2011 D-Day Event Stars and Stripes May E-Zine

D-Day 2011 - May E-Zine Edition, Volume 11

Memorial Day In the few remaining days before this years Annual Oklahoma D-Day Event begins, take a few moments to stop and reflect on all those who have paid the ultimate price for freedom, so that we’d be able to live and enjoy all of those things we so often take for granted.

Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday of May, commemorates the men and women who died while serving in the American military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, at least, it also marks the beginning of summer.

Walking around in the cemetery I was alone among the dead, yet I could feel them, thousands of them, watching my every step - Fallen warriors from nearly every war our country has ever fought in since the civil war. They gave up their lives believing that they could make a difference; hoping that they would be remembered by grateful generations to come.

By Daniel J. Wood

2011 - 82nd Airborne Division Misdrops: A Historical Reality the commanding officer of the 507th was unable to muster his troops and was captured three days after the drop in the vicinity of Amfreville. Only the 2nd Battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles J Timmes was able to function as a team and began digging in around Cauquigny on the west bank of the Merderet River.

The 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) was activated on July 20, 1942 at Camp Toccoa, Georgia which was located 175 miles north of Fort Benning adjacent to the Currahee Mountain. Lieutenant Colonel George V Millett Jr was given the command. After jump-training at Fort Benning the regiment deployed to the Army air base at Alliance, Nebraska and became part of the 1st Airborne Brigade. After arriving in North Ireland in December, 1943, the 507th was attached to the 82nd Airborne along with the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Still under the command of Colonel George V. Millett Jr, the 507th moved to Nottingham, England in March, 1944 to prepare for the Allied invasion of Europe.

D-Day - Operation Neptune The 507th PIR first saw combat during the Normandy invasion - 6 June 1944. The 507th and the 508th PIRs were to be dropped near the west bank of the Merderet River. The objectives of both regiments was to establish defensive positions in those areas and prepare to attack westward sealing off the Cotentin Peninsula.

Upon verification of Colonel Millett's capture, General Ridgway transferred the command of the 507th to Colonel Edson Raff, a veteran of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion during Operation Torch. Colonel Raff received this command after fighting his way through to General Ridgway at Les Forges. Colonel Raff would lead the 507th, "Raff's Ruffians" as they would become known, until the end of World War II. Throughout the confusion, the indomitable spirit of the paratroopers in the days and weeks following D-Day enabled the 82nd Airborne to seize La Fiere bridge and push westward to cut off the Cotentin Peninsula. After 33 days of continuous combat the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions returned to England aboard LSTs.

507th PIR Planned Drop Zones

D-Day – Wyandotte Oklahoma

Twenty Five 82 nd Airborne Division Troops dropped behind enemy lines, greatly separated from the Division main body, fighting for survival to link up with their brothers in the All American Division. This mission is a reality at D-Day Adventure Park. Misdrops are just one of the exciting new challenges the 82nd In the predawn hours of D-Day the sporadic Airborne will be faced with. No one jump patterns of the 507th and 508th PIRs knows who will be misdropped or where left troopers spread out over a twenty mile or with who but once you are, be prearea. Some who overshot the Drop Zone (DZ) pared for the fight of your life. Join the dropped into the Merderet River and its ad- 82nd Airborne now! joining marshes. Many troopers who jumped While the links for specific units are closed, with heavy equipment were unable to swim you can still request the 82nd Airborne as free and drowned. Others roamed the counyour unit of choice. tryside until they encountered other units and joined their effort. Even Colonel Millett, REQUEST THE 82ND

507th PIR Actual Drop Zones

TANK, PLANE & ANTI-TANK RULES for OKLAHOMA D-DAY All tanks must be on site no later than Thursday afternoon. All tankers, AT gunners, and Heavy Weapon gunners will be required to attend a special orientation covering the rules specific to their unique roles and the new game rules for 2010. All tanks, planes, AT weapons and Heavy Weapons must be inspected at this time as well. The specific rules for each weapon category are listed in their own sections below. The inspection times and dates can be found on the schedule page at the D-Day website. Visit the official Oklahoma D -Day Forum to ask questions directly to the D-Day Staff or veteran players.

All tank and plane drivers and crews must wear approved paintball goggles at all times while on the field, whether in or out of their tank.

(New for 2011) Fuel Stations will be an important point’s objective for tanks this year. Tanks must make one course revolution each hour, checking in with a ref at the designated fuel station for their side to receive points. These will be worth 600 points per side. This can be captured by the other team to prevent scoring.

600 points / 6 hours = 100 points per hour / number of tanks on side = points per tank per hour.

