Volunteer Commando Battalion - British Co-Op Squad

[SteveVCB]

http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/5071/vcblogopage.png
www.volcbat.com

The Volunteer Commando Battalion (often abbreviated to VOLCBAT or VCB) is a British-based co-op squad; despite the name, we are based along the same lines as a light role infantry platoon. We use British kit and tactics to create a realistic, but most importantly, enjoyable ArmA experience.

The squad originally formed in 2002 as RSF, but became VOLCBAT in October 2003 as a result of a major reorganisational effort. We played OFP up until around February 2007, at which point we switched over Armed Assault. We converted over to ArmA 2 in the summer of 2009, and are still going strong.

For more in-depth information regarding the squad, have a look at our information pack; weighing in at 25 pages, it should give you a fair idea of what we're about and what we get up to.

VCB INFO PACK (http://www.mediafire.com/?t008x2w7ky7ozmo) (right click/Save Link As... to download)

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/8769/arma2oa2011041021305833.jpg

If you're looking for a well-established squad that's full of decent blokes and strikes the right balance between fun and realism, and you meet the following requirements:

- 16 years old or over
- decent grasp of both written and spoken English
- good sense of humour
- willing to learn
- can attend at least one game a month
- own a legal copy of ArmA 2 and Operation Arrowhead, doesn't matter where from
- possess a microphone and Teamspeak 3

... please feel free to head over to our forums and post an application. We'll do our best to get back to you ASAP.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3154/arma2oa2011050820330037.jpg

Frequently Asked Questions

When do you play?

We have two official games a week: Sunday and Wednesday nights. Both start at 8pm GMT, and last in the region of 2-3 hours. Sunday is considered the main night, with Wednesday being used for training and more casual sessions.


How many members do you have?

We have at any given time between 50-60 members on the books, including reserves (members who would still like to participate, but are temporarily unable to due to other commitments or issues). A typical game night turnout is around 20+, so we're almost always guaranteed close to a platoon's worth of bods. Obviously, on paper we have enough for almost a company, but what's the point of pretending to be that big if we're only going to have a section's worth in each platoon in practice?

QxI1bfybbMg

Do you have a public server?

We ran one for a while for ArmA 1, but we retired it as it ended up being more trouble than it was worth aside from cheaters and people complaining about being banned or kicked on the forums, we also had a lot of people applying to join us, believing that we were an Evo squad.

We have, however, run occasional open nights, so if you want to get a feel for what we're like, but aren't sure if you'd like to commit to joining yet, keep an eye on this thread for announcements.


I'm from [insert country here], can I still join?

Yes. We have no problem with people from outside of the UK applying to join; we've seemingly always had a quite a few overseas members, and this isn't likely to change any time soon. Bear in mind, however, that we tend to start games at 8pm GMT, so if you live further afield than Europe, the time difference may be an issue for you. However, if you're willing to turn up, we're willing to let you join in.


I'm under 16, can I join?

I'm afraid not. We implemented the age limit for two reasons: firstly, the average age within the squad is around the 25 mark, and we'd like to maintain that level of maturity. Secondly, the banter can be extremely raw at times, and at the risk of sounding patronising, we don't think it'd be very responsible of us to subject under 16s to it.


Is military experience necessary?

Not at all. Although prior experience is always a bonus, a total lack of it won't put you at a disadvantage. we'll teach you all the skills and drills you'll require during Phase 1 training.

http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/9116/16775614.jpg

Do you play Evo/CTF/Domination?

We have occasional casual games of Evo or Domination between scheduled games, but other than that, no, we're entirely co-op based.


Do you play MSO (Multi-Session Operations)?

Yes we do! We've taken quite a shining to the format and will often give it a shot.


Do you play any other games?

Not officially, but at any given time a fair number of our members will play a wide variety of games together, from flight sims to RPGs.


What addons will I need?

We use a variety of British addons, as well as ACE. However, we'll sort you out with everything you'll need once you complete your Phase 1 training. Up until that point, you won't need any addons whatsoever.


Would you be interested in a TvT match/Joint Op with our squad?

We're more open to these opportunities than ever, if the circumstances are right. Enjoyable scenarios and missions in the past involving PvP (which in our own flavour we prefer to call Force on Force) generally involves low tech weaponry and generally infantry/light vehicles only, focussing on good tactics, teamwork and maximising potential for lengthened firefights, surpression and battlefield movement. As far as joint ops go, ask on our forums and we'll see what works: not everyone plays ArmA 2 like us, so we like to ensure that everyone involved is looking for the same sort of thing before we consider committing to anything. We've had a couple of excellent games with Romeo 2.5 in the past though, so we're certainly open to the idea of joint ops.

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Can I join as a pilot?

We decided when we converted to ArmA 2 to finally close our air wing, 243 Flight. We employed aircraft in various roles for seven years, and despite trying several approaches, we found in the end that catering for infantry and aircrew at the same time was problematic at best: either missions were skewed in favour of one branch, or weren't much fun for either. In the end, we decided after much deliberation to focus exclusively on the infantry side of things. However, in the event that we require pilots, the roles will be filled by volunteers on an ad-hoc basis.


Can I join as a sniper?

No. We're all about section attacks, fire and manoeuvre and inflicting MFV on the enemy, so if you join expecting to spend a game crawling around dressed as a bush, zapping people with a Barrett, you'll be sorely disappointed. Besides, in the rare event that we require a sniper, the role will be filled by a member of our Patrols section.


Can I join as an armour crewman?

While in the past we deployed the Warrior IFV, this has become the exception rather than the rule, and so we do not actively require or train AFV crews. That said, training sessions in the past have included the skills required to man these weapons, so it's certainly a case of 'rifleman first, crewman second' if it's ever needed.


If you have any questions that havent been covered here or in the information pack, post on our forums or send a PM to the latest poster (most likely to be active and get back to you quickly), and a member of the squad will try to answer them for you.

Thanks for reading, and hope to see you on our forums soon!

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/6360/07advancingzed.jpg

[SteveVCB]

We play two "proper" games a week (Wednesday and Sundays at 8pm), and turnouts are usually around the twenty mark. We've had a major rush of new members and are still getting applications posted, so assuming all goes well, we expect the turnout to steadily rise over the next few months.

[Pathy]

Just posting a quick update to any who are interested. We've had a string of good games on the go, deploying with a full platoon (27 blokes) in some cases! One of our members got some footage from the last two games, which may be of interest to those thinking of getting involved or wondering about our playstyle.

