Introduction

Welcome to FM 21-20 Physical Training covering the 29th Infantry Division Lighthouse Corps’ Basic Combat Training (BCT) program for recruits.

Why read this?

This field manual was written to be a concise guide for passing Basic Combat Training. Topics covered will be brief but enough to provide you the information necessary for passing.

What is covered?

Topics covered will include what is expected of you as a recruit in the 29th Infantry Division, the purpose and procedures of Basic Combat Training reference, reference console commands and terms used, as well as a portion on the events proceeding graduation from BCT.

What’s expected of you?

Overview

As a recruit, you are are expected to act in a certain respectful manner. This expectation is rooted in many things, and fully acting in this manner requires an understanding of these roots.

A recruit must understand that every single member of the 29th Infantry Division started their career by going through the same Basic Combat Training program as a Private. Every single rank in the 29th has been earned and not skipped over. While some other realism units find justification in allowing members to enter their unit at a higher rank, the 29th Infantry Division takes pride in every member earning their rank and place in the unit. When you wear the [29th ID] tags, the rank in front of your name carries weight, and other people know that.

Military Courtesy

Earning rank takes time, and takes work. Promotions are not given based on length of service, but a combination between service and work. For example, someone with a Sergeant rank has more than likely over twelve months of service under his belt and is capable of commanding a large team to victory.

Because of the work put into earning these ranks and positions, a huge amount of respect is given to those of rank. You are always to treat those above you in rank as your military superior by addressing them by their rank (rather than their last name) and keeping as respectful as possible, as well as abiding by any orders they give you.

This is a very simple concept. For example:

  • Instead of “Hey, what time are drills tomorrow?”, say “Sergeant Smith, what time are drills tomorrow?”.
  • Instead of “Yep” or “Yeah” or “OK”, say “Yes Sergeant” or “Affirmative Sergeant” or “Roger that Sergeant”.
  • When Speaking with an officer (those ranked Second Lieutenant of higher), you are to address them by rank or by “Sir” at all times.

This might seem unusual coming from a non-military background, but after some practice and hearing it from others, it becomes second nature and feels quite comfortable.

Exclusivity

The 29th Infantry Division is a participant based organization that requires a push and pull from all of its members. Our success depends upon it. When you pass through Basic Training and enter into the Unit, we ask of you only a few important things. That you comply with our decent amount of rules, and fulfill the simple duties described to you during your training.

Among those duties is to always represent the 29th ID as best as you possibly can. While, first and foremost, this rule pertains to behavior and professionalism when donning official tags, it also extends into a couple of grey areas that we need be reminded of from time to time.

One of those grey areas is the concept of “Exclusivity”. What this means is that if you are a member of the 29th ID, you cannot simultaneously be a member of what may be considered a “competitive” organization. That is, another Realism Unit. The reasoning is simple; In exchange for the exclusive usage of our servers, and participation in our events, all that we ask of you is the courtesy of being prioritized. Remember, the 29th does participate in outside scrimmages. In order to prevent likely conflicts of interests, sanctions must be put in place.

“So what exactly qualifies as a ‘Competitive Organization’?”

Any realism unit within a game that the 29th is currently deployed.

  • ARMA (2 and 3)
  • Red Orechestra 1,
  • Rising Storm/Red Orchestra 2,
  • Rising Storm 2:Vietnam,
  • Squad.

“What if I am in a unit in Battlefield/Mount and Blade/Counter Strike/WoW/Goat Simulator…”

This is not against our current rules. However, understand that if your dedication to the unit is wavering, and this is clearly the culprit, you could be asked either to step away from the 29th, or put on hold your doings in the aforementioned unit.

Understand that we do not wish to force you to spend all your time appeasing our demands. Just keep in mind that we are a “Realism” unit. Part of our attempts at “Realism” happen to include not being a member of another Military.