Tank Kill Verification Change for 2009 and Beyond-(details in Tank & Plane Kill Procedure below) Tankers will be issued 16 blue or red (Allied or Axis) raffle tickets with the numbers 1 -16 printed on the back of the tickets (16 is the maximum number of times that a tank can legitimately be eliminated in an 8 hour game with 30 minute reinsertion intervals). The start and ending numbers of the whole string of tickets for each side will be recorded by the Bunker staff to prevent ticket fraud.

Each time a tank is eliminated, the tanker will confirm the kill and then hand the AT gunner or rival Tanker the next numeric al ticket. The eliminated tank then heads to the DZ.

The tickets must be turned in by the AT gunners and Tankers after the game to registration building for points. Any tickets not turned in will not count for points. The Registration staff must record the AT gunner‟s number or the Tank‟s name when the tickets are turned in so proper credit is given to the gunner or driver.

TANKS & PLANES

GENERAL RULES AND REQUIREMENTS:

All tanks and planes must complete the Tank/Plane orientation and have their tank or plane approved by D-Day staff. Upon completion, tanks and planes will be issued the Kill Stickers, Kill Tickets, Chronograph Check-off Sheet and their paint ticket to allow them to purchase AT paint. AT paint can be purchased at the registration building.

PLANES Planes must adhere to ALL tank rules with the only exceptions being noted below: 1. Max of three approved planes per side. Must look the part and be made in a manner that will allow for safe operation for the players on the field and the crew of the plane.

2. Planes will have a 2” x 2” Kill Sticker on all four sides of the plane. This must be attached to a hard surface just like a tank Kill Sticker.

3. Planes must keep moving (5 mph) and cannot stop, other than to allow players the right of way. If forced to stop, planes cannot fire, but can be fired upon and eliminated.

4. Maximum of 2 guns per plane. This may consist of either 1 AT & 1 AP or 2 AP. 5. Only 500 rounds of AT paint per plane.

TANKS 1. Tanks must have 360- degree visibility for the driver. There must be safety netting over the windows to provide clear visibility at all times. NO GLASS WINDOWS ALLOWED. ALL EXPOSED GLASS MUST BE REMOVED OR COMPLETELY COVERED WITH APPROVED PAINTBALL NETTING. WINDSHIELD WIPERS MUST BE OPERATIONAL. 2. Tank must be mechanically able to get around the field. Brakes must work for all tanks.

3. Tank must have a hard, flat, clean surface on all four sides that is capable of accepting an adhesive backed or magnetic “kill” sticker on all four sides of the chassis.

4. Tank MUST have official target system "kill stickers" affixed on the front (2” x 2”), rear (7” x 7”), passenger side (5” x 5” ) and driver side (5” x 5”) of the tank. Official Tank Ref will place stickers. Stickers will be attached, as close as possible, to the CENTERMOST POINT OF EACH SIDE (measured horizontally and vertically).

Stickers cannot be placed in random locations on each of the four sides in an attempt to confuse AT Gunners. Target sizes wi th be the same for both Allied and German Tanks. It is the ENTIRE sticker itself, not the shape inside it that is the actual target. Receiving kill stickers i s the final step in the process of certifying the tank has passed orientation.

5. Tanks can only be killed by AT paint shot by an AT gunner, HW gunner or the main gun of another tank.

6. Tanks must furnish their own 2 foot by 3 foot white flag to signal they are eliminated.

7. Tanks must furnish their own 2 foot by 3 foot yellow flag to signal they are disabled.

8. Tanks MUST furnish their own fire extinguisher.

9. Tank crew MUST have an accurate watch or timepiece of some kind with them on the tank while in play.

10. Tanks must show their team color by flying a 2 foot by 3 foot flag in a visible area with a 360 degree field of view. Red for German, Blue for Allies.

11. Tanks must furnish their own standard office clipboard for the Chronograph Check-off Sheet. When spot checked for velocity, the referee will fill out and sign the sheet. Chrono sheet and clipboard must be kept with the tank at all times while in play. (Tanks are often incorrectly singled -out as "shooting hot" by players on the field because of the sheer volume of fire most tanks put out in play. This step will minimize disputes from players and offer the tank crew a clear record that shows they are playing fairly in this regard).

12. At each tank entry point on game day, a designated TANK REF will check each tank prior to them rolling onto the field to make sure that they have 100% of the required items and that their tank is 100% in compliance with the rules. Any tank that is not in compliance will NOT be allowed on the field until the proper corrections are made.