The first video is from an Operation in which 3 Platoon, 1VCB had been tasked to conduct a deliberate assault on an insurgent roadblock where it was suspected atrocities had been committed. Our initial plan had us moving into an adjacent forest before initiating the assault, on what intel had indicated was roughly a Platoons worth of Enemy. However, en route, the lead section was contacted from the forest by an Enemy depth patrol, and we were forced to fight through the forest, before breaking into the position. As always, however, we'd planned for contingencies and conducted an extremely effective platoon attack against what turned out to be company sized enemy forces! The video shows 1 Sections perspective, providing fire support for 2 and 3 (FSG) Sections as they continue the assault. The mission ended with 5 casualties (out of 27) for us, and between 60-80 Enemy dead.
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The second video is again from 1 Sections perspective, in a different mission, showing them moving into position, providing fire support for 2 section, then advancing and assaulting the Enemy position under covering fire from 2 section. They then engage an Enemy QRF along with the rest of the Platoon, before withdrawing. In this mission, 3Pl had been tasked to assault an enemy compound and adjacent vehicle checkpoint, in order to disrupt an Enemy supply route. We were to then hold the position against the enemy QRF, and withdraw once they were destroyed or we could no longer hold the position. We completed this mission with two losses, and around 60 En dead.
NkwvMRu3Ol4

Thanks to Mcvitties for providing the footage!

[SteveVCB]

Just a quick update on what's been going on in VCB lately.

Games

Since moving over to ArmA 2, we've played two full-length (no less than two hours) missions a week without fail, with the exception of one Sunday which was scrubbed due to technical problems. Turnouts have been fantastic; when we started having a second game night, we thought they'd be very small-scale compared to Sunday's games. Now, it's become very clear that not having enough people to do anything interesting is the least of our worries, with pretty much every mission having around thirty guys turning up. As a result, we've moved on from basic fighting patrols and the like to full-on platoon attacks, which is obviously a lot more interesting than a dozen blokes trying to knock over a single enemy position.

Some recent games that proved memorable included:

A convoy mission, in which we escorted a truck carrying medical supplies to a series of villages. On the way, we dealt with ambushes and IEDs, before being re-tasked to dismount and destroy a target of opportunity in the next valley.

A platoon attack, which had us assaulting an enemy AAA position, destroying their guns and capturing their radar system after almost a solid hour of close-in fighting.

Another platoon attack, this time with the enemy being co-ordinated by one of our members. The result was two arse-clenchingly tense hours of FIWAF, bumping and being bumped by enemy patrols, with the mission finally culminating in a last-ditch advance on the objective.


Training

We've been running at least one training session a week, focussing mainly on platoon battle drills. However, we have covered some subjects that are more out of the ordinary, such as beach assaults. Footage of that particular bloodbath can be found on our forums in the Game Photography & Discussion thread.

In the weeks to come, we intend to cover ambushes, OBUA, and run a section on section exercise, which all promise to be both educational and gratuitously violent.


Expansion

The number and quality of applicants we've had in the past few months surpassed our expectations, and we now have almost seventy members on the books. As a result we intend to open a third rifle section in the near future, and expand the Fire Support Group to eight men. Also, we are considering opening new wings, opening new possibilities up both in terms for roles and missions.

We're still recruiting as always, so if you fancy some slick platoon-sized ops and lashings of MFV, pop over to our forums and post an application.

[LondonLad]

For those wanting to see the type of gameplay style utilised by VCB I recommend gaming with us on a VCB Open Night on Tuesday 1st September.

More information can be found here http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=84269 (The title of this thread states the 25th August - This is now incorrect as the date has been pushed back to Tuesday 1st September @<hidden> 7PM GMT (UK))

[Pathy]

Since it's been a few weeks since our last proper update, heres the recent news in VCBs world!

Administration and Training:

VOLCBAT continues to expand, and we've been very lucky to have the large influx of like-minded high quality members we have! As a result, we've now opened up a 3rd Rifle section, giving us even more flexibility on Operations.

We've conducted multiple training sessions since we last updated, the main ones being the Ambush training, which saw VCB members learning the dark art of conducting an ambush, perhaps the hardest of all infantry drills to master. We also conducted a Force on Force exercise, that saw two multiple sized forces going head to head over a 2km x 2km AO. Both sides conducted patrols, recce's, and put in OP's in order to try and locate the enemy andcomplete their objective. It was an intense experience, requiring members to use every bit of their training that they could muster! I'm sure nobody who participated will forget 2 sections Snap Ambush in a hurry!

With regards to future training, continuation training is ongoing, and with 3 additional servers kindly provided by LondonLad, we're actually in a rather unique position where we can break down into individual sections for training!

Games:

It's not all training, and thanks to a good series of missions, we continue to have fantastic turnouts both on Wednesdays and Sundays; it's not uncommon to have a full platoons worth of guys on, with 3 rifle sections, HQ, plus FSG. As before, this is allowing us to do increasingly advanced stuff, and in many aspects we're operating on the same level as a real Light Infantry Platoon (just don't ask us to get out of our chairs and run!).

Open Co-op Night:

In addition to our private games, we also held the VOLCBAT Open co-op Night (http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=84269). With 25 odd guys on for the first game and 37 guys on for the second game, we certainly had a fantastic time, and by all accounts, so did our guests. We enjoyed ourselves so much and were so impressed with the public who came along, that we infact plan to hold another one before too long, and hope even more people come and join us for a game!

To take some quotes from some of the public playing with us (I hope they don't mind! (and if you do, i'll remove your quote!)):

HELL YEAH !
I been playing OFP/Arma/Arm2 since the OFP demo days

Can honestly say was one of the best games ever , good craic working together

And your server is rock solid and runs really well too :-)


That was awesome fun guys, thanks!


I had a great night.

........

I'll keep an eye out for other VOLCBAT public nights. This is how the game should be played.


As a guest attending to both missions I definitely had a blast! Aside from being unused to British military jargon and the game not liking to show multiple markers at one time it worked really well.

So, next time around (Date yet to be decided!), whether you want to join VCB, see how we play, are curious as to whats possible, just want some good co-op, or are part of another squad and just want some action of a Sunday night, please feel free to come along.

