rally point and did a final inspection of the kill zone. Once everything was in place Hunter 2-1, and 4-1 were to move into the ambush area and wait for a sizeable element to ambush. 2-1 would start the ambush and 4-1 would also lay down fire. Once signaled Hunter 2-1 would shift fire north, and 4-1 would enter the kill zone and search the dead for intel. After that 4-1 would fall back to the rally point followed by 2-1, and lastly the security elements. Once all teams were back at the rally point we would then move to LZ Tweety Bird for exfil.
All of the Hunter teams assembled under the large tent to discuss the plan and perform a walkthrough. In Hunter 4-1 we practiced searching bodies and came up with our game plan for our part in the mission. Once we all had our assignments we all loaded up in our CH 47 Chinook (in this case a M35 2.5 ton deuce and a half) and deployed down range.
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Once we landed we moved north to the tree line and laid dog for around 5 minutes. The order to move out echoed through the teams via hand signals as no one made a sound. Silently all hunter teams stalked through the woods east towards our objective. Slowly and quietly we took cover, waited, and got up and kept moving; this was the pace for the 45 minutes to an hour that it took us to reach the rally point.
With the north and south security teams in place the team leaders performed a final recon of the kill zone and moved the assault and support groups into position. A couple of one and two man VC patrols passed by, but we were not going to waste the ambush on one or two enemies. As we lay in the brush awaiting a large group to ambush the hands on the clock were pointing closer and closer towards darkness. In the back of my mind the concern of how difficult this was going to be with the cover of darkness was growing.
One click came over the radio, contacts approaching from the south, another two man VC patrol. Once they passed by two clicks
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sounded over the radio, another group from the south this one large enough to ambush. Silently I flip from safe to fire on my XM 177 as I await the assault groups signal to open fire. Through the brush I see patrol hats appear and then light khaki uniforms, NVA regulars, this should be a good target to ambush as they may have some good intel on them. Once the enemy is in my line of fire I line up my apertures on the back of one of them, I hold my breath as any second now the battle will begin.
Without warning the assault group begins to unleash upon the unsuspecting North Vietnamese troops that were unfortunate to be walking through our well planned ambush. Instantly the support group begins to fire and within seconds all the enemy troops are on the ground laying motionless. Hunter 2-1 shifted fire to the north and 4-1 moved in to check the bodies for intel. Since the area was deemed very hot we were only allowed 45 seconds to search the bodies.
We went through and "doubled tapped" each downed NVA to ensure that we would not have any surprises and then began to search the bodies of our enemies. At this point things started to go drastically wrong. Ten seconds into the search we began taking fire from the north. The two VC that were 100 meters in front of the main group turned around and started to engage the us on the road. Seconds later we began taking fire from the south and we took our first casualty. Rounds were whizzing by my head as I took cover on the side of the road. I slapped in a new magazine as two guys from the assault group came down to the road to help return fire to the north.
"45 seconds" I yell out, signaling to my team that we need to leave. We grabbed our wounded soldier and whatever intel we found and began to fall back. Instinctively we began to "center peel" down the road and away from our enemy while providing cover for each other
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until we were able to break contact. "Green door, green door" (our running safe word to identify friend from foe) we yelled as we ran back to the rally point. The rest of the assault group and the security elements soon followed with a pursuing force right on their heals.
There was a moment of calm before the storm as we formed a perimeter and took a head count to make sure that we were all there before we moved to exfil. Smoke began to plume directly to my 12 oclock and almost instantly the wistling started. It was loud and sounded like it was all around us, we knew we were about to get hit, and hit hard. Two more smokes popped up forming a wall of smoke 20 meters in front of the rally point followed by a volley of fire that rained down on us, directly into the heart of the platton. Those of us that were not hit began to return fire blindley into the wall of smoke. Cries for a medic echoed in between the vollies of fire and could be heard over the whistling that still seemed like it was all around us. At this point it was pretty dark and visibility was probably between 20 to 30 meters. Ocasionally through the smoke we could see a figure running, shooting, and yelling something in vietnamese.
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A guy 1 meter to my right was cut down by a single burst of automatic fire. As the rounds whizzed by my head I dropped to the ground lying completely flat, with no cover, I returned fire in the direction the rounds came from. I don’t believe I hit my target as I was firing into a wall of smoke. At this point our platoon was at only about 40 percent, with 40 percent wounded and 20 percent KIA. We were able to move out of our position and make our way towards LZ Tweety.