TANK MOVEMENT RESTRICTIONS In addition to the driving and parking procedures, tanks have specific rules that govern when and where they may drive based on the flow of the game. Certain criteria must be met before certain tanks may roll into or past a given area. The phrase “Active Control”, used below, means that your team has captured and held the flag(s) at a given Objective for a valid score, as recorded by the ref. If two flags are present, both must be held. Except for the Pegasus rule below, once the Allied tanks have legitimately earned the right to travel into (or out of) an Objective area, that right cannot be taken away no matter how future flags are scored at that Objective.

1

All Allied tanks will start either at the bottom of Utah Beach in the north or at the bottom of Sword Beach in the south. Axi s tanks may begin anywhere on the field, but are subject to the movement restrictions below.

2

Axis tanks must enter play at either the Airfield or Victor Ridge Dead Zones.

3

Allied tanks in the north are not allowed to roll to the Causeway or the Valley until the either the Allies have Active Contr ol of Brecourt Manor or the final scoring opportunity of Utah Beach has passed, whichever comes first. Allied tanks can only advance to the bottom set of towers until the criteria above are met. Axis tanks on Utah can only roll down the hill (toward the boats) as far as the uppermost tower.

Cont‟d.

4

Allied tanks in the south are not allowed to roll off Sword Beach until the either the Allies have Active Control of Sword Beach or the final scoring opportunity of Sword Beach has passed, whichever comes first. Allied tanks can only advance up to, but not past, a line extending due south from the southernmost flag. Axis tanks cannot travel east past the intersection closest to the southernmost flag.

5

The exception to the Active Control rule is at Pegasus Bridge. No tank, Axis or Allied, can go north or south past Pegasus Br idge unless the bridge flag is flying their color. Only the flag control is important. Active Control and scoring times are irrelevant. If the raised flag is red, German tanks can freely travel past the bridge while Allied tanks are blocked. The opposite is true if the flag is blue. Aircraft are allowed to roll past the bridge regar dless of which flag is flyingl.

Note: These restrictions do not apply to planes; only to tanks.

WEAPON REQUIREMENTS: 1. All markers, including the Main Gun / AT Gun on tanks will comply with the basic standard for markers in play at Oklahoma D -Day. All tanks are strictly limited to a maximum of 2 AP markers firing from the tank, in addition to their Designated Main Gun (2+1) as armament. Once the Anti -Tank paint supply of the main gun has been exhausted, it cannot be used as part of the tank's armament as a "machine gun" firing field paint unless one of the other two markers are withdrawn or removed. The number of allowed anti-personnel guns in use by the tank can NEVER exceed TWO (2).

2. Tanks must designate one of their "2+1" markers as a Main Gun / AT Gun if they wish to shoot anti -tank paint and have the capacity to knock out designated bunkers and other tanks. If the tank does not designate a Main Gun, then the tank is limited to a maximum of TWO (2) Anti -Personnel guns. The "Plus 1" marker for the Main Gun is then forfeited. This Main Gun can be a marker, or a Marker-in-a-Tube (Pzooka / mock cannon) type construction. It will be marked with a pink ribbon of flagging tape tied around the barrel where it is visible outside the tank. A tank may use full-sized hoppers on their Main Gun / AT Gun. (AT gunners as players on the field must use 10-round tubes in place of full-sized hoppers) A tank is not required to have a Main Gun / AT Gun, however, if one is not designated, the tank will not be allowed to shoot anti-tank paint and will not have the capability to knock out other tanks and designated bunkers. THE "Plus One" MAIN GUN CANNOT BE USED AS A "THIRD" ANTI-PERSONNEL MACHINE GUN, which would give the tank an illegal 3 Anti-Personnel Marker Configuration.

3. No paintball multi-round loads will be allowed in play, whether fired from homemade or commercially manufactured cannon. No load s firing multiple paintballs will be allowed of any kind.

4. Only Scepter Combat Systems Launchers / Mortars firing standard Scepter paint grenades / mortar rounds will be allowed as mor tars / grenade launchers fired from tanks.

TANK/PLANE RULES OF PLAY & SAFETY GUIDELINES (NEW FOR 2011): 1. Any hit on the target system of a tank (with anti-tank paint fired from another valid tank, plane, Heavy Weapon or AT weapon) that breaks the plane of the target with a quarter-sized spot or larger counts as elimination. The tank is out of play until the next reinsertion. See Tank and Plane Kills for more information.

2. Tank must never go faster than 5mph (walking speed).

3. Players must yield right of way to tanks.

4. Tank driver has the authority of a ref (in matters regarding player safety and during tank reinsertions). He/she will be required to go through the tank course. Driver is neutral outside of the tank, provided they are wearing the required orange safety vest.