Basic Combat Training

Purpose

A concept clearly borrowed from the military, Basic Combat Training is a series of training sessions where every single incoming recruit meets the part of the 29th ID minimum or “washes out”. Several criteria make up the expectations of a graduate, including behavior, maturity, respect, discipline, listening skills, and basic in-game abilities. Because every 29th member has met these expectations, we have a very respectful and respectable community that everyone enjoys.

For those of you new to the game, realize that your Drill Instructor (DI) will have patience with your lack of in-game skill , and as Assistant DI will most likely give you extra assistance.

For those of you very familiar with the game, realize that Basic Combat Training teaches far more than in-game skills. You will learn behavioral concepts as well as military structure and terms, and more importantly, discipline.

Schedule

Basic Combat Training is a five-day program starting on a Sunday and ending on a Thursday. The one-hour sessions always take place at 7:00 pm Eastern Time or 7:00 pm Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The start date and time is provided to you as a reply to your enlistment thread.

If you need to miss a Basic Combat Training session it is understandable; however, your attendance is a huge factor in whether or not you pass BCT, and we ask that you attend as many days as possible.

The server address and server password where Basic Combat Training will take place can be also found from the reply in your enlistment thread.

For a complete listing of time zones worldwide along with the associated UTC offset go to timeanddate.com.

Western Hemisphere

UTC PST MST CST EST WET GMT* CET EET FET MSK
12:00 am 4:00 pm 5:00 pm 6:00 pm 7:00 pm 12:00 am 1:00 am 2:00 am 3:00 am
UTC= UTC-8 UTC-7 UTC-6 UTC-5 UTC= UTC+1 UTC+2 UTC+3

Non-daylight saving period

UTC PDT MDT CDT EDT WEST BST / IST CEST EEST FET MSK
11:00 pm 4:00 pm 5:00 pm 6:00 pm 7:00 pm 1:00 am 2:00 am 3:00 am 3:00 am
UTC= UTC-7 UTC-6 UTC-5 UTC-4 UTC+1 UTC+2 UTC+3 UTC+3

Daylight saving period

Eastern Hemisphere

UTC PST MST CST EST WET GMT* CET EET FET MSK
7:00 pm 11:00 am 12:00 pm 1:00 pm 2:00 pm 7:00 pm 8:00 pm 9:00 pm 10:00 pm
UTC= UTC-8 UTC-7 UTC-6 UTC-5 UTC= UTC+1 UTC+2 UTC+3

Non-daylight saving period

UTC PDT MDT CDT EDT WEST BST / IST CEST EEST FET MSK
6:00 pm 11:00 am 10:00 am 9:00 am 8:00 am 7:00 pm 8:00 pm 9:00 pm 10:00 pm
UTC= UTC-7 UTC-6 UTC-5 UTC-4 UTC+1 UTC+2 UTC+3 UTC+3

Daylight saving period

NOTE: \* GMT has the same time as WET. Iceland, Ireland and the United Kingdom observe GMT. Iceland does not observe DST so it remains on GMT all year round. Ireland switches from GMT to Irish Standard Time (IST) when DST starts. The UK switches from GMT to British Summer Time (BST) when it starts DST. The UK is not on GMT during the DST period.

Your Drill Instructor

As the 29th Infantry Division is a realism unit; Basic Combat Training (BCT) is intended to provide a realistic experience to every trainee. Your Drill Instructor is trained to be informative and teach you the concepts you will need to pass BCT, but he is also trained not to tolerate misbehavior and, just as in the military, will use discipline whenever necessary.

Your Drill Instructor has proven through his service to the 29th ID and he is capable of teaching and preparing recruits to be 29th members. He has shown every night for an hour week after week to train and assist training, and his dedication and experience will be respected. You can learn a lot from your DI, and if you miss the opportunity to ask a question or listen to an explanation, you will most likely regret it a later in your 29th career.

Procedure

Each session of Basic Combat Training will teach you both verbally and demonstratively. There will be no repeat sessions, and it is important that you listen carefully to what you are being taught. We do not teach you ranks and unit structure to bore you or waste your time. We teach you the order and description of each rank as well as how this unit is laid out because those are things you will be expected to know in the 29th. The things you learn at Basic are used in general conversation after you graduate, and if you do not pay attention you will not be able to keep up.

