1. What is RECONDO school and how is it different from most airsoft events?
RECONDO school is not a "game" but rather a simulation of a Army school in Vietnam in the late 1960s. The focus is on learning, training and practicing.
RECONDO School is a intensive course that doubles as a period Vietnam event. The course work simulates some of the content of the real Vietnam era RECONDO school. Its' focus is to teach participants how to perform and excel at a variety of tasks such as patrolling, recon, re-act to contact, ambushing, and how to plan and execute a mission.
2. Who can come to RECONDO? Is there an age limit?
Participants under 16 may only come with permission from the game staff. Participants under 18 must be sponsored in by staff or a RECONDO grad. If you sponsor a participant you will be responsible for them during the event.
RECONDO is open to everyone but due to the physical nature of the event it is suggested that participants be in decent physical shape. This is a continuos event and it is very grueling not only physically but psychologically. You may be asked to perform for 16+ hours at a time. MASTER RECONDO participants may be asked to perform for 24+ hours at a time.
3. What are the uniform and weapon requirements?
You must have an approved Vietnam impression. For the most part last year's guidelines will remain the same. We won't turn away anyone who is making a good faith effort but we will not allow modern items such as Woodland camo, non-Vietnam era weapons (we will allow some such as M4s, AK74s but they must be a modern variant of a Vietnam era weapon - so no G36s, P90s, etc)
There are aggressive magazine restrictions. We strive for realism as much as possible and real caps are highly encouraged. We will allow standards and mid caps but please no high cap magazines.
4. Can I bring a . . .
If you have questions about what you can and cannot bring - post them here in the forums. We are fairly flexible as long as you provide proof that what "it" is it was around in Vietnam in the 1960s. What we don't want is people bringing a bright blue tent with a multi-cam backpack and ACU web gear. Remember, this is Vietnam.
5. What do I have to bring?
A complete packing list will be posted months before the event and will be similar to last year. Basically you will need to bring everything that you need to live and fight for 4 days in the jungle. This means water, uniform, a change of dry clothes, food, flashlight, toiletries, etc. You will NOT need to bring a tent.
6. What about food?
Be prepared to live for 4 days. There may be some food/water available but you will need to make sure you have enough to survive. We will not be too far from civilization (8-10 miles) but you will likely not get a chance to go there other then before and after the event.
7. How many people are getting in?
There are currently 48 slots open. This includes both MASTER RECONDO and RECONDO school. Those who get their deposits in first will be put on the Registered list. Those who do not make the first cut will be put on a waiting list for those who drop out.
8. How do deposits work?
We want to make sure that people who sign up are coming. That means there is a $20 non-refundable deposit. This deposit helps to provide our operating budget and ensure that the money we spend on a player is covered even if he/she does not make it. We spend on average 4-5 hours on each participant before they come to the event.
If you cannot make it FOR ANY REASON we will not refund the deposit. We understand that sometimes people cannot make it for a variety of reasons but we spend money and time on players who sign up. That time and money that cannot be recovered if the player does not make it. If you are not okay with this, then all we can do is suggest that you wait to sign up but we will not be able to guarantee you a spot.
9. Who is going to be teaching?
All of our primary cadre are either RECONDO qualified, Ranger qualified or both. Some assistants cadre may be former graduates or have other qualifications that will be disclosed before the event. There will not be any 15 year old instructors who had to "do a lot of push ups" in order to get a teaching position.
Primary cadre will likely include Capt. John Robison, Sgt Josh Warren (actually now a ROTC cadet), Matt Deeds, Ken Jorgenson and 1st SGT Everett Cole. Other instuctors and special guests will be announced as the event draws near.
10. What should I expect?
Expect to be pushed to the limit. The school is designed to test your limits and improve your skills. RECONDO graduates are distinctive in the airsoft community. They are often recognized as leaders at larger, national events such as OP: Irene and OP: Hac Bao. You will be challenged to say the least.
Here's a taste from last year:
http://www.battlesim.com/RTJ.mp4
11. What is MASTER RECONDO?
Master RECONDO is an optional course option for returning graduates. It will be INTENSIVE and will involved realistically scaled missions that will last 12-24hrs non-stop. ONLY RECONDO grads will be allowed to attempt a MASTER RECONDO certification.
Only 75% of MASTER RECONDO participants will be awarded with a MASTER RECONDO badge. Attending the course is not enough to pass. The guidelines will be MUCH harder then the regular RECONDO SCHOOL.
12. Why the cost increase?
Because it is a day longer and we will have more cadre and staff. Beyond that, what else can you do for $30 a day that is better then this? If you can come up with an answer, RECONDO might not be for you.
13. What can I do to get ready?
Research. Read. Learn. Be ready to play the role of a soldier in Vietnam. Learn the slang, research the history. . . basically get into character and be ready to go back to the 'NAM!
14. How can I be sure to get in?
Sign up. Quickly. Based on initial response we expect the event to be sold out by Feb 2. If we have enough response, we *may* increase the class size or hold a secondary event. We want to deliver the same high quality experience for each player and we can only do that by making sure that we keep the class size small.
Final words:
RECONDO is not for everyone. This is not a "super bowl" event or an event for the casual player. The average RECONDO participant is extremely interested in Vietnam, owns or is planning on buying Vietnam kit and seeks an immersive environment where planning is more important then trigger time.
We don't care how fast your gun shoots. We don't care how high speed your gear is. We don't care if you can shoot the wings off a fly at 150 feet with a .28 bb. We care that you have the heart, determination and will to learn how to become a better player. We care that you want to learn more about Vietnam and the brave soldiers who fought there. We care that you are focused on attempting to do the amazing and extraordinary tasks that LRRPs had to do on a daily basis.
This is not some marketing ploy. We really mean what we said above. Our event is about teamwork and learning how to become more then a sum of your parts. It is about rising above the tension, pain and tiredness that you will experience. It is about the thrill of achieving your mission with everyone coming home alive. It is about the rush of knowing that your sacrifice makes a difference in the larger picture. In a word our RECONDO is about honor.