Recruitment:
If you're interested in working closely as a team whilst using real life tactics, doing true to life scenarios, but without the real life risk of bodily harm or death, the inconvenience of having to visit hot dusty places, or the requirement to address everyone by their rank, then VOLCBAT may be for you. We're always looking for more guys with a good head and a good sense of humour to jump in on our "realism, without the bollocks" playstyle.

If this grips you, then be sure to check out the details in the first post of this thread!



I leave you with a visual summary of what VCB is all about, as conceived by our rather talented in-house artist, Steve:


http://www.volcbat.com/pictures/ohdear.jpg



.

[Pathy]

It's that time again; time we did another update! Now, I could use this opportunity to post an update in the existing format, but to tell the truth it would offer very little new aside from repeating my last post; we're still playing large, platoon level ops, with awesome missions, awesome kit and awesome members, and we always recruiting....

Instead i'm going to post some screenshots and abit of an informal write up of our last mission, so that anyone interested can see just a little bit better what we're all about.

Operation Turnscrew

This was a mission to engage and destroy a small group of insurgents who'd been mortaring local forces and civilians in order to terrorise the local populace. 3 Platoon (thats us), A Company, 1 Volunteer Commando Battalion, were tasked with neutralising the Enemy, which we intended to do through means of an aggressive fighting patrol right into the Enemys Area of Operations. We had 28 guys in on the mission, which translated into 3 rifle sections, an HQ, and a 4 man Fire Support Group.

http://www.volcbat.com/mambots/content/multithumb/images/1655727613.jpg

We formed up and kitted up at 0525 in our patrol base, with first light 5 minutes away. With the sun rising over foggy fields as we moved off down the track, the Prelim Move was pretty atmospheric! We passed through a couple of predesignated RVs, before breaking track and heading into a forest we'd earmarked as our FRV.

http://www.volcbat.com/mambots/content/multithumb/images/3991965789.jpg

Once into our FRV, we sorted any remaining bits of admin out and took a better look at the ground and situation before proceeding. 1 section and FSG (Fire Support Group) were to provide fire support and moved north out of the FRV with the intention of using the high ground to cover the assault in. 2 and 3 sections, along with HQ, moved south then east, with intent of using a treeline to offer some cover for the assault.

http://www.volcbat.com/mambots/content/multithumb/images/2536555325.jpg

However, as soon as we entered the treeline, a contact with an outlying patrol ensued, with fire coming in from several directions. Breaking through the contact, we continued to push on towards the objective. In the meantime, 1 section and FSG had also hit contact to the north and were engaging the enemy position. We pushed up through the treeline to link up with them, under heavy fire from an emplaced machinegun and several supporting infantry.

http://www.volcbat.com/mambots/content/multithumb/images/1357299712.jpg

A set of QBOs (Quick Battle Orders) later saw 1, 2 and FSG putting down a massive weight of fire onto the enemy position, whilst 3 section put in the assault. Clearing through the position, the entire platoon held a Reorg on the other side, before forming up and moving back to the FRV. During it all, we'd suffered 8 casualties from the original 28, and killed 20 enemy in the process. Despite the small numbers of enemy, we had a very intense firefight and been challenged throughout. All in all, a fantastic mission

The Team (well, the survivors at least!) (http://www.volcbat.com/mambots/content/multithumb/images/2541382097.jpg)

There are more images from this mission in our Gallery! (http://www.volcbat.com/index.php/Game-Galleries/VCB-Game-11-Oct-09.html)


If you're interested in getting in on the action, please visit
www.volcbat.com

Cheers!
Chris.

[Pathy]

Operation Topgun

"You can be my wingman anytime....."

We finally got together with the closest thing we have to a sister unit, Romeo25 (http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=77255), for a Joint Operation in the form of Operation Topgun. With a platoon from each squad being put forward, plus our FSG being able to operate as a Company asset, we had around 47 guys on our server (which held up beautifully) for a Joint Op neither squad will forget in a hurry and for all the right reasons!

Our mission was to seize an important crossing point called Objective Iceman, which was defended by an enemy company, dug in and prepared to fight to the death! 2 Platoon (R25 (http://www.romeo25.com/)) were to provide fire support for 3 Platoon(VCB (http://www.volcbat.com/forum/index.php)), then to continue the assault, whilst 3Pl were to assault and secure the south side of the crossing, then provide fire support for 2Pl as they secured the North. This was to be part of a larger fictional battlegroup effort in which other forces were simultaneously securing Objective Maverick, in order to allow an advance northwards.

After each Platoon did their O group, the Platoons moved off with 5 minute interval between them, and met at the Company Assembly area. Once we were both sorted, 2 Pl moved off towards their start line and 3 Pl off to our 'line of departure'. From there on out, the action kicked off, with 3Pl doing sequential section attacks through the enemy position, then supporting 2Pl as they moved through and onto the North side of the crossing. A section of VCB guys was moved across to support 2Pl in clearing and holding it, as no sooner than they had, the enemy launched a large scale counterattack that had everyones sphincters clenching tightly!

One of our members managed to capture footage of the assault going down, so theres no need for me to describe the action in detail, as a picture paints a thousand words and a video, several million.....Enjoy the action from VCBs point of view!

vvBahwaK9W8

Everyone from both VOLCBAT (http://www.volcbat.com/) and Romeo25 (http://romeo25.com/) really did themselves proud, and by all accounts those involved had a cracking time!


If you want to get in on the action with the best two British Co-op squads out there, you know where to find us!

-Chris.

[Pathy]

Just a quick update:
Unfortunately our webhost has suffered some sort of network failure, meaning that the VOLCBAT site is completely unavailable. It will be back up when the host resolves the network issues at their end, but in the meantime we ask anyone trying to access the website to be patient, and anyone interested in joining to contact myself or Steve (guy who started this thread) via PM! Apologies for any inconvenience!

Cheers

[Dr_Chris]

First of all we at VCB hope that everyone has had a great Christmas and that your New Years resolutions are holding up well.

In between our few festive drinks (hiccup!) and the piles of Christmas food, we have had plenty of opportunities to play ArmAII around the holiday season. As well as several very successful and enjoyable missions, we have had a few late Christmas presents! Read on for more.


Operations - Just a couple of examples



Operation Portabello

This operation saw VCB starting on the Southern coast of Chernarus after a beach insertion. 3 Platoon were tasked with pushing North East up a road towards the OPFOR occupied town of Kamenka, taking out small positions on the way.