I was one of the non injured so I went with the lead team to help clear the way towards the LZ. Once we hit the treeline that opened into the large clearing we got hit again. The point man directly in front of me was taken down and shielded me from taking any rounds. I immediatley hit the deck and returned fire. I crawled up to his position and tied off a bandage to get him back in the fight. We have moved as far as we could without going into the field, and we were getting hammered from what seemed like all sides. Occasionally we would see a hat pop up in the grass and move rapidly to flank our position and then drop out of sight.
In the chaos I had no clue what our operational strength was but we could move no further. A artillery strike was called in to clear the field of enemy troops so we could call in our chopper. Once the artillery hit we could breathe again although we were taking random fire from unknown positions the majority of the enemy fire had died down. After what seemed like an eternity our CH 47 finally touched down (parked). Still un-injured I went to secure the path for the wounded to load up on the helicopter when I took a burst in the shoulder. I joined the rest of the wounded and hopped in the truck and continued to return fire after I was patched up.
The ride back to base was a somber one. There were no cheers of victory or any hoorah songs being sung. I think that the general consensus was that we just got our assess kicked.
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We debriefed from the mission, which was our endex for the day, and at around 2330 had dinner. Which was a welcomed meal after one of the most intense airsoft firefights I have ever been involved in.
I was unable to participate for the final day, but the ambush scenario was replayed and executed successfully after learning from the mistakes the night before. Afterwards the units got in formation by the flagpole where the students were issued their certificates for graduation, and individual awards were handed out.
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Other References:http://www.lcompanyranger.com/101recondo/101recondpage.htm
I would Like to thank the War Department for allowing me to participate in this event and for throwing me in with the troops. It was a great experience
that I will remember for years to come. I would like to also thank the students, past graduates, op for, and whomever else helped make this event happen. Lastly to all veterans of the Vietnam war your sacrifice will always
be remembered as long as groups like this continue to pay homage to the struggles that you went through.
For more details on this event and others please visit the War Departments webpage at: http://www.thewardept.org/
Thanks to David Hintze and Gwag Designs Photography. There are several phenomenal photos taken at this event. 99.9 % of the photos in this article
are courtesy of him. Please visit his webpage at: http://www.gwagdesigns.com/Military-Simulation/Recondo-School-2010/
- End -
This was without a doubt the most realistic airsoft event I have ever participated in. I have never been that big of a fan of the reenactment side of airsoft and didn’t really understand the draw to it. After this event I have a whole new appreciation for it and I feel that through participation and conversation with veterans of the Vietnam war I was able to gain a small insight in to what it was like to be a Recondo.M
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An Airsoft Response to Law EnforcementBy Itsahak
Wil Dorset, Team BedSOG, VirginiaCorporal / Field Training deputy / Firearms-Patrol Rifle
InstructorLynchburg Sheriff's Office, Lynchburg, VA
The question is asked over, and over again by airsofters world wide. “What should we do if the Cops come around during a game?” Should we run, stand around and look at them, assume they're a neighboring team coming late to the game, point our replica's at them, do what they say, or just simply ignore them in the hopes that they'll go away? It is an issue that has been debated at length over the Internet, at game fields, in coffee shops and eating shops after games, over the phone and face to face many times. And it is and should be considered a valid concern!
Will Dorset had contacted us and provided us with the following article on what to do when the police show up, un-invited, to an airsoft event. Having been personally held at gun point at a friendly neighborhood airsoft game I know first hand that this should be taken seriously, and I would urge everyone to read this article.
Let me take the time now to throw this in. You should never, ever, and I mean never play airsoft in an area that is not either a sanctioned field, a sanctioned Operation, or a private field that is either owned by one of the players or you have express written permission to play on. If you play in an area such as private land you do not have permission to be on, a school area, land that “no one” owns or in areas and games that are not sanctioned, you will probably face a local Police Officer/Deputy Sheriff or SWAT team. And you should, for those actions are not only illegal, and ultimately just not smart, but will lead to the end and outlawing of our
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chosen past time for all of us. Also, notifying the local authorities is a good idea, as it may help to diffuse these types of situations before they start. You should be able to find a contact person with in your local LEO arena that you can explain what you're doing, where you're doing it, and approximate date/times you're doing it. Enough of the soap box, lets get on with it!
