The Airsoft Bible: Book of Tactics

So I'm getting closer to finishing it.  I need more diagrams and graphics inside though which will take some time with a graphics program, then it needs editing, review, etc, etc.   I'm really looking forward to publishing it because of what it contains.  Something near and dear to my heart, tactics.  Not strategy, not leadership, not tips and tricks, but good old, plain TACTICS.  Over the years I've learned how different militaries execute different maneuvers and 'play the game'.  From the Soviets, the Chinese, the VC, the Japanese, the British, the US Army and of course my beloved US Marines.

While I understand USMC tactics quite well I think, it has been a real challenge with many of the others.  The Army is easy enough because of their manuals and they are similar enough to the Marines.  The others though are a real challenge; however, in some cases I think their tactics are more suitable to Airsoft, particularly the Soviet Echelon tactics.

As I look back at many of the games I've played and recalled those times I've been steamrolled by the enemy several successful tactics tend to stick out and the ones I think of the most are not the standard Western style tactics, they are the Soviet Echelon ones that were used, most likely unintentionally.  I dig into the details in my book but a couple things become apparent.  US Military doctrine is oriented toward defeating Soviet military doctrine.  However, US Military doctrine takes a couple key points into consideration.  First is the use of machine guns, the use of claymore mines, hand grenades, Listening Post/Observation Posts and other supporting arms (close air support, artillery, mortars, naval guns, etc).  In Airsoft none of these things are used except maybe on very rare occasions, claymore mines.  Rarely to Airsoft teams deploy more than a single SAW and when they do it is just an additional firepower type of thing, nothing special.

Good, competent, SAW gunners are very difficult to find in Airsoft and that lends more to the Soviet Doctrine.  In the US the SAW/Machine gun is the backbone of the team.  In the Soviet style of combat it is just additional firepower.   It is interesting to note that most Soviet style weapons are tough, rugged and the first setting is Automatic, unlike Western weapons where the first setting is Semi.  This was unlikely to have been done by accident.  The USSR and other Soviet style nations used poorly trained conscripts and their tactics were designed with that in mind.  There is also a magazine capacity discrepancy between the two.

Nearly every airsoft player is equipped with an automatic weapon that has a very large magazine.  It frequently seems that most players do not know their weapon actually has a semi-automatic feature, primarily because they have the magazine capacity and the weapons are not that accurate, kind of like Soviet weapons.

At any rate, it will be an interesting debate I’m sure when the book comes out.

For more info check out www.TheAirsoftBible.com

The E-Book Revolution

Recently I released an Airsoft book on Kindle (The Airsoft Bible: Book of Comm) and I'm starting to realize most people 'don't get it' and don't understand what the E-Book revolution is really about.

Well. Sometimes it is nice to have something to hold in your hands. I don’t think many people are comfortable with e-books just yet because of all the questions and unknowns. A book gives one a sense of ownership and distinction when sitting on a book shelf. People can’t see e-books unless you show them. A physical book is something you can lend out.

There are a great many advantages with an e-book. These days most people have smart phones, computers and tablets. Android, iPhone, Blackberry, etc. All these types of phones have the Kindle application available to them, along with pretty much every type of computer. This gives people the ability to carry an entire library with them wherever they go. They can read their books whenever they want and wherever they want. They can reference their books at any time, they don’t have to run home or out to the car to get it. They can’t lend it out and then forget who they lent it out to. If you leave it out in the rain, or if the dog eats it, or it gets stolen, you just download it again on your new device, no charge or hassle. Your reading place is saved as well.

The software is available on pretty much every platform and is free from http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_ipad_mkt_lnd?docId=1000493771 there is also Nook software and many others.

From the Author’s point of view it is great as well. You can actually update the book, clean up errors, add more content and it costs you nothing. Almost like having a subscription to a specific manual. Amazon is also fighting tooth and nail to keep the cost of e-books LOW.

The printed book on the other hand costs a lot more (initial startup, shipping and handling, proofing, etc) and if it gets lost or destroyed, too bad, so sad, you have to buy a new one. There are no updates unless you buy a new copy, etc.

The dog can eat your book, you can spill coke on it, someone can use it for fire kindling, it can get old and fade, pages can get ripped out, the binding can get ruined, etc.

An E-book? Well. If your cell phone or whatever gets destroyed, stolen, etc, you do not lose your e-book. It can be downloaded at anytime to any device that you register with your account.

I have an entire room full of paperback books. These days I really don't buy any book unless it is an e-book for many of the reasons I stated.

To Be or Not To Be

To be or not to be


Marketing or Author.  So the first Airsoft Bible is out the gate and racing.  I've decided to offer it at 20% off for the first two weeks to friends and family on Facebook, Google Plus and Airsoft Ohio.  A Marine brother is helping with Google and product placement, I have a website for it, a Facebook page for it and a couple blogs on it.

After the two weeks I intend to concentrate on other Airsoft sources.  There are magazines, websites and forums.