The fighting patrol pushed NE up the road, successfully clearing OPFOR positions en route and inflicting maximum casualties. The 3 Pl then put in a recce on the town of Kamenka in order to gain intelligence on enemy numbers, patrols and combat support. This then lead on to an assault by 1 and 2 Section on the town, with 3 Section providing fire support. The town had been well fortified and the OPFOR consisted of veterans of multiple battles with both UK forces and CDF forces.

After a drawn out, ranged fire fight and upon the arrival of a QRF to the town of Kamenka, the decision was made to withdraw from the battle in order to regroup with the rest of A Coy. Taking several casualties, 3 Pl were able to withdraw from the area and injured blokes were seen to by our Pl medic.

This was our first full Operation using ACE.

Operation Cumberland

3 Platoon VCB were tasked with securing the area of a downed US Marine UH-1 and to locate and extract the crew.

After patrolling in to the last known area of the aircraft from our FUP, 1 Section came under fire from an enemy patrol in woodland to our North. After 2 and 3 Section moved up to support and the enemy patrol was wiped out, we were able to locate and destroy the crashed helicopter. Unfortunately all of the US crew were found dead nearby.

A quick sweep of the area was carried out in order to wipe out any remaining OPFOR and we moved back through our RV points to our vehicles at the FUP to the South.

Naturally, this then turned in to the rally phase, which involved much screaming from the people in the back of Land Rovers, all at the mercy of psychotic drivers.



New Equipment/Procurements

We have been lucky enough to procure several new bits of kit and modifications in order to enhance our gaming experience, whilst keeping it realistic and bollocks free. Here is a (non-extensive) list of what we've got:

- Server updated with ACE2
- UKF Jackal
- Customised infantry using the new Multicam that is now being made standard issue across all UK forces.
- RKSL Lynx
- Kellu Island
- Podagorsk Island

...as well as a few other bits and bobs. Looking carefully at some of our screenshots both here and on our forum (www.volcbat.com/forum) may give a bit of a clearer picture.




A big post for a big set of news! Thank you for reading and if this sparks up interest about VOLCBAT or you think that you might enjoy playing as a member of the unit, then please feel free to head on over to our website (http://www.volcbat.com) + forum (http://www.volcbat.com/forum) where you will be able to browse more screenshots, have a read of what we're about and apply should you so wish.

A few screenshots from recent Ops

1 Section, chilling out in the romantic glow of a cylume
http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/1826/cylume.jpg

The survivors, trying to look warry
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/7765/chadphot.jpg

Thanks!

Dr_Chris

[Pathy]

It's been a rather excellent start to the new year for VOLCBAT, with the opening of a new section and some of the best missions we've done for years being on the books. This makes it the ideal time for us to offer a small update.


ORBAT:

With a regular large turnout, we were finally able to put into action the opening of a Patrols section, allowing us to add even more depth to missions. Members can now apply for a 3 month attachment to Patrols, giving everyone in VCB the opportunity to develop a high level Infantry skillset under the tutelage of our very own Recce expert, Jonny_LI. After their first mission in action last night, Patrols have already proved themselves, performing a range of taskings from route recce to flank security.


Operations:

Over the last few weeks we've seen some missions that rank up there with some of the greats VCB has had in the 7 years we've been gaming. We've now started making AARs available on our website, so if you're interested in reading up on how we operate and the types of missions we do, selected AARs can now be found on our website at the following link:

http://www.volcbat.com/index.php/Operations-After-Action-Report/


For any further information or queries, please visit our website (http://www.volcbat.com) and forum (http://www.volcbat.com/forum/index.php).

Cheers.
Chris.

[Pathy]

VOLCBAT continues to rock along as strong as ever, with our unique style of gaming ensuring things are just getting better and better! We're continuing to get a full Platoon plus our brand spanking new Patrols section out onto missions, and with the added versatility our new section brings, we've been having some mega missions since the last update. In the (approximate) words of a new member who joined us from another long established co-op squad "that was f**king fantastic!".

So, as always, things have been going well for us, but whats coming up on the VCB Calender?

Joint Ops

Next Sunday sees us come together for a joint op with R2.5, which needless to say we're massively looking forward to. It should be great to see 2 platoons worth of guys on a single server, knocking over objectives in a coordinated fashion!

Public Co-op Night

Due to interest displayed since the last one (and it's been a long time coming) we're planning on running another one of these. Missions are in the works, and dates and times are to be announced, so watch out for the announcement if you're interested, as it will be a good night.

I'm massively aware that we're quite an intimidating ("elitist") group, so just to allay those fears; Whilst we'll try and operate as close to a real platoon as possible, don't worry if you've no military experience or you don't think you can operate at our level, as it will also be quite a laid back night in terms of skills and drills, and you won't have anyone screaming at you for not knowing what you're doing. We'll be running the same ethos as our recruitment policy; if you've got a good attitude, you're welcome, even if you are a mong! :D



Other stuff.

Recruitment
Even though we're operating at full capacity as a platoon, there are still plenty of opportunities to join.
What we're looking for:
-Mature chaps who just want to have fun getting stuck in, using real tactics, but without having to call some 15 year old self appointed Lt Col "Sir" as he screams at you for not saluting him. Skill level doesn't matter, attitude counts for everything.

What we can offer you:
-An unparalleled gaming experience, without any pretense of pretending to be in the Army nor any Walter Mittys talking it up. Missions run in a professional manner by chaps who actually know what they're talking about, and a friendly atmosphere with alot of bad jokes, film quotes, and chaps having a laugh.

Minimum age is 16, although the average age is about 24.


If you're interested: http://www.volcbat.com/

[Pathy]

Joint Ops
Last Sunday saw the two best Infantry orientated British Co-Op squads, VOLCBAT (http://www.volcbat.com/) & R25 (http://www.romeo25.com/), get together for a Joint Op, in the form of Operation Lancaster. It was a fantastic effort all round; we managed to fill 3 rifle sections, HQ, and have room for our Patrols section, meaning that the platoon was at a strength of 32 bodies. R25 also had a fantastic turnout, meaning we were pushing 50 guys on the server. This presented some massive logistical and administrative challenges, which we overcame through some fantastic teamwork, communication, and generally being warry; the kind of thing the spirit of co-op gaming is all about.

