Airsoft Action 03 - Dec 2011 | Page 52

FIGURE ONE To further narrow your communications, consider coding specific openings such as doors and windows. If you are spotting for enemy or being engaged you can call in fire quickly and efficiently, either taking down the target or at least forcing them to get their head down, allowing assaulters to move forwards and breach. I recommend a safe and simple numbers system. “Target, white, 2-2. Referring ” to figure one, this communication means that an enemy has been spotted (or engaged) in the right bedroom on the front of the house. The system works from the ground floor up, with the first number relating to each storey (one for ground level, two for first floor and so on). Each aperture is also numbered (from left to right) in the same way, regardless of whether it’s a door or window, and its position is the second number. Split windows are not numbered individually as this would cause confusion – it’s the window area as a whole you take into account when using the number system. So an enemy player leaning out of a first floor window, two windows along from the left at the back of the venue would be indicated by the command: “Target, black, 2-2. ” I now know immediately that there is a target or suspected threat at the rear of the venue, on the first floor, two windows along – so that is where I look to engage or identify the threat. It’s quick, simple and effective. FIGURE TWO Figure two shows one of the buildings we used as a feature in a recent MilSim event. It represented a laboratory and was one of the main objectives. This picture was taken at the rear (black) aspect and also shows some of the left (green) aspect as well. If I was to use simple target indication to identify this building I would work systematically, from left to right starting at the ground floor and working up. My aspect report based on this image would be communicated to my control room or comms centre as: “Black aspect 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 2-1, 2-2. Green aspect 1-1, 2-1. ” Anyone trained in this system would be able to quickly (and, of course, roughly) sketch this aspect for planning purposes or, if calling out a fire control order, identify the opening being used by the enemy. 052 December 2011