In the confusion and fog of BB wars there is a group of players trying to make sense of the chaos. These players are the often unappreciated chain of command. The volunteer that says, "I will step up and lead." The player that sacrifices some of his trigger time to guide his troops to victory. Yet, most players don't see their chain of command this way.

These players of the chain of command are an intricate link to the event producer. Not just considering battle plan but ensuring safety and fair play on the game field. They are often the first line of defense in ensuring the well being and enjoyment of the game by the players. They are also often those snapped  to be referees keeping both sides of the op calm in the most heated of situations. This critical link is often the linchpin that insures a smooth operation shouldering responsibility for often total strangers.

Too often, players just see these guys out front leading as loudmouths or egomaniacs looking to push orders on guys for a day. Due to the fact that the average Airsoft player isn't a veteran and doesn't see the importance of trusting or working with a chain of command there is usually more friction than good.

Then, you have your airsofters/milsimers who see themselves as customers at an event and feel they are entitled to something. Now, I'm not saying that all players are like this and there are plenty of good players. Still, a lot of players don't want to fall in line and follow orders or they follow them until they disagree.

Any chain of command whether real military or Airsoft will make their preparations the best they can. Once first contact is made on the battlefield it is rare that the plan goes smoothly. In Airsoft this is even abundant because the chain of command cannot control more variables in battle. If you can't count on 100% of your troops then you have to be ready to work with who's willing. This willingness to commit to a higher authority in game play is where the chain of command first tends to break down.

If the grunt on the ground isn't ready to listen then the chain of command has no purpose. Next is your squad leaders, these are often the friends of the players since they are usually on the same team. While you'd think they could keep the best control of their players, they may not want to hurt their friendships with strong leadership. How can you lead and be someone's friend, too??? Well, the truth is that they are not always synonymous.

After your squad leaders you have the platoon sergeant and platoon leader. Now in Airsoft these roles don't always work the same as you would in the real military. Before a game your platoon Sgt. should handle the prepping of the squads and insuring that the troops are ready for the day's op. Now, your platoon leader may know part of his platoon but not everyone. So, already the platoon leader has a challenge with part of his unit not knowing him or even respecting the position he is in. If he can't convince the players who do not know him, he is already ineffective.

Then at the top of your Airsoft chain of command will be the headquarters element. You'll usually have your Commanding officer and Executive officer or 1SG making all the big battlefield decisions. These players rarely know much of the unit they command and may know some of the platoon leaders. They organize a battle plan but they can't know how it's going to work since they have never seen the unit function together. The commander may have problems from the start because they couldn't get in contact with all elements of their unit.

As you can see, at any point in this long chain of people you can get a breakdown. In sad reality, 90% of the breakdown will happen at the squad level and below. Because squads will want to run their own program or individuals didn't contact their higher command to be informed. These early foundation issues are what will cause further problems in game play. The effort and respect for that op's authority can't just come from the top down, it needs to come from bottom up as well.

Too often players get on the battlefield and don't like the orders they are issued. You can choose to embrace your role for the op or create more problems by doing your own thing. Players will often see chain of commands as incapable of making the right choices for them. Still, how can a player within a fire team know or see the greater picture of the battlefield? That's why you have a chain of command and leaders. To guide you along and meet the needs of the greater picture.

"I don't like being yelled at and that doesn't motivate me??? " How often have you heard that by a player???

Well, battles aren't won by holding discussions on how things are best done with everyone in the unit. Battle are won on the judgment of the leaders reacting to what's in front of them. The ability to act quickly shouldering the burden of the consequences is how a leader needs to think. Otherwise, nothing would ever be accomplished.

There are good and bad leaders. There are good and bad followers. A bad leader with good followers can still be successful. But, a good leader with bad followers can't be successful. The first and most important link in the chain of command will always be the grunt.

The grunt on the ground doesn't need to admire his chain of command. They don't need to respect the man. They don't need to understand the orders. As a player you should always will yourself to the command. If only for the duration of the event, you should respect your chain of command. And for the time that you are a follower, you should follow.

One day, you will be thrust into command at an op at some level. You will want respect and trust from those below you. Your decisions will scrutinized and failures highlighted. It will be rare that your successes see any praise. The chain of command and those that embrace their role are the true quiet professionals of the sport.

Just one grunt's opinion,

Javier "Darkhorse"

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About The Author

Javier "Darkhorse" Franco, formerly from This Week In Airsoft, runs his own Airsoft Blog at Facebook called "One Grunt's Opinion." This article has been posted here with the author's permission.