5. Players are not allowed to block any road, for any reason, in any way, shape, or form.

6. Tanks chrono at 285 fps and must chrono with refs before initially entering play and whenever spot checked.

7. Tanks may be used as troop carriers. If the tank is eliminated, so are all the troops inside.

8. All qualifying paint hits on a tank are considered kills. A tank cannot be simply disabled.

9. Players inside tanks are immune to paintball hits.

10. Players are to stay at least 10 feet away from ALL SIDES of tanks at ALL TIMES! Cont‟d. o

Exceptions: 1. For re-supply purposes, players may approach a legally parked tank flying its white flag.

2. Players may approach a legally parked tank when tank is used as a personnel carrier.

11. Tanks are allowed to pull off the tank routes IN TEN DESIGNATED AREAS to hold a position, support an assault, attack a position, etc... o

Tanks ARE NOT allowed to freely roam the field off the tank routes. When a tank pulls off the tank route, it MUST STOP and PA RK.

o

A tank must either be parked or following the tank route. It cannot move back and forth in an off-road position.

o

A tank that wishes to park MUST be directed by a member of the crew that exits the vehicle and acts as a Walking Guide.

o

The walking guides will be required to wear hunter orange safety vests.

o

The walking guide is NEUTRAL while guiding the tank and is NOT in play.

o

If a tank, being parked, is seen not using a Walking Guide, the ref staff will “X” the tank just like a player‟s hopper - 2 “X‟s” on the tank and it is out of game.

(NEW FOR 2011) To Park Your Tank in one of the designated tank parking areas: 1. The tank must first come to a COMPLETE STOP on the tank road.

2. The Walking Guide must exit the vehicle.

3. The Walking Guide must check that the desired parking area is clear of players and hazards BEFORE guiding the tank off the road. The walking guide has the authority of a ref in this capacity. Players in the area will obey his instructions for sake of safety.

4. The tank, under the direction of the Walking Guide, may then pull off the tank route and park up to ONE VEHICLE LENGTH from the main tank road in the tank parking area.

5. At all times during this process, the TANK is vulnerable to AT fire and can be knocked out. However, the Walking Guide is always Neutral / Invulnerable and NOT in play. DO NOT SHOOT AT THE WALKING GUIDE. To Return Your Tank to the Tank Road: 1.The Walking Guide must first check to see that the reentry path is clear of players and hazards. The walking guide has the authority of a ref in this capacity. Players in the area will obey his instructions for sake of safety.

2. The Walking Guide must direct the tank back onto the Tank Road.

3. Once back into the roadway, the Tank must come to a complete stop. The Walking Guide returns to the vehicle.

4. The Tank may then continue on down the Tank Route.

5. At all times during this process, the TANK is vulnerable to AT fire and can be knocked out. However, the Walking Guide is always Neutral / Invulnerable and NOT in play. DO NOT SHOOT AT THE WALKING GUIDE. ANTI-TANK WEAPONS

GENERAL RULES AND REQUIREMENTS

All AT gunners must complete the AT orientation and have their AT weapon approved by D-Day staff. The CO‟s of the Allied and Axis AT units will assist with this. Upon completion, they will be issued a laminated Kill Card (blue for Allied and red for Axis) on a lanyard (aka Gunner Card), a yellow "Out of Play” flag, and a ticket to buy AT paint. AT paint can be purchased at the registration building. The Kill Cards will have the tank‟s unit logo on one side and a large number on the other. Allied cards will be numbered 1-45 and Axis cards 1-40.

Cont‟d.

Anti-tank weapons (Pzookas) can ONLY take the following form: Anti-Tank Weapon bodies built around paintball markers (Marker -in-a-Tube) with the following restrictions: Allied: o

US bazooka, Type 1 - 60" long by 2" in diameter.

o

US bazooka, Type 2 - 54" long by 2" in diameter.

o

British PIAT - 36" long by 2" in diameter with warhead on the end.

o

Panzerschreck - 60" long by 3" in diameter.

o

Panzerfaust, Type 30 - 42” long by 2” in diameter with the warhead on the end.

German:

1. The bazooka must be built around the marker. Olive drab, grey, brown and black are the only colors. No white can be showing. (Absolutely NO homemade, or commercially manufactured paint cannons will be allowed. No commercially manufactured Marker-in-a-Tube designs / Pzooka bodies have been approved for use at D-Day).

2. All AT weapons must use ten-round tubes in place of a normal hopper for anti-tank paint.

3. Only 200 rounds of AT paint per AT gunner 4. The Allies have been allowed 45 shoulder-fired AT weapons and the Germans have been allowed 40.

