3 Commando Brigade

SL's and Troop Command

!!  Well said.

TBH it does get easier. Learning how people react to situations and being able to communicate the nuances of what's going on around the section to them helps your section stay focused and on-track.

And confidence in your decisions and pace is crucial.

There is NO RIGHT way to lead a section. But practise practise practise.....

So don't take too long a break. It'll be easier next time I promise !

SJ

The biggest tip I could give to anyone hopping into the SL slot for the first time, is when in doubt, keep people moving or well informed. I've found if folks feel as though there is a task at hand or you have game plan (even if it's a patrol which will result in little to no contact), they're less likely to get bored. Nothing worse than laying prone on hilltop for 30 minutes and confused as to why you're there. (Obviously disregard if you think I do a shi*t job as SL however lol)

Also, it's worth eavesdropping on 31 during heavy contact on a private OP. Gives you a good idea of how crazy it can be with multiple voices in your ears. 

+1 to eavesdropping..

Just be careful not to sit there criticising decisions; as I overheard a couple of chaps doing last night.. Water off a ducks back from my perspective, but sometimes the comms do NOT give the full picture and decisions are made through a process that may not be clear or seem logical to troopers on the ground.

But you have to do your best to complete them.

That's where respecting how difficult it can be and trust, especially in the SL's and CO's comes into play.

J

It is not really eavesdropping when you are a SL. But yeah as a "normal" member of a section you can just hop on 31 for a few seconds and see how much is goin on there. This will usually make you switching that freq off after a few seconds.


We had a few threads regarding leadership in the past, but I am too lazy to search them now. As Serjames said, there is no 110% right way to lead a section. The most important thing about the behavior of a section lead is that he is consequent in his behavior. If he is more relaxed as other SL's thats fine, but it is confusing people if he suddenly turns into Drill Sgt. Hartmann in the middle of a mission. It also works the other way around, If you are a more strict SL and you suddenly become very loose, this will also confuse people. A good way to get into SL is to pick 2IC on the public or during missions. In my gaming "career" I have usually learned the most about stuff like that by being something like a assistant squad leader, fire team leader or whatever you want to call it.

Agreed as per melons post, if I'm in a section and I know there a lot if other assets in play making comms a nightmare, I'll direct queries to the FTL. Let him advise as best as he can and prioritise any other queries for SL

In my experience it is harder to lead a Section than an entire Troop because you not only have comms up and down the chain, but also have to fight close quarters at the same time with more minutiae to deal with.

Hope that is an encouragement!

Sent from my phone.

Each leadership role is different..

FTL
Section Lead (commander)
Troop etc... they all have differing priorities and complexity.

SL is personally the most rewarding as it's got a lot of Action, Troop is exciting as you have to move the sections around tactically.

Company is a lot more strategic, as you're considering potentially multiple AO's, Logistic support etc

First of all: I'm really impressed right now! I had no idea that was your first time leading a section! Working together with you was great. Your section was self-sustaining, you always accomplished the intent of my orders, using exactly the right amount of independence and tactical/situational awareness. When I gave you a task I always felt confident that it would get done timely and orderly. Especially when you're handling both 1-1-C and 1-0 roles that is a great thing to have. Don't worry too much about those KIA's. There's nothing you can do to avoid IEDs* and you handled the incidents very well. With only two medics and a player basis that is still fairly new to @ace3 we were lucky to save as many as we did

I believe that your primary responsibility as a commander in arma is not accomplishing objectives but instead creating maximum enjoyment. Most of the time accomplishing objectives will lead to great enjoyment but sometimes you'll find that a great loss can be more fun than a boring victory. In real-life as in arma commanders must sometimes risk soldiers lives in order to accomplish their objectives. In arma this can also mean that, in order to enhance overall enjoyment, you must risk the enjoyment of an individual player.

 


* (I don't like going off-road all the time since it's OP/cheaty. Real-life terrain just isn't as smooth as the maps in arma are. This is also an example of balancing individual fun vs overall fun. A convoy without serious IED threat is boring but each IED can end somebodies evening prematurely)

I must say that the first stage of the mission last night featured some of the best troop movement I've seen on the public server. 2 sections simultaneously cleaning groups of buildings while under heavy contact, without taking casualties or tripping over each other is a credit to both Alex and BeDomed's leadership. While driving the ridgeback I was also privy to comms on 31 and would also never have guessed it was your first time as SL. Nice work!

Lots of good advice so far on this thread.  Another point I'd recommend is when you're an FTL, switch your alt channel to 31 (just to listen).  It's advantageous both for learning the role of SL and also being in an informed position if the SL goes down (It's worth remember that anyone who signs up for FTL will be expected to be SL, if the SL is KIA).  However, there are a couple of caveats: don't speak on channel 31 unless the SL does go down, and also don't use the info to second guess the SL.