Insignia and Markings

[taimdala]

It might be too late to mention it now but Quinn's post about his med stats leads me to ask:

Are we wearing rank insignia openly or are we removing them? I'm asking only to find out if we've any advantage in disguising our ranks and chain of command from the enemy should they choose to fire on us from a distance. In past wars, the opposition would sometimes pick off the officers and radiomen *first* as a means to disrupt the command structure and comms capability of the unit they were attacking.

Should we take precautions or should we let this matter go?

[maxvale76]

Going from the Movie (which the only cannon as far as I'm concerned...but it's Pale's game, so obviously he's the final arbiter); the body armor pretty much covers the rank insignia we see when they're on the ship.....so there's no obvious way to tell who's what rank.

The LT in the movie though stayed in APC; as our LTC is doing now.....but I don't see how Quinn; or Dirk or Morse or Sam would stand out from anyone else; just by looking at them.

Just my two cents though!

[taimdala]

Going from the Movie (which the only cannon as far as I'm concerned...but it's Pale's game, so obviously he's the final arbiter); the body armor pretty much covers the rank insignia we see when they're on the ship.....so there's no obvious way to tell who's what rank.

The LT in the movie though stayed in APC; as our LTC is doing now.....but I don't see how Quinn; or Dirk or Morse or Sam would stand out from anyone else; just by looking at them.

Just my two cents though!

A valuable two cents! Good to know! Thanks, maxvale. I'm not going to worry about the insignia, then.

[Corporal Hicks]

Yeah, in the movie the rank wasn't visible. If everyone knows each other, there's no need for the insignia. The only reason you would need it is in a war where there's 10 million soldiers who don't know each other.

In the movie, Gorman wore a cap and no armor, but Quinn is our NCO so I would assume he wears standard armor. The ComTech wears a radio on his back, so he is still identifiable, but I don't think eliminating a ComTech would be much better than eliminating a rifleman.

[Pale Rider]

To be honest I am not so sure they have a radio like the current military. We have basically played over the years as if it is built into everyone's equipment. At least I cannot recall a time when an officer or nco in charge has asked for a radioman so they could contact command or the dropships. If I recall correctly they speak directly to Bishop when he is bringing in the Dropship.

[Corporal Hicks]

Well, to be honest, the marines in the movie are based on Vietnam-era military. It was made in 1986, and the similarities are somewhat obvious. I would like to see more use for ComTechs, as well as other skills that don't get much use. I remember on Zenus Vier, we split into two squads in the tunnels, and the only way we could communicate was through our ComTech (Huey).

Well I'm off to work.

[EVSA]

Nowaday radio operators typically the carry the larger long range radios, as opposed to the riflemen's shorter range kit . If these are obsolete in the future they may well be more of an electronic warfare type, carrying ECM's, fixing the inividual radios and dealing with frenquencies and cryptography.

[maxvale76]

I'm with Hicks; I tend to view the head-set comms as relatively short-range things; and the bulkier set carried by the Comm-Tech as something for Orbital and/or cross continental communications or crptyo- stuff; and/or listening in on enemies comms; etc.

I also agree TOTALLY with the movie having a 'Vietnam-era vibe'; which is why I like the Colonial Marines as more the "mostly draftee/convicts serving a Tour instead of prison time" kind of feel as opposed to "Special Forces in Spppppppaaaaaaaaccccccceeeeeee!!!!!!!"

I always kinda saw the USCM as the guys getting the ugly Corporate crap kinda missions; and another service; (perhaps a United Americas Army?); as being the more "legitimate" service; the kind of spit-and-polish service that most Earth/Colonial citizens think of when they think 'Military'. I like the USCM as being full of "oddballs, cut-throats, action-junkies and idealistic fools"; using out-of-date/hand me down/experimental equipment on a bare-bones budget......(one reason why the Sulacco has no crew; in my take on it).

That's just me though!

[Pale Rider]

I absolutely agree that the comtech needs to be more used. And I have been watching the first season of Tour of Duty to get inspiration for this turn. There is not a lot of film work that you can watch that deals with direct conflict. There are a few like Platoon, Hamburger Hill, etc. But this series is about a young Lt, 3 Tour Sergeant, and a mixture of short timers, and newbies in Vietnam. The time period is 1967. Good series! Season 1 is less than $10 at Walmart. Season 2&3 over $100 on Amazon so I will have to pass.

[EVSA]

Windtalker the movie

[maxvale76]

Yeah Pale; Tour of Duty was a really well-done show. I also love the intro with "Painted Black" by the Stones; good deal!

[Corporal Hicks]

Well a lot of the problems the marines had in the movie are things that the actual U.S. military has fixed in the meantime. For example, sending in a green Lieutenant to manage hardened troops, which is a very Vietnam-era problem. Also sending in a small team of half-cocked overconfident soldiers into unknown danger. The way I interpreted it is that the military has become atrophied and overconfident from under-use. I like Max's interpretation as well. The movie Aliens has a unique coolness that is hard to put your finger on or recreate, but we're doing our best with this site!

[Dakka]

So here be people.. I dont mind increasing realism and giving Comtechs more fun things to do.

[Quicksilver]

Oh! more stuff to do! I know I had already tried to give Mark more of a E-warfare/systems feel to his work.

[Quinn]

For inter-platoon communications, I've always assumed that everyone had a small radio (when Gorman was talking to Apone when SHTF). The Commtech would be good for breaking through interference or relaying up to orbit.