These are some of the most common positions that might be found on an an Airsoft Squadron.
Squad member positions:
1. Team Leader
2. Riflemen
3. Support
4. Designated Marksman
5. Scout / Recon
6. Medic
7. Sniper
The roles of each member differ, and some changes to the roles may be made in a team to best suit airsoft. For example, a sniper may be changed to a designated marksman, while a rifleman may be changed to a Designated Marksman. In reality, team leaders may also be grenadiers, but never take up the role of support. Here's a brief explanation of each role.
1. Team Leader:
- The team leader's role is to lead the squad in combat tactics and make executive decisions for the other members. He relays the information he gets from his scouts, and makes combat decisions to help with the success of the mission. The team leader's role is important to the fireteam, and consequentially, he is never the point man. The theory behind this is that he will not be the first one to engage, or be engaged, thus a lesser chance of getting hit.
2. Rifleman:
- The rifleman's main role is essentially to act as the variable in a flanking procedure and to engage targets. Riflemen may act as a pointman, and often serve the purpose of engaging hostile enemies if the support weapon is unavailable, unnecessary or previously engaged. Riflemen carry carbines or rifles capable of engaging targets with decent accuracy. There is usually several riflemen per squad as apposed to other assignments.
They should know basic battle tactics and be able to trust each other. Most airsofters that you will encounter will be riflemen. Riflemen are the “grunts” of on the skirmish field. They are the main strike force. Their job is to complete an objective. They are kind of like pawns in chess. But don’t be discouraged if this is your role on the team. Riflemen in airsoft are very versatile. They can attack, defend, flank, or ambush an objective. No other role can do all of those things.
3. Support:
- A support gunner is responsible for laying down suppressive fire, start flanking procedures, and engage hostiles. A support gunner carries a support weapon capable of sustained fire and decent accuracy. The role of the weapon is not to eliminate single targets, but instead to lay down a spread of fire to keep hostiles behind cover or unable to engage.
The person/people chosen to play this role should be bigger guys that have some scare factor in them. They shouldn't be afraid of being hit and should be comfortable without being able to use cover. The support gunner should be able to come when called and lay down a blanket of continuous fire that keeps the enemy's head down so teammates can move forward.
Support Gunners in airsoft are not at all what they are like in the movies. If you become a support gunner than you probably won’t be fire from the hip with one hand. As a support gunner your job will be to offer suppressive fire for the riflemen. Enemies tend cower in fear at the sight of a support gunner. The gunner typically fires at the enemy with a huge volume of BBs to allow the riflemen to advance and take them out. Gunners are a huge advantage in airsoft because they allow for the riflemen’s effectiveness to increase quite a bit. The effects of gunners in airsoft are purely psychological. A big guy with a big gun is definitely more intimidating than a big guy with a little gun. And a big guy with a big gun is certainly something you want to stay away from.
4. Designated Marksman:
A Designated marksman may take the place of a rifleman in an airsoft fireteam if needed. Designated Marksmen are essentially riflemen with a marksman rifle capable of engaging targets at long range. This is useful when engaging targets at longer range or pinned by targets with farther reach. Usually there is only one sniper/ designated markman per squad. Full length rifles such as an AEG sniper rifle setup or an full length m16 is the usual choice of a dedicated marksman.
The role of Designated Marksman or DM was created to close the gap between the riflemen and the sniper. DMs are a very important role in airsoft. The idea behind the designated marksman is to shoot enemies that are out of the riflemen’s range. Designated marksmen stay near the riflemen to hit targets that the riflemen can’t. The difference between a designated rifleman and a sniper is that snipers typically stay in one spot while DMs are on the move. The difference between the two also lies in the weapons that they use.
5. Scout / Recon:
A scout is tasked with scouting the area for enemy forces and relaying any important information back to the squad leader. A scout is not to be confused with a sniper as both jobs are similar in ways. A scout usually heads towards the main enemy force to observe their actions and movement directions. Scouts usually carry light weaponry so they can move fast. Scouts do not use gear that would slow them down. An m4 or smaller type weapon is usually the choice of a scout, but some scouts do use a shortened version of a sniper rifle. Usually only one scout per squad.
Recon - This is the faster, more versatile unit. They are they pawns of airsoft, normally the first people to go in and the first to get eliminated. This unit can be assigned to lead a charge, clear rooms, be an anti-sniper, cause a distraction, and gather information. This unit should be able to charge into enemy territory and not be afraid of getting shot.
Scouts (also called pointmen or frontmen) are the quietest players on the airsoft field. They rarely shoot their gun. They are a little like ninjas. Their job is to scout ahead of the team and find out what the enemy is planning to do and send that information to the team. Being a scout requires stealth and craftiness. They must be able to run long distances quietly without getting fatigued. The smaller you are the higher your chances of success are. It is a lot harder to spot and shoot a small person than it is to spot and shoot a larger person. Scouts try not to shoot at the other team unless they are spotted in order to keep their concealment.
6. Medic:
Medics probably have the most work to do in an airsoft game. They are tasked with reviving fallen comrades or escorting them to safety. Medics have to be quick thinkers and fast movers. Medics never stray away from the main body of the squad. Medics usually carry nothing bigger then an m4 or a short ak type weapon. There is only one medic per squad. There job is short and to the point so no use going into greater detail.
When someone is down, the medic must come to aid them. Recon will normally assume this unit when necessary because they already have the same skill and equipment a medic needs. This unit should be able to run in swiftly and heal another player without getting hit.
7. Specialty position - Sniper:
A lot of people are confused as to what a snipers main role is. A snipers main role is not to take out targets left and right. A snipers main role is essentially the role of a scout deep in enemy territory. They relay important information back to the squad leader and observe what the main target of the objective is doing. A snipers secondary job is to take out high priority targets. A sniper should never take out targets in groups as this is suicide for him or her. Once a snipers position is compromised, a sniper is dead unless he can escape. An escape plan is also something a sniper should always think of as he moves deeper into enemy territory. A sniper should be just as effective going on the field with just a pistol as he is with his rifle. A spotter usually assists a sniper in a wartime situation, but in airsoft one is not necessary. This position is usually for those with a lot of patience and not concerned with getting a high amount of kills in a game.
This player usually gets the least amount of kills because they are normally a stationary unit. They eliminate targets and, like recon, can be used to gather information. This unit should be able camouflage with their surroundings and hit targets at least 200 feet away.
Most people enter the sniper role without really knowing what it is. I am here to tell you that as an airsoft sniper you won’t be “quick-scoping” and running around and racking up your kill count. As a sniper you will probably sitting in a hot ghille suit on the top of a hill waiting for the enemy to show up. Some people like that. Another important job of a sniper is to recon enemy territory and relay information back to his or her team. It takes a lot of patience to be an airsoft sniper. Snipers tend to get very little kills per game because they often focus their firepower on high value targets such as VIPs and they spend most of their time observing the enemy. Airsoft snipers normally to engage targets at distances over 200 feet.
The squad setup described in this Blog post are just one option. There are multiple variations of the squad, including the
inclusion of more riflemen, two support gunners, a sniper team, etc. All
the variations will not be listed, but squad leaders should feel free
to mix and match.
NOT SURE WHAT YOUR BEST ROLE MIGHT BE, TAKE THE QUIZ FOUND BELOW AND SEE...
Padre' out...