5. Any hit that breaks the size of a quarter or larger to your AT tank weapon is the same as a hit to your body, marker or gear. You are out.

6. Any player struck with an anti-tank paint round that breaks and leaves a mark the size of a quarter or larger is eliminated. In a bind, you can defend yourself by firing your Pzooka at an enemy player, but this is a waste of your limited supply of anti -tank paint.

7. All Pzookas must chronograph under the same restrictions as any marker; 285 fps in daytime play. Since paint checks and hits on AT targets cannot be checked at night, Pzookas will not be allowed in the Night Game.

8. AT weapons must have a Barrel Blocking Device. This can take the form of an oversize barrel sock (such as those capable of covering a marker barrel and Scepter Grenade launcher with one BBD) affixed securely to the tube OR the use of a standard slip -on PVC cap that fits snuggly over the bore end of the launcher tube.

If you use a slip-on PVC cap, please be sure to paint it a bright color (such as red or yellow) that is different from the color of the marker body so that it can be easily identified when in place for safety considerations.

TANK & PLANE KILL PROCEDURE Tank kills will be worth TWO POINTS each. Each time a tank is killed; two points will be awarded to the opposing side. In order for any tank, plane or HW kill to be legitimate, the AT paint that hit the unit must have been shot from a valid AT card carrying gunner or another valid tank, plane or HW gunner. To have your tank kill recorded, the following procedure must be followed: 1. AT gunner must obey the 10‟ clear zone around a tank or plane at ALL times, even while attacking. The exception would be dur ing the tank kill verification.

2. Any hit on the target system of a tank (by AT paint) that breaks the plane of the target with a quarter -sized spot or larger counts as elimination. The tank is out of play until the next reinsertion. Tanks cannot be simply disabled.

3. The AT gunner is allowed to signal to the Tank Crew that he has scored elimination if a referee is not present to call the hi t. All AT gunners will use a yellow flag to signal a tank that it is hit.

4. Tank kills are treated much the same way as Sniper Kills. The AT gunner is neutral and OUT OF PLAY while signaling a tank crew that he has eliminated them; while interacting with the tank crew to tally his kill; and finally while returning to cover.

Cont‟d.

5. When the tank is eliminated, it must come to a complete stop. The AT gunner may approach the tank at this time.

6. The tank driver has the option to exit the tank to visually verify the hit. The hit MUST NOT be wiped off until the hit has been verified by the driver or until the driver has handed over one of the kill tickets to the AT gunner. If the hit is wiped off prior to verification, the kill does not count.

7. Upon reaching the vehicle, the AT Gunner must produce their Kill Card and present it to the tank crew. After the hit is veri fied, the next numbered Kill Ticket is given to the AT gunner. The same basic format would be used for tank on tank kills as well.

8. Once this transaction is completed the AT gunner is sent back into play and is again vulnerable to enemy attack.

9. The tank is eliminated and must hoist its required 2' x 3' white elimination flag. The tank continues on the tank route to th e Tank Dead Zone that is closest to the location in which they were just eliminated, subject to the game constraints regarding Tank Movement Restrictions. Once there, it must exit the tank route and await reinsertion.

10. The eliminated tank MAY NOT re-enter the game until the top or bottom of the hour. (Reinsertion times for tanks and planes will remain at 30 minutes, while players are now at 20 minutes). Depending on what time an eliminated tank reaches the Dead Zone will determine how long a tank will have to sit out of play until it can reinsert. Example: If a tank reaches the Dead Zone at 11:28 am, it will be allowed to reinsert in 2 minutes at the next r einsertion time that comes at 11:30 am.

If the tank reaches the Dead Zone at 11:32 am, it will have a 28 minute wait until the next reinsertion time at 12:00 pm.

11. When reinserting, tankers must use the same procedure as when returning the tank to the road after being parked. The only exc eption is that they are immune to AT fire until they are at least 50‟ away from the Tank DZ and have changed their flag color. The tank also cannot fire its we apons until it is beyond the 50‟ zone and have changed their flag. Prior to switching flags, the tank must come to a complete stop on the road (only for a matter of several seconds; enough time to change flag). The normal parking procedure does not need to be followed for the flag change.

The Tank Commander has the authority of a Ref in regards to his tank's reinsertion. He will monitor the time and reinsert his tank into play on the appropriate intervals.

12. If a tank leaves the field for any reason (repairs, cleaning, re-supply, etc), it must report to the appropriate Dead Zone first and then wait until the top or bottom of the hour to reinsert.

13. Both Tanks Crews and AT gunners can earn points for eliminating enemy Tanks.

14. Tanks may engage each other with their main guns to achieve eliminations. Tanks may engage each other as Moving Tank vs. Movi ng Tank, Parked Tank vs.