In addition to verbal concepts, you will be taught in-game techniques that will more than likely be new to you. Many new tactics will be taught at BCT and you will be expected to try your hardest to perfect them.

On the last day of Basic Combat Training is the Proof of Ability testing (POA’S). Your Drill Instructor will test you on what you have learned in BCT. This is where he will fully test how well you paid attention and understood the concepts, and where he will separate the “washouts” from the graduates. Many items on the POA are listed in this field manual, and you will be glad you read it.

Conduct

Your conduct during drills is especially important. You must always act in a mature and professional manner. The instructors will not waste your time if you do not waste theirs. If an instructor gives you an order, execute it quickly and efficiently, and without complaint. Remember, the impression you make in BCT usually carries over into the unit. You are graded on your behavior.

Speaking

Just as in the military, a well-behaved recruit does not speak until spoken to. If you have a question, you may request permission to speak from your drill instructor. To do this, simply type Permission to Speak or PTS in chat and your request may or may not be granted when the speaker is finished talking.

Fall In

While in drills, scrimmages or a unit meeting, you are to line up in rank order quickly. While in line you are not to look around, accidentally shoot your weapon or move around. You are to remain standing, not proned or crouched, completely still and facing forward. When in line, take your hands off the keyboard and mouse. Face forward and pay attention. When you fall-in you should be shoulder-to-shoulder with the soldier next to you. There should be no gaps in the line at any time. Listen for “Close the gaps!”, or “Everyone shift right/left!”. These generally tell you that there is a gap in the line and it should be filled. Never move unless told to, to help ensure you are not the one shifting inappropriately.

Position of Attention

When at the position of attention, you should be facing forward with your chin level to the ground and your weapon on your back (A3), grenade or pistol out (RO2/RS2), or shovel or binoculars out (SQ). You should not move. There is no reason to touch your keyboard and mouse. If you are caught moving or looking around while at attention, you will be punished for your lack of discipline. While an officer or NCO is speaking to you, you are not to use the voice commands, your microphone, or text chat. If you wish to speak, use the PTS procedure described above.

Basic Reference

Binds

Purpose and Use

The game engines permits you to bind commands to a single key. This can be used to easily produce common commands or combine multiple commands to one key. Below are listed different games and required console commands to in the beginning.

Arma 3

The game does not support binds. The way to salute officers is to write *Salute* in global chat. Or utilize the Salute action from the action menu (scroll wheel).

Red Orchestra 2/Rising Storm

Everyone will need the proper salute bind in order to salute officers in our servers. To do this, type in console:

  • setbind KEY say *Salute*

Obviously, replace KEY with whichever key you would like to use for your salute bind (KEY needs to be typed in, not used as “push to activate”). Be sure to use the asterisks (*) and a capital S. See this for help with different key names.

Rising Storm2: Vietnam

See #Red Orchestra 2/Rising Storm

Squad

The game does not support binds. The way to salute officers is to write *Salute* in global chat.

Close Order Rifle Drills

Close Order Rifle Drills are always performed when lined up and starting from the position of attention. These are practised as a way of maintaining discipline within the unit. When we hold a match against another unit, we will perform CORDs as a sign of respect to them.

Arma 3

There are seven basic commands that make up CORDs. This list should be memorized, and you will have to know what they mean at Basic Combat Training when you practice them.

  • Attention - Rifle on back
  • Present Arms - Rifle out, facing forward
    • At this position you will press Ctrl+W once to go into the highest standing position
  • Ready - Reload rifles
  • Aim - Sight in, move your rifle 45° up, and then 45° to your left. This position is halfway between straight forward and left and halfway between straight forward and up. (Count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
  • Fire - Wait for a count of one one-thousand then fire one shot and only one shot
  • Order Arms - Move your rifle so you are aiming straight forward but 45° into the air, sight out, then slowly bring your rifle down to the Ready position (Count 5, 4, 3, 2, 1)
  • Parade Rest - Rifles lowered (2x LCtrl)

Red Orchestra 2/Rising Storm

There are seven basic commands that make up CORDs. This list should be memorized, and you will have to know what they mean at Basic Combat Training when you practice them.

