Re: [sg] Starting Forces

--- Derk Groeneveld <derk@cistron.nl> wrote:

> Umm. Which optional rules exactly? And I'm guessing
> PSG = platoon
> sergeant, and PL = platoon lieutenant? Anyway, what
> you describe makes
> sense.

PL is Platoon Leader (we don't have commanders until
the company level).  I saw them on a web page a couple
years ago and liked them so much I've been using them
ever since.  It's pretty simple--if you're running an
army that has a tradition of high-quality long-service
NCOs (US, UK, Germans, FFL) then you can opt to allow
the PL to only use 1 action to reactivate a unit, and
the PSG can use 1 action to do this as well.  First
yutz to try to sell me on the ESU doing that is gonna
get shot, though.

> This absolutely makes sense, but I'd MUCh rather see
> less counters on the
> table. Then again, one could tick this off on a unit
> sheet, assuming the
> figures are numbered.

That's a better way.  My pet peeve is keeping records.
 Yours is counters on the table.  It's the same
technique spun for different pet peeves.

> Mmm. Again, makes sense. I'll have to think on this
> :)

FISTs (US Army FOs--stands for FIre Support Team) are
four-man elements with a modified M-113.  There's an
officer, an NCO, and 2 EMs.  The officer works at the
company TOC or moves in the company commander's track,
coordinating fire support.  The NCO and 2 EMs drive
around in the track, or dismount to actually spot for
the fire (a dismounted team would be an NCO and an EM,
since someone has to stay with the track).  They
belong to the Headquarters/Headquarters Battery of the
Field Artillery Batallion that supports that brigade. 
That way they can train in FIST stuff together, then
get chopped out whenever their maneuver unit goes out
for training or on a deployment.  (Why yes, I did hang
out with a lot of FISTers--pretty nice guys and the
only non-Engineers I could respect on the entire
depot).

Sniper teams are found in batallion Scout Platoons,
Brigade Reconaissance Troops, and divisional Long
Range Surveillance Detachments.  They are far more
useful going out and scouting than hanging around with
line troops.  

What the Russians try to do is have a sniper per
platoon.  But since they can't possibly get everyone
to proper training, it's just another draftee who has
a scoped sniper rifle.	Hopefully he can actually
shoot.

> Then again, with special forces, you could make a
> case for running them as
> 8 individuals.

Depends on the situation and the type of special
forces. A commando is just a very high quality light
infantry unit.	SAS-style or USSF-style units should
be able to combine or detach elements at will to
represent flexibility.	Sometimes you'll want them
each doing something seperate and crazy, other times
they'll all be pouring fire into the onrushing hordes
of highly upset fileclerks or whoever they ran into
that gave them too much fight (I heard about a Team
Spirit once where US Rangers attacked the dining
facility run by 2nd ID's Divisional HHC, having
recieved faulty information about the location of the
divisional CP.	The Rangers lost.)

John

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