So you're in-game, and for some reason the local Law Enforcement Officers (LEO) shows up. There are two response you will most likely face. The first one is the Uniformed LEO response. The second is the full out, SWAT dispatch where you suddenly find yourself surrounded by men in black uniforms, with real turn out gear pointing real weapons at you! That one really raises your hackles!!
safe as an area can get for a LEO that is). Their questions will also be of the type to get the answers to WWWWWH. That means Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Who you are. What you are
In the first response, you'll see several LEO patrol vehicles suddenly come flying into your staging area. They exit their vehicles with firearms bristling from their persons! You will see duty pistols, shotguns, and patrol rifles, and possibly a submachine gun or two. Next you find yourself staring down the barrel of said firearms and having commands shouted at you. As a responsible airsofter, your response here is critical. You're confused, scared, a little upset that they think you're a bad guy and in some cases downright indignant. . What do you do now? First off, do what the LEO says to do. Nothing makes a LEO more nervous than giving a lawful order and having it either ignored or scoffed at. And in our position as airsofter players, it is vital to our personal safety and the continuity of our sport. When you're told to put your AEG down, do so. If it is hanging by a sling, lift it off by the sling, if at all possible. You'll be ordered to the ground, and most likely placed in handcuffs. They start asking questions. These questions may vary, but in essence they are looking to ensure that the area is safe for them (as
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doing. When you do it. Where you've been, either there or anywhere else. Why your at that area. And how often you've done it. Answer all questions by the LEOs with honesty, with respect, and without being irritated, arrogant, or seeming like their a nuisance.
This is the time you will get to explain what your doing, how many of you are playing and approximate boundaries. If you have a team game interrupt code, and you're by yourself or a significant portion of players have not yet been accounted for, this is the time to politely inform the LEO of such and ask if you can implement the code either audibly or over your com's system. You may notice that the LEO are possibly a bit gruff, and may not appear to pleasant. Look at it from their point of view. They are surrounded by several people wearing military gear, and sporting some of those dreaded “assault rifles”. In today's world of heightened terrorist awareness, that's enough to make anyone in that field a little nervous. If you're legally occupying the playing field, the most you should get is a stern warning to be more careful and possibly a lecture on safety. If you're not there legally, expect to have your replica's confiscated and/or be arrested for trespassing.
In the second response, you're usually unaware that anything is going on until you're looking down the barrel of a real rifle, pistol, or various other firearms. The big issue here is that if it occurs in game, you may not be aware of the SWAT response and may treat it as another player. The obvious danger here is that you can inadvertently point your replica at a SWAT member who firmly believes he's being threatened with a real firearm. Any LEO faced with what he believes is a firearm, by anyone of any gender, age, race, dress, or creed should and WILL respond with deadly force. Every year there are reports from the LEO community of kids/teenagers/college students being shot and killed because of this type of misunderstanding. And again, this is the kind of thing that will get our sport banned. So what do you do? The first thing you will encounter is someone who is shouting their identification (ie – Police, Sheriff's Office, etc, etc). This will quickly be followed by a
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command to freeze, don't move, stop, desist, you get the idea. Your next move is critical!! Not only to our sport, but to your very vitality and safety!! DO NOT MOVE!!! Stop all movement, and freeze in that spot. For the next 30 to 60 seconds, only about a 6 to 8 pound trigger pull separates you from this life and discovering if your beliefs on the afterlife are right! The next command series will instruct you to lay down your weapons. Again, if your replica is on a sling, use the sling to remove it from your person. Other wise, set one end on the ground and let if drop. Yes, let it drop! I know you spent $300 plus on your favorite AEG, but honestly, is it worth your life?! Keep your hands in plain sight and away from your gear and your body. Make no sudden moves. Do not attempt to explain your situation to the SWAT team. At this point their entire mindset is on controlling everyone there, controlling the scene, and their own safety. Your explaining will only add to the confusion and heighten the SWAT teams intensity and anxiety. You will most likely be commanded to prone out, or lie face down. Do so withoutcomplaining or hesitation. Remember to keep your hands in sight and away from your body and gear. You will most likely behandcuffed and your replicas taken. And no, it may not be done very gently. SWAT depends on speed, surprise, overwhelming tactics, and violence of action to pull off their missions. Don't hold it against them, they are doing their job. You will probably be separated from the rest of your playing group, just as they are separated from everyone else. Then you can expect the same type of questions as in Response 1. Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Again, answer with honesty, with respect, and without being irritated, arrogant, or seeming like their a nuisance. If you're there legally you should soon be released. You will however probably be advised to head home. This process may take some time, especially if the land owner is not playing with you. Even if you have it in writing (which is a smart thing to do) the SWAT team will want to verify that it is valid before releasing you. If your replicas are confiscated, do not complain. Go home and call an
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attorney. Does it suck? Sure it does, but your not helping your case by complaining, shouting, hollering, or downing the SWAT team.
