RECONDO SCHOOL - 15-18 AUG 2008 - ST.PAUL, OR

[hellmutt]

WHAT: RECONDO SCHOOL Class of 08
WHERE: RANDLE, WA
WHEN: 15-18 AUG 2008
REGISTRATION:

RECONDO - Conventional Simulation - $70 - OPENS 10 MAR 08 29 slots*

http://www.battlesim.com/zen/index.php? ... cts_id=283

RECONDO - BASIC RECYCLE - $130 - OPENS 15 MAR 08 4 slots open*

http://www.battlesim.com/zen/index.php? ... cts_id=282

RECONDO - MASTER - $130 - OPENS 15 MAR 08 2 slots open*

http://www.battlesim.com/zen/index.php? ... cts_id=280

RECONDO - LEADERSHIP COURSE -$130.00 4 slots open*

http://www.battlesim.com/zen/index.php? ... cts_id=281

RECONDO - BASIC - $185 - OPENS 22 MAR 08 30 slots open*

http://www.battlesim.com/zen/index.php? ... cts_id=284

* updated 17 MAR 08

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 will be food/water provided in the form of period style rations and water but we encourage you bring extra food and water.


7. How many people are getting in?

There are currently 48 slots open. This includes both MASTER RECONDO and RECONDO school.

8. How does payment work?

RECONDO is pre-pay only. Because of the limited amount of slots, we need to have them pre-paid to ensure commitment of the student. Partial refunds will be given for extenuating circumstance.

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, Josh Warren, Matt Deeds, Ken Jorgenson, 1st SGT Daryl Swift and 1st SGT Everett Cole. Other instructors 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 two years ago: http://www.battlesim.com/RTJ.mp4

Here's 2007: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qffq69ggxz8


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 4 days and we will have more cadre and staff. Beyond that, what else can you do for $40-$60 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!

You should go and check out our sistersite: http://www.vietnamairsoft.com

14. How can I be sure to get in?

Sign up. Quickly. Based on initial response we expect the event to be sold out within 1 or 2 days of registration opening. 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.

[Octose]

So will we be doing like grueling drills? I don't know if I can come but will ask around. I am in hot shape (Run 2 miles every day, Classic Soccer, Etc.). But yes wondering.

[hellmutt]

ALCON,

We are changing venues from Randle, WA to St. Paul, OR.

We are doing this for 3 reasons:

1. It is a larger AO then Randle (1100 acres vs. 600-700)
2. We have done RECONDO at a different site each year and we would like to continue this to keep RECONDO fresh for everyone.
3. They may be the ability to use a live helicopter but this has not been confirmed. The major issuing being the cost of fuel and flight time (approximately $2000.00).

It is approximately 36 minutes further then the Randle site if you are coming from the Seatac airport, Seattle or other points north of Randle. It is 8 miles off of I-5 so it is easier to get to then Randle.

It is approximately 40 minutes away from Portland International Airport which is decidedly closer then Seatac which is approximately 192 mi away. IF YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR TICKET TO PDX IT WILL BE WORTH IT. If you can't, it is only 30 minutes further and easier to get to.

Lastly, it is a very cool location and definitely will create a great experience for those involved.

[hellmutt]

[C-TAC]

I'm glad that CV-TAC was able to host Battlesim at our field and we especially loved the fact that every person at RECONDO 2008 was able to go for a short hop in the Helo. The pictures off my camera are on our website. http://cv-tac.com/photo-gallery/thumbnails.php?album=5

We look forward to the next event. For those of you that didn't make it to RECONDO this year missed out on so much.

To the people who we meet this year from all over the country, a big Thank You. You are the reason we do this...

See you all soon.

[Junto]

I've been trying to get out to Recondo for two freakin' years. I have a good job and a license now, though, so... NEXT YEAR!

I'll need to buy an M16 VN... I have VN mags already...

[McNair]

Photography is bleeding fantastic.

Looks fun.

[Ninja2dan]

This does look interesting, but it would help a lot if the specific courses were explained in better detail in regards to their differences. You show Basic, Basic Recycle, Leadership, Master, and Conventional Simulation. I am assuming that the Basic Recycle is sort of a "refresher" for those who previously attended Basic but failed to qualify? The Master course was explained with minimal information, other than it's more "hardcore" and realistic in regards to the true Recondo school, and is done as a secondary course after completion of the Basic.

