MP Training - Formations, Movement and Tactics

[Askold]

a) A lot of you are looking at the tactical training from the point of view of a military unit (and a large military unit at that.) Even a few trained combatants can make a difference if the opposition is made up from random bandits without a proper training.

b) Those few trained combatants can join up with larger units or train others. Particularly the "training" bit is important if MP personnel are supposed to help rebuild the society.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by Askold

a) A lot of you are looking at the tactical training from the point of view of a military unit (and a large military unit at that.) Even a few trained combatants can make a difference if the opposition is made up from random bandits without a proper training.

b) Those few trained combatants can join up with larger units or train others. Particularly the "training" bit is important if MP personnel are supposed to help rebuild the society.

I don't see the Project spending the resources on training support, science, admin, and transportation personnel for offensive combat. Might be touched on for Recon as they are "the man on the ground". Now MARS on the other hand, that branch is already heavy with former military personnel and combat veterans to boot. They have already received this training courtesy of their own national armed forces. The Project probably spent more on training soldiers to be search and rescue then honing fighting skills.

Training a local, indigenous militia force and leading same until they have their own competent commanders sees to me the job of MARS.

[bobcat]

for ground tactics i would recommend looking into some of the tactics used by LRRP's in Vietnam and Rhodesian forces during the bush war. odds are any hostile force encountered by the morrow project teams at boom +5 years would have them outnumbered and very likely out gunned. MARS teams would likely be acting in a manner similar to the Rhodesian "fireforce" primarily engaging known threats as needed. on the ground a 4-6 man recon team would mostly be breaking contact far enough to ambush the hostile force from and advantage or to stay ahead of the hostiles until a MARS team "fireforce" can bail them out.

so i'd expect a lot of coverage on hasty ambushes and breaking contact. that said knowing how to drop a building on a hostile force or drop a bridge out from under them (see above post on engineering) is always a good force multiplier.

[mmartin798]

I have been preparing materials for my new players. In the course of doing that, I updated this web page on small unit tactics and made it a PDF for easier printing and reuse, as well as some minor grammar corrections and updated illustrations. The link to the original is in the forward.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by mmartin798

I have been preparing materials for my new players. In the course of doing that, I updated this web page on small unit tactics and made it a PDF for easier printing and reuse, as well as some minor grammar corrections and updated illustrations. The link to the original is in the forward.

Thanks for this! Every TMP game I have ever run has seen players doing things that in real life would get them very dead, very quick. I've tried to talk them through some of the basics beforehand, never thought to write it out, and this is much more thorough (and accurate!) than anything I would have come up with.

[mmartin798]

You are most welcome. I do have one with some general medical procedures for the players of doctors and other medical professionals that might not have experience that is all my own work as well if there is interest.

[Project_Sardonicus]

Realistically the Recon teams are going to be the poor bloody infantry of the project. There most likely to be the guys on the ground when problems turn up and the MARS units will be in short supply. Even then taking days to get into place by aircraft, weeks by land. And then to make it even that slowly bringing very little equipment with them.

As such I think the Morrow Project will work on a sort of Lego basis. Recon unit spots terrifying army of mutant cannibal shiners with fez's made of human skin writing an amarda of tiny cars. They spot them keep them in sight and keep the local base in contact. Then a few weeks later they're joined by a couple of other Recon units, and a MARS team of a dozen or so fighters who's main job is coordination and leadership. They dig up a special bolt hole of equipment a couple of mortars, maybe an EFOGM on a Hummer and a couple of small drones. (or if the GM is a buttmuch maybe a couple of satchel charges and some BMX's)

Then they stalk their prey their aim isn't neccasairly to wipe them out. It's to hit them hard enough with a couple of ambushes to break their morale, kill their leaders and scatter them.

For this to work every team needs to be trained as basic infantry, to have the ability to follow orders, use whatever equipment they find and fight as at least a basic trained military outfit. I'd reckon most conscription armies reckon to cover basic training in 3-4 months. So probably that's what the project with the aim of giving a very basic familiarisation in all sorts of more specialised skills. This would cover all teams, the principle being somewhat like a modern day forward mASH unit or airbase. When the enemy comes over your out line, you can't rely on security to save you.

[RandyT0001]

Originally Posted by mmartin798

You are most welcome. I do have one with some general medical procedures for the players of doctors and other medical professionals that might not have experience that is all my own work as well if there is interest.

How did I miss this?

Yes, I would be interested in seeing this supplement also.