KIT & GEAR
AIRSOFT COMMS
consciousness out onto the frequency. They’ll make guesses
about what they’re seeing, mention vague locations, or
provide information that’s not required. All the while, they
pause and delay which jams up the frequency for other
urgent traffic.
Learning to form a short, concise message is hard.
It takes lots of practice to filter the situation you’re in
and push only the most necessary information onto the
network. For your self-study, consider these few tips for
more effective messaging:
Start with Writing
Practice with friends in a low-stress environment and
write your message down before you send it. It’s harder
to write than speak and you’ll naturally want to write as
little as possible. Your written message will likely be much
shorter and accurate than the one you made up as you
spoke.
Facts Only
Communicate exactly what you see and don’t guess. A
person may look like they’re carrying a gun but if they’re
too far away for you to be certain, then communicate what
you know. You see an individual carrying a long dark object.
Speculating creates misinformation and doesn’t help your
team understand the situation you’re in.
can do on your own or with friends to improve your radio
communications skills. There is a lot more to learn about
comms, including how new technologies like Zello are
changing the game, or how to employ PACE plans and
Signal Operating Instructions (SOI’s) for more robust and
secure messaging. However, the fundamentals are key and
should be part of your regular training plan as much as
reload and contact drills.
If you’re new to radio communications and are excited
to learn, or if you’re looking to practice more advanced
techniques, Blackline Simulations offers two Radio
Communications courses. Built around the fundamentals
and military simulation applications, the Introductory Level
Course teaches radio basics, message formats, and the
phonetic alphabet.
The Advanced Level Course focuses on reports, SOI/
PACE and virtual operations to test your abilities. Both
include a number of sessions with other students to give
you a chance to practice your skills from anywhere in the
world, using a network radio PTT app called “Zello”. If
the idea of working with like-minded learning-focused
players appeals to you, check out the courses here:
www.blacklinesimulations.com/events and here: www.
blacklinesimulations.com/post/comms-at-blackline-zelloand-uhf-working-together
AA
Don’t Rush
The goal is to communicate the correct information
as quickly and as accurately as possible. Ironically, that
means you should slow down. Speak firmly, clearly and at
a moderate pace. This is especially true if you’re sending
coordinates. If you’re too fast, people will not understand
your message and you’ll be forced to repeat it - actually
increasing the amount of time it takes to deliver your
information.
Learn Basic Reports
The military has been sending radio transmissions for the
better part of a century. They’ve made simple standardized
reports that make sure all the necessary information is
included as concisely as possible. Research standard reports
like SITREP, SALUTE, and the 9-Liner MEDIVAC reports and
consider using them. Modify them for your use or build
your own. The key is to be simple, efficient, and complete,
while also being fast.
Use Common Reference Points
“Near the building” is a useless description unless there’s
only one building in the region. Use products you build with
your team in advance like Grid Reference Graphics, map
waypoints, or MGRS locations to help orient the listener to
what you’re seeing and where it is.
A Canadian Special Operations soldier once told us.
“Push to talk, not push to think.” That’s a great way to look
at effective radio transmissions.
Learning basic procedures, knowing your equipment
and thinking before you transmit are three things you
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