The Operation, set on Podagorsk, began with R25 dropping North across the river into a DZ behind the enemy, and VCB moving up to a Line of Departure to the south, using deadground to approach our objective without being detected. Once both platoons were in position, the assault was initiated with an air strike into an enemy held compound; R25 moved up to clear this compound out, whilst we began our assault onto an enemy held bridge.

Under plenty of suppressing fire, we clawed our way onto the near bank, before launching an assaulting section across, managing to capture our objective with roughly 30 enemy dead, and zero casualties. From there, we continued to be under sporadic contact from the West, so with R25 on our Northern flank, we continually advanced to contact, going through Platoon Battle Drills and smashing into the enemy. After an hour or so of extended contact, we broke into the final enemy compound, clearing them out with grenades and a good bit of rifle fire. From there on out it was just matter of falling back to the bridge and then settling in for the usual chad team photo.

http://www.volcbat.com/pictures/r25vcb_Joint_Op.jpg

Ops

Midweek saw a complete change of pace with the return of our "Hunt the C-nt" mission style. A select few members were marooned behind the lines with naught but a rifle and a single mag, having to make their way successfully to the "safe zone" without being caught by the Hunter Force - the rest of VCB, who in typical fashion, spared nothing in their pursuit. It was a pretty entertaining evening, a refreshing change from the norm with many fantastic moments. We look forward to doing it again.

Recruitment
As always we are recruiting, and if you're looking for a squad based off a British Infantry Platoon, doing all the good bits without any of the crap, look no further than VOLCBAT. We're long established (2003), know all the ins and outs, and when we talk about realism, we've the experience to know what we're on about. ;) All we ask from you is a healthy attitude and to be 16 or over.

If you're interested, check out our information pack (http://www.volcbat.com/VCB_Information_Pack.pdf) or apply at our forums. (http://www.volcbat.com/forum/index.php)

[Pathy]

Public Co-Op Night

We've finally settled on a date for our next public co-op night, which will be held on Tuesday 6th April. The last one was great, so we encourage anyone who fancies it to turn up to our next one.

There will likely be two missions run consecutively, and further details will be posted up over the coming weeks, so please, watch this space.

[Pathy]

May Update
It's been awhile since our last update, so theres alot to fill in. Things are still going on, and we're still going strong. We've adopted lots of new addons, giving us alot of new terrain to play on, some new kit to play with, and a few new enemy to kill in a variety of ways. We've started upon a mini campaign, and taken on some new blokes too.

Recruitment

We are still actively recruiting; we're looking for likeminded guys who want to get thier fix of mindless violence by smashing up enemy positions. In return, we offer a game experience in which you get to operate as part of a fully fledged Light Infantry Platoon, and unlike many realism squads, you can do this without having to put up with a 14 year old Field Marshall shouting at you for not doing it like he read about in that one book, and without being made to march up and down or stand on parade.

What makes us different from the other squads out there?

-We don't play as Special Forces like many other squads. Going for the regular infantry angle offers a unique and warry game experience.

-We focus soley on infantry work, and we try and do the kinds of things that an infantry platoon would actually go out and do. That means we get to do high level things like infantry ambushes, as well as lots of bread and butter work like advances to contact and deliberate attacks.

-We only take realism aspects that influence gameplay. In other words, we leave anything bone firmly on the shelf & you'll be on first name basis with everyone.

-We've over 50 combined years of Armed Forces experience within our NCO ranks, meaning that when we say 'realism', we actually know what we're talking about.

-Our average age pushes around the 25 mark, making for a (sort of :D) mature environment.

-We've been around since 2003, which makes us the original squad to take this angle on gameplay. There are imitators, and hell, a few have even copied us almost word for word, but if you can, why not have the original?


Our info pack, posted on the first page of this topic, can be found here (http://www.volcbat.com/VCB_Information_Pack.pdf). If you're interested in playing with us, please visit us at www.volcbat.com

Operations

Mini Campaign - Op Titan
Recently we've begun a mini campaign, Operation Titan, on the Island of Thirsk. This is something slightly new for VCB; we've done mini campaigns before, but this time our scenario sees us operating as part of a Battlegroup within a larger Brigade. This means that we really get the feel of being part of a platoon within a much larger battle going on, a feeling that we've successfully managed to build into the missions we've played so far.

So far in the story, we've managed to deploy into Thirsk and fight off an enemy attack on the Capital, we've done an advance to contact to secure a line of departure for the rest of the Battlegroup, and we've done a mission which involved dodging enemy patrols and flares as we crawled around on our bellies, recce'ing several potential enemy positions. The scope of the campaign offers us plenty of variety for the types of missions we can do, yet ties them into one overarching storyline firmly rooted in the realities of a Brigade Operation.

Because we're massively hooked on this at the moment, our plan is to write the minicampaign up at some point, so if the concept sounds interesting to you, keep an eye out for updates.



If any of this takes your fancy, you've any questions, or you simply feel like giving us a once over, pop over to www.volcbat.com and take a look around our website and forums.

[Pathy]

Summer Update:
Since our May Update, Volcbat has undergone some significant changes and with the release of Operation Arrowhead we felt another update was due.


Operation Arrowhead:

The recent release of Operation Arrowhead provides us with a wealth of new features to play with. Our talented Mission Makers are already putting the new islands to good use, happily reporting that the quality of the islands and the terrain provided is both good and highly interesting.

The addition of the expansion, in it's Combined Operations form, allows us to incorporate these new islands while still maintaining backwards compatibility with our existing collection of ArmA 2 missions.


Armoured Infantry:

Within Volcbat we've undergone some structural changes. The most visible of these is our conversion to an Armoured Infantry role.

This conversion has given us significant room for change without compromising our core principal of platoon-level infantry combat. The addition of an Infantry Fighting Vehicle to our arsenal allows us to enhance our flexibility within our current command structure.

The release of Operation Arrowhead provides new environments and obstacles that the additional firepower and mobility provided by an Infantry Fighting Vehicle can overcome, without forcing us to deviate from the infantry role.

The inclusion of new equipment always creates the need for more training and our training staff are running frequent sessions on the role of Armoured Infantry. These courses will continue to run, ensuring the required training is available to both current and new members alike.


Operation HELIX:

Operation HELIX is a new dynamic campaign that builds upon the success of our recently concluded mini-campaign, Operation TITAN. Set on the island of Takistan, HELIX is an evolution of the concepts developed within it's predecessor.