  • Attention - Grenade / Pistol out
  • Present Arms - Rifles out facing forward
  • Ready - Reload rifles
  • Aim - Aim 45° up and then 45° to your left. This position is halfway between straight forward and left and halfway between straight forward and up.
  • Fire - Fire one shot
  • Order Arms - Move your rifle so you are aiming straight forward but 45° into the air, then slowly bring your rifles down the Ready position (Count 5, 4, 3, 2, 1)
  • Parade Rest - At ease, grenade/pistol out facing forward

Rising Storm 2: Vietanm

See #Red Orchestra 2/Rising Storm

Squad

  • Attention - Shovels / Binoculars out
  • Present Arms - Rifles out facing forward
  • Ready - Reload rifles
  • Aim - Aim 45° up and then 45° to your left. This position is halfway between straight forward and left and halfway between straight forward and up.
  • Fire - Fire one shot
  • Order Arms - Move your rifle so you are aiming straight forward but 45° into the air, then slowly bring your rifles down the Ready position (Count 5, 4, 3, 2, 1)
  • Parade Rest - At ease, grenade/pistol out facing forward

Ranks

Officers

The highest ranking members of the Unit are the officers. They set policy for the unit and exercise authority over large groups of soldiers. These members are to be saluted.

  • Lieutenant Colonel (O-5, Lt. Col.)
  • Major (O-4, Maj.)
  • Captain (O-3, Cpt.)
  • First Lieutenant (O-2, 1Lt.)
  • Second Lieutenant (O-1, 2Lt.)

Warrant Officers

Designated an officer by Battalion HQ Warrant Officers are classified as officers but are distinguished from a Commissioned Officer by not having completed the special training or OCS program. The duties performed by Warrant Officers encompass the same jobs performed by Commissioned Officers but are usually only held in an interim period until a Commissioned Officer is available. These members are to be saluted.

  • Chief Warrant Officer Five (W-5, CW5)
  • Chief Warrant Officer Four (W-4, CW4)
  • Chief Warrant Officer Three (W-3, CW3)
  • Chief Warrant Officer Two (W-2, CW2)
  • Warrant Officer One (W-1, W01)

Senior Non-commissioned Officers

SNCOs are NCOs who have been promoted up through the ranks due to their dedication and experience. They will generally serve as senior advisors to the officers, and will oversee the NCOs under their command to make sure the Officers’ policies are enforced. They will lead men in combat as well.

  • Master Sergeant (E-1, MSgt.)
  • First Sergeant (E-1, FSgt.)
  • Technical Sergeant (E-2, TSgt.)

Non-commissioned Officers

NCOs are the backbone of the army. They are granted their auhtority by their superiors and serve as their subordinates. Their role is to enforce the policies and regulations set by the officers, as well as to lead groups of soldiers in combat.

  • Staff Sergeant (E-3, SSgt.)
  • Sergeant (E-4, Sgt.)
  • Corporal (E-5, Cpl.)

Technicians

These are NCOs who serves in positions which require skills of a technical nature such as clerks, who handle the unit’s paperwork. They are still NCOs, and as such can exercise the same authority over soldiers. They generally do not serve in Leadership positions because they are occupied with other important responsibilities. Each Technician rank has an NCO equivalent, and they should be verbally addressed as such. (i.e. a T/5 should be addressed as “Corporal”; a T/4 as “Sergeant”, and a T/3 as “Staff Sergeant”). However, when written, address by Technician rank (i.e. T/5, T/4, T/3).

  • Technician 3rd Grade (E-3, T/3 equiv. SSgt.)
  • Technician 4th Grade (E-4, T/4 equiv. Sgt.)
  • Technician 5th Grade (E-5, T/5 equiv. Cpl.)