As a former US Army Infantryman, I'm more interested in attending a course like this for the military history aspect and for some fun, as I don't intend to attend any actual VN-era events. I prefer events focused on modern era where I can use the same weapons and equipment that I was issued while I served, nothing personal. But because I am interested in this event, knowing exactly what it is offering is going to be what decides if I open my wallet or not.

Something else that I was curious about. The "rules" stated in regards to weapons and equipment brought by attendees has listed some very strict guidelines in regards to keeping things as era-specific as possible. Yet in the photos shown of the event, I'm seeing a lot of those rules tossed out the window. I'm seeing modern M4 variants (some even with camo), modern WC BDU's, modern web gear, etc. Are these rules listed new, or are the listed rules going to be more strictly enforced at future events to ensure the immersion is not lost? Another question is in regards to chow. Does anyone mind if we bring current-issue MRE's for campside rations? I can strip them down if necessary. I like to get my high-calorie intake during extended FTX.

Probably a stupid question, is tobacco allowed at Campside, such as designated fire/smoking areas? I know I should quit, blah blah. Just curious.

[McNair]

As a former US Army Infantryman, I'm more interested in attending a course like this for the military history aspect and for some fun, as I don't intend to attend any actual VN-era events. I prefer events focused on modern era where I can use the same weapons and equipment that I was issued while I served, nothing personal. But because I am interested in this event, knowing exactly what it is offering is going to be what decides if I open my wallet or not.

Check out this:

http://airsoftpacific.com/viewtopic.php ... highlight=

[Ninja2dan]

Check out this:

http://airsoftpacific.com/viewtopic.php ... highlight=

Thanks, I did see that as well. But to be honest, that doesn't look like my kind of thing. I do plan on attending future operations/events while in the Scout/Sniper role when needed, but honestly don't feel such a course would be in my best interests.

This is a high stress course. The you're going to get yelled at, smoked, run ragged, be tired, wet, cold, hungry, dirty, smelly and disoriented. I would prefer that these conditions exist simultaneously.

That sounds very useful for training non-military personnel, especially the younger members who have had little real discipline in their lives. But my last job prior to leaving the US Army was as a Training NCO for a BCT/AIT unit, where I was the cadre doing the smoking myself. I have already attended both military and law enforcement marksmanship courses, and although I can agree that a refresher course couldn't hurt, but for such a "serious" course I don't think I would be comfortable training military tasks in a civilian-bootcamp type of environment. No offence to any of the cadre of that course, as I have heard many great things about them since I joined these forums. In fact I personally don't mind being tired, wet, cold, hungry, dirty, smelly, etc. as long is I feel like I'm back in my old life reliving the good days of FTX and BIVOUAC. But I don't need to pay some other civilian to bark at me in order for me to learn my tasks at a military pace. Hell, deprive me of cigarettes for a week while flashing pictures of ex-girlfriends would work just fine at stressing me out and pissing me off. But start spittin and hollerin in my face without giving me PX privs and you'll be sorry you woke up that morning.

Maybe I'll look towards attending a similar course if in the future they design such a course specifically for ex-military and LEO personnel, as we learn completely different than civilians do and much of the course time spent on civilian-level issues could be better spent learning essentials.

Although the Recondo course appears to be taught be several former military, my opinion so far is that this course is meant more for entertainment and historical education than tactics and procedures. Yeah, so some people are "At Ease" in pics. But I doubt any of the attending players had to stand at Parade Rest for 8 hours in the heat without being allowed to move or else they start doing grass drills. After seeing the pics I would say the Recondo course looks a little too soft, too easy on people. That's why I would personally opt for the Master course as it looks like the most entertaining option.

[hellmutt]

I will do my best to cover your questions.

1. This is not military training even though it is being run by military persons. All primary instructors are RANGER qualified, RECONDO qualified or both. There are no "civilians" who are instructors. This year we had:

Capt John Robison Ret - 2nd BAT RANGER - VN Vet - Graduated 2 RECONDO schools in Vietnam - Instructor for several rotations of RECONDO at Ft. Lewis in the 1970s.