Now lets briefly discus a third encounter type. This one is usually what happens when you're in your car traveling somewhere and you're going just a little bit over the speed limit. Now keep in mind, I personally believe you should transport your replica's in a case and out of sight in the trunk. And again, I personally don't let anyone search my vehicle with out stated probable cause or a search warrant. But if its in the passenger compartment of your car, and especially if its in plain view, it becomes fair game to search the car. Anyway, the next thing you know, you're seeing flashing lights in your rear view mirror. Pull over as soon as safely possible. Keep both hands on the steering wheel. Don't grab for your wallet, or try to cover your replicas now. (and why are you transporting them out of a case and uncovered, and not in the trunk anyway!!) Do not get out of your car. Once the LEO is at your window, he will tell you to put down your window, get your operators license, whatever. If the window is up, do what he says and put it down. Once the window is down, inform the LEO that you have a replica firearm in the passenger compartment. Stress that it is a replica and not real! Especially if your underage. Do what he says from there on in. Whether its to exit the vehicle, sit in his vehicle (Virginia Troopers will have you sit in the front seat while they write your summons as part of their SOP's, so its not too unusual.) Be sure to answer his questions respectfully and politely. Having an attitude is a great way to ensure that your written a summons! Once the LEO is finished either giving you a summons or a warning, go on about your business and enjoy your day!
It is possible that a lone LEO may pull up to your game and begin asking questions. Just ensure that you keep your hands in plain
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sight and away from your replica's and gear. Answer all questions with respect, politeness, and honesty. This response is not likely to happen. Usually it will be one of the first two responses discussed above.
The key to coming out of an unpleasant meeting with LEO/SWAT is to keep your head!! To obey the commands given to you in a timely manner without back talking, cussing, or giving them an unnecessary hard time. Remember, they are only doing their job, and in more than one instance, your life may be on the line!
- End -
Thanks Wil for sharing a law enforcement officer's perspective with us and giving us tools to help work through issues that may arise while airsofting. Safety should always be at the forefront of airsoft.
- The Editor -
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Team: 1st SwordAO: Pacific NorthwestIntel: www.1st-sword.com
Team: Bed SOGHQ: Bedford, VAIntel: http://bed-sog.webs.com
HQ: Honolulu, HIIntel: http://islandassaultsquad. webs.com/
Team: Island Assault Squad
HQ: Olympia, WAIntel: www.odoairsoft.com
Team:Operational Detachment Omega
Wolf ReconHQ: Madison, WIIntel: www.wolf-recon.com
Airsoft Team List
Team: Infinity AirsoftHQ: Elkton, MDIntel: http://infinityairsoft.topic-debate.com/forum.htm
Team: Special Operations GroupHQ: Sparks, MDIntel: www.sogairsoft.org
Sure we could scour the internet and find a lot of teams to add to our list but we want you, the readers, to submit your team
information. If you want to have your team information published go to www.freeairsoftmag.com and contact us to submit your
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Thank you so much for reading, as always we hope that you enjoyed. Stay tuned for our next issue due out mid November, we will have a holiday shopping guide for all the latest and gratest airsoft toys, a zombiesoft photo spread, team interview with Black Ops Elite, plus more.
Remember that if you have a great gun picture, Airsoft Video, AAR, or topic idea, let us know. We love to be able to write about airsoft that is happening all over the country and world. Visit our contacts page at www.freeairsoftmag.com and drop us a line.
- The Editor -
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