Privates

At the bottom of the list are Privates. These are the regular infantry soldiers who make up the majority of the unit. Their role is to follow orders and carry them out to the best of their ability.

  • Private First Class (E-6, PFC)
  • Private (E-7, Pvt.)

Further Reading

After Basic Combat Training

Overview

Statistics show that many recruits show up to nearly all BCT sessions and graduate, then are never heard from again. No one truly knows why someone would dedicate that much time to Basic Combat Training and not enjoy the many benefits of being a full member of the 29th ID, but some reasons are:

  1. Not knowing what are you to do next
  2. Not knowing with whom you are to be in contact
  3. Not knowing if you graduated
  4. Not knowing how to notify the unit that you are going away
  5. Not being able to make your drills

All of these problems are solvable, but will still occur if you do not find out how to solve them. Below are solutions of these problems.

Find Your Squad

One to seven days after your Training Platoon graduates, the news will be posted in the 29th Infantry Division’s Promotions and Awards forum. This will contain all graduates from the Training Platoon along with the medals they received and to what platoons and squads they were assigned. Assuming you graduated, your information will be posted there, along with encouraging replies from many 29th members.

To find this thread, browse to the 29th Infantry Division website (www.29th.org) and click on the “Forum” link on the top of navigation bar. Proceed to the forum marked Promotions and Awards and look at the recent threads at the top. The sought-out thread will contain your Training Platoon number in its title. For example, the 213th Training Platoon’s thread will be entitled “213th Training Platoon”. (Your Training Platoon is the number that was placed in your tag, i.e. [29th 213].)

Once you find your name, look for the line labeled “Assignment”. This will list your Platoon and Squad as well as the shortened abbreviation for it. For example, Charlie Company, First Platoon, Second Squad is called CP1S2.

After you find your platoon and squad, visit our roster. Click on the link to your platoon and find your squad. You can now see each member in your squad and, most importantly, your Squad Leader. Your Squad Leader is the person you will go to with any questions or concerns about the unit. These include the five points listed in the prior section and any other questions you may have. His job is to help you learn and ensure you have a proper experience in the 29th Infantry Division.

Note: More than likely, your squad leader will personally send you a Private Message (PM) on the forums. He will introduce you to the squad and encourage you to ask any questions you may have; feel free to reply.

To access your PM’s, browse to our forum and click on the inbox on the top right of navigation bar. You can find your inbox here.

Find Your Drills

After you find out what platoon and squad you are in, remember what the shortened version of it is. Believe it or not, hardly anyone verbally says “Third Platoon’s Second Squad” - they say “CP3S2 (The C stands for Charlie Company, the P for Platoon and the S for Squad).

Every week, you are expected to attend two drills - Squad Drills, the most important, and Platoon Drills. Mandatory drills will show up in the “Upcoming Drills” section at the top of the forums, after you have logged in. In addition, you have the option of attending Public Scrimmages, which are simply huge, organized scrimmages for unit members and public players.

To find these drills, browse to our forums, then click Personnel on the navigation bar then select Calendar from the drop down menu. Your scheduled drills will be listed on the calendar. When the listing specifies the squad (i.e. CP3S2), it is a squad drill and all members within CP3S2 are expected to be present. When the listing does not specify the squad (i.e. CP3), it is a platoon drill, and all squads within the platoon are expected to be present.

If you must miss a drill, it is understandable. Simply click on the specific drill on the calendar and click “Post LOA” and you are excused. If you do not post a LOA (leave of absence) you will receive an attendance demerit. Three demerits in a 30 day period warrants a discharge from the 29th Infantry Division so, be sure to post your absences.

Note: This information is also likely to be provided to you as a courtesy by your squad leader via PM. However, as you will need to know how to do this in order to post an absence, it will benefit you to learn this on your own.

Further Information

All graduates will be expected to read FM 21-100, the Soldiers’ Handbook. It contains more information that will ensure you are able to stay active in the unit and can be used as a reference guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

How Serious Are You Guys About This?