1SGT Darryl Swift Ret - 82nd AB - 27 years Active duty - Numerous tours

SSGT Greg Hamiliton Res - 3rd BAT RANGER - 19th GROUP SF - Runs Insights Training - in the top 20 of combat arms instructors in the US

SGT Josh Warren - 2nd BAT RANGER - 5 Tours in Afg/Iraq - Currently ROTC at SU

SGT Ronnie Mezzacapa Ret - Graduated RECONDO school 1975 at Ft. Lewis - Combat Engineer

CPL Fred Thompson - 2ND BAT RANGER - Current Active duty - 3 tours in Afg/Iraq

The school is "soft" by military standards no doubt. By airsoft standards it is beyond the scope of what most people who are looking for entertainment want to do. Because it is only a weekend and we are looking for people to come back, we push most people to the point of exhaustion but not so much that they can't go back to work! We do not smoke people, we do not "run them into the ground". Our focus is on teaching leadership skills which in our opinion is the single largest need in the airsoft community.

The focus is on learning. Some of the courses this year:

Basic Patrolling
Movement to contact
Re-act to Ambush
Ambush - Deliberate and Hasty
Call for Fire
Raid
Recon - Point and Area
Enemy Recognition - NVA and VC
Land Nav
Commo (Radio/Hand signals/etc)
Patrol Base
OPORDS/FRAGOS/WARNO and how to pitch them

All of our leadership position in the squads/patrols rotate through out the event. Everyone has the chance to be the PL, APL, RTO, etc.

Basically RECONDO school is a mini-Ranger school set in a Vietnam setting. It is a leadership course with rotating leadership, GO/NO GO grading and basic military procedures and tactics.

2. Modern weapons, gear, camo

We try to be as welcoming as we can. So we don't require everyone to be 100% accurate. If you make a good faith effort, we will provide you with the gear that you need to finish or improve your impression. I think you may be confused because you are not aware of what is VN period correct. There is no one is Woodland camo. It is ERDL which closely resembles woodland but is not. There were no modern M4s at the event that I recall, there were a large amount of XM177. "Camo" or taping your weapon was very common for LRRPs in vietnam. There are a few people who have "modern" (1980s LCI and LCII) gear but mostly one or two pieces. Most people with nylon gear are using M67 gear which to the untrained eye looks almost exactly the same at LCI gear.

3. Basic v. Master

Basic students attend classes and then go out on patrols to practice those tactics on live OPFOR. They return to the FSB and get more instruction and then run more "live" missions.

Master students attend a few classes but they go out for 12-24 hours and remain in the field and apply the tactics and training they received the previous year (and hopefully practiced). They are thrown into the mix and are expected to already know all of the tactics and procedures.

Leadership students are put in the roles of NOCIC, Platoon Leader, and other higher level leadership positions in the camp typically in the S3 and S4 shops.

3. Food/Tobacco etc

You are free to bring what ever you like food wise but anything that is "modern" we like to have covered and away from eye sight when ever possible. Because RECONDO is primarily a training event, we are a little more lax on standards then we are at a actually simulation. Smoking is allowed and we just ask you field strip or dispose of your cigs when done.

Last Word.

I think RECONDO is something that you would like. It is not the military but it is as close as you can get while still being "fun". Our organization is primarily run by current and ex-military - they know that some of what we do is not "by the book" but this is about entertainment, history and education as much as it is about military simulation. We have TOC, we have chain of command and we have the "look and feel" of an operation in vietnam. Sure there are things that happen that would never happen in the military and most of the time that is a good thing! No burning shit, no standing in formation for hours on end, no red tape to get supplies and for the most part no stupid officers who have no idea what they are doing putting your a$$ on the line. Oh, and everyone goes home.

RECONDO is a tribute to those who came before us and is supposed to give people a small glimpse into the daily life of a LRRP circa 1969. It is never going to be as grueling, gruesome or difficult as the real thing, because it isn't the real thing. It is the fantasy but we try to make it as "real" as possible.

Hope that helps.

[Ninja2dan]

Thanks for the clarification of the different courses. Looks like I won't be doing the Leadership course, as I never was comfortable sitting on my a$$ while others got to have all the fun.

If the course is offered at the same time next year I will be attending, should be able to acquire everything as requested by then in addition to the modern gear I'll be "whoring" up on. The year following that I'll look forward to the Master course, which sounds like the most enjoyable aspect.