Moving Tank, or Parked Tank vs. Parked Tank. Once an elimination has been scored, use the following guidelines: 

The two battling tanks will be required to stop. The surviving tank will still be active and vulnerable to attack. A member of its crew will approach the eliminated tank to gather a Kill Ticket in the same manner as described above. The crew member will return to the surviving tank a nd the tank will be signaled back into play (vulnerable to attack).



The eliminated tank will leave the field as described above.

BUNKER BUSTING PROCEDURE new for 2011 Bunkers that can be busted will be determined by D-Day Adventure Park Staff. The bunkers will be fitted with varying sizes of kill stickers determined by staff before DDay week. If a paintball breaks the plane of the sticker in a concise manner all occupants of the bunker will be eliminated. The AT gunner will shoot the target and once a hit is determined he will call himself “neutral” and confirm the hit with bunker occupants. Players will leave the field and proceed to the nearest dead zone. This is a game of honor and both sides must realize that this allowance in effect difficult to staff so it is important to work together and make honest and absolute decisions. In the event a decision can‟t be determined and a staff member is called upon for a decision the outcome will be a wash and play will resume. We will not in any way make a defined call, The allowance to the game is strictly based on your actions and your valor!

HEAVY WEAPONS

GENERAL RULES AND REQUIREMENTS

All Heavy Weapon gunners must complete the Tank/Plane orientation and have their Heavy Weapon approved by D-Day staff. Upon completion, Heavy Weapon gunners can be issued special field cannon Kill Cards to use to record tank kills. They will also receive their Kill Stickers and their paint ticket to allow them to purchase AT paint.

AT paint can be purchased at the registration building.

1

Two classes of Heavy Weapons are available: mobile and fixed. Both will have to look the part of a WWII era field cannon of the appropriate side of the war. Both will be marker-based weapons using AT paint. The marker must be incorporated into the design of the heavy weapon but does not ha ve to be in the barrel of the mock weapon.

2

All gunners for these weapons will have to attend the Tank and AT orientation and have their weapons approved just like the tanks and the shoulder-fired AT weapons. Same kill verification as AT weapons.

3

There is no limit to the quantity of Heavy Weapons.

4

500 rounds of AT paint per Heavy Weapon.

5

Full sized hoppers are allowed on the Heavy Weapons.

6

Heavy weapons can switch between AT and AP paint at their discretion.

7

No firing and moving at same time. The Mobile weapons are not meant to be used as portable bunkers. Move, stop, shoot, move a gain.

8

Gun shield sizes are as follows: a. Mobile weapons can have up to a 36” tall by 48” wide front gun shield. The side shields can be up to 36” tall by 36” wide. b. Fixed Weapons can have up to a 48” tall by 48” wide front shield. And the side shields are 48” tall by 36” wide.

9

The staff may grandfather in some approved Heavy Weapons from the past games like Harold‟s Folly, an 88mm replica.

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10 No netting of any kind allowed on the Heavy Weapons. No cover over the top allowed on the Heavy Weapons.

11 No rear cover. The rear of the weapon must be open.

12 Eliminating a Heavy Weapon: a. Fixed: Fixed HW will have a Kill Sticker affixed to the front (centered vertically and horizontally). A hit by AT paint from a tank/plane main gun or other AT weapon on the Kill Sticker will disable the Weapon and eliminate all of the crew. b. Mobile: A hit by AT paint from a tank/plane main gun or other AT weapon anywhere on a mobile HW will disable the Weapon and eliminate the crew/ gunner.

13 The HW gunner/crew that is eliminated must then report to the Dead Zone. The HW itself is invulnerable to elimination and is only “disabled� when hit by AT paint.

Another player or crew can use the HW immediately, although only anti -personnel paint can be used unless the new gunner is carrying AT paint and a valid AT card. The previous disabling hit must be wiped off prior to re-using the HW. Following a hit by AT paint, the crew will, at minimum, remove the marker and AT paint from the disabled weapon and go to the DZ. Normal reinsertion rules apply. Mobile weapon crews may elect to haul the en tire weapon to the DZ, where fixed weapon crews will likely elect to leave the entire mock cannon in place.

14 No player may vandalize or disable a Heavy Weapon on the field. A lot of work often goes into their creation. Please respect that fact.

15 Unlike the weapon itself, the crew of any Heavy Weapon can be eliminated by all standard means: field paint hit, barrel tag, mine, grenade or flamethrower splatter; or AT paint hit on their person or the weapon they are operating.