Taking centre stage as our Sunday Night mission, it has been created to be run over a sustained period. Throughout it's duration the campaign will feature an evolving narrative that adapts to the successes and failures of the preceding missions, providing visible change throughout it's progression.

As a dynamic campaign, decisions made by the command team will drastically impact each mission, with actions taken in preceding missions often causing dramatic changes to the operating environment. Decisions must be weighed up against each other, the chance to reduce an IED threat measured against the danger of increased hostilities from an enraged population.

Marking our first foray into the new expansion and it's features, HELIX will be the focal point of Volcbat missions in the months to come.


Wednesday Night Rotation:

The release of Arrowhead, our conversion to Armoured Infantry and the beginning of our next campaign present new opportunities and new challenges to overcome. To accommodate for the increased training burden, we have changed the format of our mid-week mission.

The changes to our mid-week mission mean that it is now broken down into a rotating sequence of four individual sessions:


Session One – Training: These nights have been designed to cater to a demand for more training sessions and will often include both a formal instruction period and a mini-exercise. Rounding off the training session with an exercise allows us to facilitate the learning process with a practical test of the newly learnt skills.

Session Two – Force on Force: Often utilising the subject matter of the previous weeks training, Force on Force sessions are designed to test newly acquired skills by pitting our members against each other.

Session Three - VCB Irregular Night: Irregular Nights are informal evenings that range from themed missions to simply trying out a new or obscure mod that's caught someone's eye. These nights can cover everything from zombies to classic war films and are a great excuse to relax by providing a taste of something different.

Session Four – Normal Mission: These evenings are designed to cater for our talented mission makers, providing a more traditional mission that may have otherwise been displaced by the conclusion of Operation TITAN and the advent of HELIX.



This new system will rotate through each individual session on a constant basis and is tailored to complement the long-term schedule of our Sunday Night campaign.


Recruitment:

If these changes, the release of the expansion or simply what we've said in other updates has you interested then there are a number of useful places you can visit outside of this thread:


Volcbat.com (http://www.volcbat.com/) – Our Website, this contains a number of useful resources, covering most of the questions you may have concerning our application process and what happens afterwards.

Our Forums (http://www.volcbat.com/forum/index.php) – If there is something that isn't covered within our vast library of resources, or if you simply want a chat, our Forums are the next step.

If you are interested in how we play our games beyond the descriptions found in this thread, a collection of screenshots and videos can be found in varying areas of our forums and website, including:


Our Game Photography & Discussion thread (http://www.volcbat.com/forum/index.php?topic=1018.0) – This forum thread contains a varying collection of screenshots, videos and write ups from our weekly missions.

VCB Operations (http://www.volcbat.com/index.php/Operations/Missions/) – A page on our website dedicated to full write-ups of previous Operations. These reports are designed to give a broader accounting of how our operations are run and the aftermath of their success or failure.

VCB Gallery (http://www.volcbat.com/index.php/Photos/Videos/) – A Gallery that contains a collection of screenshots and videos. The Gallery organises our vast collection into the varying operations they have originated from and is the counterpart to our Operations page.


Volcbat remains recruiting, however it is important to note that we now use Combined Operations and that incoming recruits should be aware of this before submitting an application.

[DaveP]

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October Update:

Similarly to our last update, VCB has gone through evolution in reaction to the stresses and strains of fighting to quell the insurgency in Takistan, with Operation Helix in its 14th week

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Adaptation to Operational Requirements:

In light of the need for the platoon to act as a light assault force, the unit has transitioned from a mechanized platoon to motorized, utilising the fast hitting punch of the Land Rover WMIKs and Jackals to flush out the insurgent threat and mitigate the effects of individual vehicle damages on the whole platoon

Due to equipment shortages and a concurrent anti aircraft threat, aerial support is still at a relatively low level of penetration in the area, favouring the tactics of the VCB greatly, allowing us to penetrate deep in to areas occupied by the enemy and get face to face with our adversaries.


The majority of recent actions in Op Helix have centred around flushing out the insurgent forces occupying the eastern side of Takistan, in the Garmsar valley and shoring up control in the central Silsila -Ye Siah Ku mountain range


The recent operational supply of ACRE radio sets has greatly enhanced the communications capability of the platoon

http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/9116/16775614.jpg
Recruitment:

Having been around since 2003, we were the original squad to take on the angle of game play that we call "realism, without the bollocks"

We're looking for like minded guys who want to join a group committed to smashing the enemy wherever they may find them, at whatever the cost.

We in return offer a gaming experience where you will operate as part of one of the British Army's Light Infantry Platoons, without the bollocks of Top Gun style "soaring eagle", "wolf" (and probably) "horny stingray" callsigns and armchair experts pondering over the merits and failures of the adoption of the small arms 1980 pro.. you get the idea.

We offer you the sort of squad based experience unique to an infantry platoon, without the rambo task force sneaky beaky one man armies of other groups to deal with

We pride ourselves on the strength of our main trade: assaulting heavily armed positions with minimal loss taken and maximum damage given.

With over 50 years of combined armed forces experience within our NCO ranks alone we offer one of the finest realism based experiences available within the community.

But, if this all sounds a bit intimidating, don't be so worried. We're a bunch of guys who have a great laugh in our own uniquely mature, British way

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/6264/02stagcol.jpg

Our info pack can be found posted on the first page of this topic. If you're interested in playing with us, please visit us at www.volcbat.com

[DaveP]

Having recently finished a short deployment quelling a paramilitary guerilla movement in southern Chernarus and in light of the recent strategic defence review, VOLCBAT have been tasked with heading up Task Force Truncheon, a counter-insurgency operation in key areas of the Takistani borderlands still considered hostile after the main assault operation made by the Americans earlier this year, limiting access and mobility to the enemy and starting to discern and pick apart its command structure, backed up by Czech and other multinational forces.

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Recruitment numbers are strong and the group is currently running a great average on operations (missions), with major sunday ops giving a fantastic display of maximum damage and minimal casualties and an effective command and control structure across three sections (squads), in no doubt improved by the use of systems such as ACRE (an essential) and a strong team spirit.

You can be a part of this! We're always on the look out for extra recruits on the front line, and with our two-operations-a-week structure we offer a more flexible, independent chance to try out different roles and responsibilities on Wednesdays with operations generally taking place on independent section level, in turn taking on that experience to our major Sunday operations, the turning point moments in our deployments.