So now I have to watch the winds and make some decisions, soliciting feed back and opinions.   Do I also concentrate on a printed version?  If so, what size?  Color?  Black and White?  One thing I really like about just a kindle version is the ability to update.  Adding new information, new material and pictures.   This way I can keep a living document, get more people active and contributing and continue to build up the bible.  Turn it into a real quality product line that continues to draw people.

I have two worries at that point.  The time required to update and keep it going forward and competition.  Of course it would be great to develop some synergy with my other fiction writing as well but I'm not seeing that.

So I guess at this point it is just sitting back, working on the sequels and watching.  I've looked at some of the other Airsoft manuals and books out there and I must say I'm really disappointed in their quality, which in a way is good for me.  I'm not seeing hardly any real attempts to market them either with one exception.

So now I've set myself upon this path.  As I go further and further I realize what a big task it is.  When I started out Book of Comm it was 16 pages, it quickly grew to over 75.  I work on the other books here and there and they are going to take a lot more work as well.  So now I'm trying to figure out should I tackle hard or easy, or should I let the community decide.

One thing I see myself doing and can't find a way around is refering to other books.  I would like each one to be a stand alone but talking about billets and roles is hard to do without talking about specific tactics as well.  I'm certainly not perfect and it would be nice to get feedback.  While I don't expect to listen to ALL the feedback it would be nice to get a feel for what people are saying and thinking.

The Airsoft Bible

Finally! It is done. The first book in the series is available. The Airsoft Bible: Book of Comm. Now the hard work begins!

The creation of The Airsoft Bible has been interesting to say the least. It started out last year at the 2010 Airsoft Con. A friend asked me to do a class on small unit tactics. This is a topic that I really enjoy and can usually talk for hours on the subject. The classes went well and I had a good time but it got me thinking.

As a former Marine veteran, an infantry squad leader and a great deal of experience in small unit tactics it occured to me I might have a unique opportunity. When I was a young Marine I usuall spent my Friday nights and weekends in the barracks, reading manuals, war stories and the like. While most Marines were out getting drunk or laid, there I was reading. It is what I enjoyed. In about twenty years that hasn't really changed much. My profession has changed from gung-ho Marine to computer geek, but I still like to throw on the gear, grab the rifle and hunt people in a simulated hostile kind of way.

So, at the Airsoft Con I got to thinking. It would be pretty cool to have some Airsoft Tactics manuals. There are a lot of good people that play airsoft but not that many really know the finer details of military tactics and techniques. MilSim seem like little more than Open Plays except with more restrictions, more interesting objectives. People are more familiar with "Call of Duty" or "Modern Warfare" tactics than real world operations.

A lot of people spend a lot of time and effort identifying what weapons and gear their favorite warrior carries, but rarely do I see any attemps to simulate the way their favorite warrior engages in battle, except in a superficial way. This is not to say people don't know, or don't try, it is just that not nearly enough people understand. It is hard to soar like an eagle when you are surrounded by turkeys.

The Military has thousands of years of experience in perfecting the art of war. Everything they do has a reason and is usually built around doctrine, lessons learned and weapon design. Soviet infantry tactics are very different than US Infantry tactics. US Army infantry squads are organized and fight very differently than US Marine infantry squads. Mechanized squads are different than light infantry squads. Understanding the differences can be crucial on the battle field.

Additionally one thing I've noticed in the transition from real world to Airsoft and Paintball is some of the basics are slightly different. US Military units (and foreign militaries as well) are starting to issue their troops body armor. When I was a young Marine we were issued body armor but it only stopped shrapnel, not bullets. This has led to a fundamental change in individual tactics that is very different between combat sports and real combat. In combat sports ANY hit is considered 'fatal', in real world combat not so much. In the real world warriors are trained to face their enemy, presenting their body armor to the enemy fire rather than to make themself a small target. This is because most body armor is vulnerable on the sides like the armpits and a warrior with his body squared to the enemy has more of his body protected from enemy fire than if he was sideways trying to make himself a small target.

In Airsoft and Paintball, regardless of chest rig, you are NOT bullet proof. Any hit is considered a killing one, even one to the hand or plate carrier, which in the real world would be a bruise instead of a kill.

From what I've seen nobody has tried to mesh real world combat techniques with Airsoft combat techniques in a cohesive and workable way. Squads usually operate as smaller mobs within a big one at most games, some have better communication and tactics, but rarely is special emphasis placed on SAW gunners or grenadiers.

This is what the Airsoft Bible is about. It is an attempt to collect and present tactical advice, tips and techniques for Airsoft and Paintballers based on real military tactics and techniques. I have also created a website www.warriortactics.net where people can go and write their own articles for Airsoft, Paintball and Real World combat techniques, tactics and tips.

I am publishing to the Amazon Kindle platform for now to generate interest and feedback. I am not perfect and I am always interested in learning how things can be different or hearing about different experiences. Being locked into unchangeable doctrine is the quickest route to extinction and defeat that I know of.