16 Casemates: There are five of these on the field. They represent 88mm Flak Cannons in reinforced concrete bunkers/casemates. They require the crew to be marked. They cannot be taken out by AT paint

Depending on the design and scale of the Heavy Weapon, the Game Officials may elect to impose special provisions on eliminating it, such as using a tank Kill Sticker in place of the "Any AT Hit, Anywhere" rule to adjudicate the elimination of the weapon and crew.

Let’s begin by separating planning from decision-making. Though clearly related and even intertwined, it helps to think of these as two distinct processes.

Planning can be found in Troop Leading Procedure (TLP) and its parallel build, the Military Decision-Making Process (MDMP). Decision-making is also very much a part of these two processes, but this topic has been discussed in a previous ODJ article (see “DecisionMaking” 1 November 2007).For this article then we will focus on the process of developing a mission plan at the small unit level – small unit defined for our sake as being those units without a battle staff, expressly the company, platoon, squad and fireteam.

Planning, like decision-making, can be thought of in terms of mere seconds, minutes and hours.

Mission Planning in Seconds…

When there are only seconds to plan, both planning and decision-making combine in the OODA loop – Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. This is the realm of Immediate Action (IA) battle drills. Battle drills are not planning, per se, but as discussed in the earlier article are instead a sort of micro tactics that are the building blocks to the larger tactical scheme of fire and maneuver.

Frankly, with just seconds to spare there is no time to develop any plan; thus the use of the word “immediate” in IA battle drills.

thirds” rule. That is, only the first third of the time allotted prior to mission start is used for planning. The remaining two-thirds of the time must be allocated to the issuing of the Operation Order (OPORD), rehearsals, and Pre-Combat Checks and Inspections (PCC/PCI).

So, you’ve got one hour before your mission begins? Then you have only 20 minutes to plan! Such is the nature of small unit tactics. As we say, “Embrace the Suck.”

Now there is so much to mission planning that it is nearly impossible to cover in a dozen articles, much less one. However, when there are just minutes to plan, experience dictates that a generic approach works best.

Basic problem solving involves four simplified steps:

1.

2.

3.

4.

1. Identify the problem.

2. Generate possible solutions.

3. Compare the alternatives.

4. Make a choice.

Identify the problem. If you were standing on the dockyard at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the problem is pretty clear. You’re under attack from the air.

Generate possible solutions. Call it intuition or perspective, but you’ll begin to generate possible COA based on your experiences and training. If you are a naval gunners mate then you’re probably thinking of manning a weapon system to defend the skies. If you’re a fireman then you’re likely thinking of fighting the fires. In either case, with minutes to plan you start to think in terms of resources – what’s available, who can help, what priority needs work first, and how best to array those resources to respond to the situation.

Compare the alternatives. Frankly, this most commonly happens as you talk or think through the possible solutions, and rarely occurs as a separate third step. But that’s okay. It is actually happening, and you’re accessing your own experiences as well as assumptions of specific actions and the likely outcome. This is triage. What objective has the highest priority versus what can we actually achieve now, with our available resources?

Make a choice. You have to answer that last question. You have to set into motion your plan by communicating it to others.

There are two mistakes to avoid here. One is to fail to plan at all. If you have the time, use it! The other mistake is to use nearly all of your time planning, and then hope to convey your plan in just 2 minutes with no rehearsal and no inventory of functioning equipment and supplies.

Use the one-third: two-thirds rule. If you have an hour to respond, you have only 20 Through the OODA loop we see instantaneous planning and decision-making unique to minutes to plan. If you have only 15 minutes to respond, you have only 5 minutes to plan. battle drills. Again, the Recognition Primed Decision (RPD) process championed by Dr. Gary But by all means – make a plan!

Klein and Associates comes into play. RPD combined with the question sequence of the Battle Drill Matrix (BDM) are powerful tools for accessing our own experiences to select a Mission Planning in Hours… single, appropriate plan – one of our rehearsed drills. We see planning and decision-making Alright, you’ve been given a mission that will start in less than five hours. intersect in just seconds.

The one-third: two-thirds rule gives you an hour and thirty minutes to

Observe the initial act of instigation. Orient on this phenomenon to determine exactly what plan. What’s going to happen here is a truncated, abbreviated Step 2. it is. Decide on a course of action (COA). Take action!

Once you have taken action, you will need to immediately observe your sector of engagement to see if your COA had the desired effect. And the system repeats itself until you’ve either achieved the desired outcome, or you’ve moved to safety. The repetitive nature of this model is why it’s called the OODA loop.