To take a brief look at our structure, within your first week over recruit status (all that's needed is a brief MSN interview and an acclimatisation session) you can be a key element in a section fire-team, either assisting the section commander or 2ic (second in command) as a third-rifleman or putting down massive amount of fire and support as an LMG-gunner. From there your progression will be entirely up to you: Enjoy reading the map and leading the assault? Perhaps the Lead Scout (point man) role is for you. Enjoy putting the lead down range? Progression to our fire/manouver team will open you up to the world of the gimpy (FN MAG medium machinegun) and its hard hitting 762 capability. Beyond that, the world of JNCO's awaits, and the progression up the chain of command. But for now, let's keep your boots in the mud and the gun in your hands ;)

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/792/arma2oa2010110721293601.jpg

Our info pack can be found posted on the first page of this topic. If you're interested in playing with us, please visit us at www.volcbat.com

[DaveP]

VCB December Update

Hello guys, lots of bits and pieces that went on in the last month or so, so may as well rock on with it

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Task Force Truncheon Progress
Having taken multiple deployments around Takistan, Task Force Truncheon has become a force to be reckoned with; giving bloody noses to insurgent forces across the country in a variety of locales, the most recent deployments have seen intense building to building fighting in Zargabad and the wide open engagements of the North Western oilfields.

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Numbers and Recruits
VCB is still pushing good intake of new members, but of course always looking for more. If you enjoy a realism based group with good humour and the ability to give the metaphorical headbutt to the enemy no matter where they be, take a look at our forums in my signature link or check out the info pack on the first page of the topic

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Proposals and Procurements
VCB is always pushing for the latest and best kit available in the field of operations. To this end, our unit has recently adopted the latest in full MTP uniforms from StalkerGB Manufacturing, allowing for concealment in a wide range of locales, from the South American jungle to the blistering heat of Takistan.

The need to unstick the enemy from deeply entrenched positions has recently been met with a new weapon: Our Maneuver and Support section has began deploying the 60mm mortar on operations, giving a strong base of fire for even the most fortified of positions and opening a whole new world of spotting and adjustment for men in the field. If you think either of these skills appeal to you, please apply within!

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Media

Lots of bits and pieces, but to keep things short, here's a select smattering of videos:

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xF-DX2yunNs

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Community Cooperation

On monday 13th, VOLCBAT faced off against ARMA2COZA, the premier South African arma 2 community in a Force on Force operation. It was bloody fantastic. AARs quoted below:



Pull up a sandbag. Swing the lantern.

It was 14:20 on a hot, dusty afternoon. We were kitted up and ready to go - we didn't know much about what we were about to get into, but we knew it would be trouble. A local official was in danger, and we were to find him and protect him, till a transport chopper could arrive and remove him from the area, and far out of the Muji's reach. As we patrolled out of the FOB, we split into a long staggered column as we headed south down the road. A few minutes in, I checked my Compass, and realised we were infact heading the wrong direction. I hit my radio prestle, and made it known, but Dark squarked back that I was barely audible. Shit, I'd forgot to adjust the power. Whilst I fiddled with my power settings, Dave P ran forward to pass the message on manually. By the time i'd adjusted my radio, the message had already reached the front of the column. I got my section into a quick peel, and we started jogging towards town, desperate to make up for the 5 minutes we'd lost patrolling the wrong way. 200 meters out, I collapsed all of a sudden, my lungs bursting, exhausted by the 60kg load of spare link, claymores, grenades and rifle ammo i'd stuffed into my pack. "Go on without me!" I croaked, mindful that we had to make it to the compound. I looked around and saw, to my horror, that the rest of my section were having a fat attack, just like me. We took a moment to recover, then patrolled slowly forward, taking up positions within the compound.

The immediate area was secure. I called in my section, and we pooled the spare kit. I'd just finished detailing off sentry posts, when a strange foreign accent piped up excitedly. It was Konrad, 1 sections eagle eyed rifleman; he was brilliant at spotting the enemy, just not so good at communicating where he'd seen them, but we rushed into positions, ready to take on the enemy that we knew was somewhere north. Suddenly, a Muji darted out across the track that crossed the hills to our north. Fire poured in, puffs of dirt being kicked up at hit feet as he scrambled over the crest of the hill and into cover. I shouted for 3 guys to assemble on me at the platoon ammo point. Lee, Dave P, and Noaksey answered the call, and we quickly checked out weapons as I told Nickeleye, my 2IC, "I'm taking out a fighting patrol, we're going to pressure these fuckers - take over here". I was pumped and ready for war. We were going to fuck some serious shit up. As we got to the base of the track, more Mujis darted out. We hit the deck, hard, and poured fire up after them. They scrambled to the lip of the ridge , and disappeared from view. I shouted down the radio for our machinegunners to get some fire up that track, and we bounded forward in pairs, covering forward, always expecting the enemy to be waiting in ambush. We reached the point where we'd last seen them. Nothing. No blood, no bodies. But we knew they'd gone this direction.

We set off in chase, patrolling slowly and carefully, rifles up. We crawled up to the main ridgeline and gingerly poked our heads over the top. Nothing shot them off. Clear. Suddenly, far below was the sound of an explosion against the compound wall. The assault had begun. We quickly scanned the opposite hills for the telltale smoke puff of an RPG launch, but saw nothing. We pressed on, and machinegun fire suddenly opened up, tracer whizzing back and forth back down in the valley. Things were getting underway. East of us, somewhere, were the enemy, by the sounds of it. We decided to double back, hoping to come up behind the enemy. As we turned, a muji ran out, no more than 50m behind us. He dropped to one knee and froze, looking directly at us. "CONTACT!" I screamed, and dropped down, blatting off rounds. All around me, the lads fanned out, going prone and giving the lone muji the good news. He dropped, and we pushed up aggressively, convinced he'd have friends. Nothing. He was alone. We checked his body, and hoped he'd not had time to warn anyone. Our flanking manouver on the machinegun team we could hear east of us depended on it; they'd tear us up if they'd caught us on these open hills.