We are a professional realism unit representing the US Army during World War II in R02/RS and RS2 and Arma 3 and Squad in the modern era. We try to be as serious and disciplined as possible - similar to a reenactment unit. Our discipline and military courtesy provides for a very fun and enjoyable environment for all ages. On the other hand, we realize that we are all human and understand if a few mistakes are made here and there. There is a time and place for order and seriousness, but there is also a place for having a good time. It is very rare that anyone feels overly pressured after Basic Combat Training - ask any of our members in the server if we are “too strict” or if they enjoy themselves.

What Does the Number in My 29th Tag Mean?

The number (i.e. [29th 214]) represents the Training Platoon (TP) you are in (i.e. the 214th Training Platoon). This is a number that will be hard to forget in your career with the 29th as a certain pride is created between graduates from a training platoon.

I Have a Question That I can’t Find in This Manual
Contact your enlistment liaison about any other questions you may have. Their contact information was left in a reply to your enlistment post. You may also send them a private message on the forum.

Server Etiquette

Who/How do I salute?

All soldiers will salute officers:

  • Lt.Col.
  • Maj.
  • Cpt
  • 1Lt
  • 2Lt
  • CW5, CW4, CW3, WO2, WO1

To bind one of your keys to type *Salute* for you, see Binds from this handbook.

Why Can’t We Swear/Cuss in the Server?

Our server sets out to be a friendly environment for all ages, showing an example of the professionalism and respectfulness of the 29th Infantry Division. We have members young and old and server guests of even more ages. Our goal is to appeal to all players and provide a peaceful and productive community - even if we all kill each other in a video game.

  • “But soldiers cussed in World War II”
    • Yes they did, but not in public, on television, or at parades. Think of the public server as that kind of setting.

When Do We Scrimmage?

Realism scrimmages are generally held at drills and Battalion Scrimmages. Recruits may participate in public scrimmages in our servers, but we ask that you do not persist in bugging higher ranking members to start a scrimmage.

Basic Combat Training

What if I miss a day of Basic Combat Training?

If you need to miss a Basic Combat Training session, it is understandable; however, your attendance is a huge favor in whether or not you pass BCT, and we ask that you attend as many days as possible. You do not need to post on our forums if you have to miss a day of BCT.

Where and When is Basic Combat Training?

Basic Combat Training takes place Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night at 7:00 pm EST/GMT in one of our private servers listed below. See Schedule in this manual for details.

  • Arma 3
  • 29th Infantry Division [Platoon Server] 63.251.20.66:2312
  • RO2/Rising Storm
  • 29th Infantry Division [Squad Server] (Note: Server is unranked) 74.91.116.91:7777
  • RS2:Vietnam
  • 29th Infantry Division [Company Server] 74.91.123.110:7777
  • Squad
  • 29th Infantry Division [Platoon Server] 74.91.123.73:27015

What is the Password for Basic Combat Training

  • Arma 3
  • 29tha3
  • RO2/Rising Storm
  • Able
  • RS2:Vietnam
  • Dog
  • Squad
  • Easy

What Happens After I Pass Basic Combat Training?

After graduation BCT, please read the section labeled After Basic Combat Training in this manual to find your squad and your new drill times.

What Happens If I Fail Basic Combat Training?

Assuming you did not fail for dishonorable reasons, you may feel free to reenlist with us and try again the following week. Visit http://www.29th.org/enlist and fill out the form again.

What Weapons Can I Use? Why?

As a recruit , you are limited to the Rifleman and Semi-Auto Rifleman classes. As we are a rifle company at the base, everyone in the unit must learn the basics of the rifle; the most used weapon of the military. We do not simply stick this weapon in your hands though. You will be taught how to use it in Basic Combat Training and afterwards.

When Can I Use More Weapons?

After you pass Basic Combat Training, you can talk to our squad leader about training with other weapons. Alternatively, donating $20 to our server will grant you access to the SMGs or “lights” regardless of your rank or position in the unit. To donate, visit the Finance Office for instructions (After BCT).

What About Weapons I Pick Up Off the Ground?

Not unless you are officially qualified or in training with the weapon.