Mission Planning in Minutes…

The quickly changing dynamic of the battle space means that more often than not our small tactical units must plan on the fly, given just minutes to form a COA. Planning, or COA development to use the military vernacular, employs the “one-third: two-

Mission Analysis and Step 3. COA Development from the 8-step process of the MDMP.

Cont’d.

Pre-Combat Inspection (PCI) prior to start of the mission.

That’s what I’d call gaining a leg up on success. As a final word of caution, I’ll insist that you In the mission analysis phase we first gather our input products first. These might include a don’t become so enamored with your own plan, so wedded to it on basis of pride that you cannot remain objective or flexible. Remember that reconnaissance is an on-going process higher-level Warning Order (WARNO), Operation Order (OPORD), or staff estimates from that potentially will throw significant changes into your COA development and OPORD. The the brigade or battalion battle staff officers. With an eye on developing our own OPORD nested within the mission of higher command we begin to ask, “what do we know” and enemy also gets a vote, and Mother Nature gets a vote. That’s life. Embrace the suck. “what must we assume” about this mission?

We need to understand the problem, that is, our mission statement. Hopefully that comes from higher command! But in some rare cases, it must be assumed based on the given situation and our specified and implied responsibilities. (Think back to that fireman or gunners mate at Pearl Harbor.)

In most cases we will have an OPORD from higher command. If so, we look at the mission statement, commander’s intent and commander’s guidance for constraints and restraints regarding the Mission, Enemy, Time, Terrain, Troops available and Civilians on the battlefield (METT-TC). We assessed the Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace (IPB) for enemy capability and positions, plus the lay of the land – Observation, Cover and concealment, Obstacles, Key terrain, and Avenues of approach (OCOKA). And we determine the enemy’s most likely COA versus the enemy’s most dangerous COA. Each of these considerations above become an output product of mission analysis for our own OPORD – IPB, Mission Statement, Commander’s Intent, Commander’s Guidance – keeping in mind that we are nesting all of our products within the mission, role and responsibility of the higher command, the larger unit to which we belong.

In the second phase, COA development, we also consider input and output products. We have just created the input products in the earlier analysis phase, and so we again refer to our newly developed IPB, Mission Statement, Commander’s Intent and Guidance, plus the enemy’s most likely COA and enemy’s most dangerous COA. Now we need to develop the output for COA development. This involves a careful consideration of our combat power relative to the enemy’s combat power. Who has the longerrange weapons? Faster firing weapons? Mass casualty weapons? Greater number of troops? Better-trained troops? And who holds the superior terrain and/or staying power regarding logistics?

We then array our forces to mitigate the danger of the enemy’s combat power. Remember, we don’t need to outnumber the enemy everywhere – but instead only at the point in which we will engage the enemy decisively.

We develop a scheme of fire with a scheme of maneuver. Keep in mind that fire without maneuver is a waste of ammunition. Maneuver without fires is a waste of human lives.

Wrap it all together using a basic concept sketch as an overlay to your IPB. The IPB is most commonly expressed as a series of graphic symbols that include fire and maneuver control measures laid over a map.

You’ve just developed a COA, or mission plan. Theoretically you develop at least two distinctly different COA and wargame them separately to analyze and compare the assumed outcomes. However, with just an hour and a half, it is more realistic to say that you are simultaneously building one COA while eliminating multiple other COA under an assessment of which plan is more feasible versus which plan will more likely achieve success.

Hopefully you’ve worked with your more experienced subordinate leaders to develop this mission plan. There is no sense in developing a complex plan in a vacuum unless that is your only option!

In any case, you must now “fill in the blanks” for paragraph 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the OPORD. Your selected COA becomes Paragraph #3 Execution of that same OPORD. In this way, you’ve adhered to the one-third: two-thirds rule to mission planning development. And you’ve created a COA that lends itself to a credible, useful OPORD for your team in just an hour or more, leaving ample time to issue the OPORD, conduct a rehearsal and

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Trivia Heron is the brand name for Morphine once marketed by „Bayer.‟

In ancient times Chinese, Roman and German societies once used urine as mouthwash.

Google is the common name for a number with a million zeros.

It takes glass one million years to decompose, which means it can never wears out and can be recycled an infinite number of times.

Gold is the only metal which doesn‟t rust, even if it‟s buried in the ground for thousands of years.

Your tongue is the only muscle in your body which is only attached at one end.

If you stop getting thirsty you need to drink more water. When your body is dehydrated its thirst mechanism shuts down.

Each year 2,000,000 smokers either quit smoking or die of lung related diseases.

Zero is the only number which can‟t be represented by a Roman Numeral.

Kites were used during the Civil War to deliver letters and newspapers.

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