I scanned the ground ahead of us, seeing nothing, as Dave picked us a route along the ridge. Suddenly, as myself and Dave crossed a ridge, Lee called out from behind us, "sighting!". We crouched low, and ran back into cover with Lee and Noaksey. Crawling forward on our bellies in extended line, we moved back onto the lip of the ridge. Across from us was a rocky outcrop, and lying down the side of the rocks, we could see a lone Muji, armed with a PKM. I did a quick range estimation. 500 meters, more or less. We could do him from here, but his PKM gave him the advantage at range. What if we missed our first rounds, and he got into cover? Damn it. I knew from the Radio the compound was taking a hammering, and we had to silence those guns, fast. We crawled back off the ridge, and continued moving round at a crouched run. Tracer was still whizzing up and down the valley, as the sound of Machine Guns got ever closer. We moved down off the ridge, into deadground, no more than 200m from the enemy position. By this point, nobody dared touch thier radio. In whispered voices, the message was passed out; "they're just over this ridge". Creeping up, we dressed out into extended line, and crested the ridge infront of us. There, lying by the rocks, was the lone machinegunner. Only, to his left was another two mujis - we'd caught them off guard, and we were just about in handgrenade range. This was only going to end one way. I overarm lobbed two pineapples in quick succession, seeing them land satisfyingly close, as Lee, Dave and Noakesy started putting down fire with their SLRs. The Machinegunner and his spotter went down, and the 3rd Muji darted into cover. We pressed up aggressively, bounding forward and keeping the weight of fire up. A muji popped his head out from behind the rocks, promptly getting it shot off. We moved in, checking the bodies as we went. Position clear - 3 enemy dead, no casualties. The blood was pumping, the enemy hadn't seen us coming, and we'd caught them completely off-guard. Dave or Lee thought there was a runner, but we couldn't find him, and i'd only seen 3. I hauled a dead body over my shoulders. This fucker was coming back with me. Spoils of war.

As we trudged down the hill back towards our compounds, me with my trophy on my shoulders, Dave shouted out for a contact on the road to our left. I dropped down, flinging the body off my shoulders, as we all opened fire. Running down the road was the Muji we'd seen dart into cover - Lee and Dave where right, there was a runner! He crumpled into the dirt as he was cut in half by rifle fire. We moved up cautiously, thinking he might have friends behind him. Nothing. Dave checked the body - he was miraculously still alive, but before I could yell for us to capture him, a single rifle shot rang out, putting the Muji out of his misery. We carried on patrolling forward, when I spotted movement on the ridge above. Damn it. I really wanted my trophy, but I couldn't take him with me, not with these fuckers on the ridge above us. They'd pay for forcing me to leave my trophy kill behind, but fuck it, I knew i'd get another. We darted from rock to rock, with Ul joining our number from the Patrol Base. The five of us crawled up to the ridge on our belt buckles, finding ourselves a position 200m from the enemy. I gave the command. "Get some rounds down!". Our bullets landed in and amongst the enemy position, rock splintering and flying off in shards. The enemy dived for cover, and returned fire. There were at least 4, if not 5 of them in there, but with the element of surprise, we overwhelmed them with weight of fire - with the enemy suppressed, we moved up, lobbing in grenades as we went. We stormed the position, a red mist descending over my eyes. Before we knew it, we were in the middle of the position, surrounded by dead enemies.

But, it was too late. The radio squawked. It was Nikeleye, my 2IC. An RPG had taken out the building the VIP was sheltering in. He was dead - shit. Collecting our wounded, we retreated, leaving the dead where they lay. The Muji's would keep coming at us all night, and we'd no reason to put ourselves in harms way any longer.



A Report From Abu Al- HeadTrauma, fearless and compassionate leader (nobody else was available to lead, I was last on the phone chain) of the holy rub-a-dub-dub death squad, Praise be unto Allah

I am writing this report from the upper echelon of paradise, goat milk and honey flows, and the love of my 72 boys is endless. Abu Al - JoeDamage is unfortunately not as "enlightened" as I am, hence his lower standing in Paradise.

Callsigns were SNAPPER (HQ), APEX, KICKBACK and COLT.

The plan was for SNAPPER to get into over watch pos North of the objective, to suppress (2 x PKM's) and to split the defending infidels. KICKBACK was to give direct support for APEX's assault, feint an attack and provide an umbrella under which APEX could advance to within ITSR (Infidel Throat Slitting Range). COLT's role was scouting and intel.

SNAPPER departed base heading East. about 15 minutes into the march one of my cohorts pointed out that my compass was faulty, a cursed Infidel version. So we turned around and headed East...
COLT was in position, reporting enemy movement and positions to the North and North West of the target area.KICKBACK was in pos to the South and South West.
APEX advanced from the West along the road.

COLT 1 (Danny) was compromised early on as SNAPPER crossed the road that runs N/S into the village. We decided to pull back further North, got over the hill and turned back East. our original pos (directly North of the obj ) was abandoned due to the earlier skirmish, and fear of a follow up action by the Engrish.

We continued eastwards, trying to find a decent over watch pos with enough cover. Eventually we found a less than ideal spot, but it would have to do. Problem was that there was a large piece of open ground we needed to cover to get to it. At that moment Allah chose to smile upon us as Rage (KICKBACK) came on the net, requesting permission to launch some RPG's and start a small skirmish. Perfect, just the distraction we needed. Permission was granted. We sprinted across the open ground as the first RPG's were going off. We got into cover behind rocks on high ground ENE of the objective, range to target was estimated at 800m. We started taking sporadic small arms fire at this point, but nothing too accurate or serious.

Burga was spotting for the 2 PK gunners, BFly and Volk. The MO called for continuous fire, so 1 PKM would be firing at all times. Volk commenced firing. Target was 3-5(?) infidels on compound roof. Volk fired 5 bursts, rolled behind cover, Bfly rolled out from behind cover and continued firing. 5 bursts, roll in, volk rolls out...rinse repeat. Spacing between the gunners was aprox 8m. I know at some point Volk had a jam, but up to this point things were going as planned (for the most part) and we had pinned a Tommy on the roof, watching with delight as smoke was deployed...him bandaging himself...and eventually dying. I then heard some over excited infidel shout over our NET that he had captured a radio, so we changed channels

Burga or Bfly spotted two infidels running from their spawn but decided to leave them alone. About 10 minutes later we were flanked. My first thought was "shit, I should have been watching the flanks!"

Things happened very quickly after that. I popped 2 x smoke and called for withdrawal but my team was down. I ran down the hill very aware of this fuck-off big aerial sticking out my back pack, worried that it would be spotted sticking out above the rocks.

I went to ground and hid behind a rock...waiting...trying to decide whether or not i should drop the radio, but fearing it being captured I decided to keep it. After a while I thought that the infidels that had flanked us must have pulled back. So I crossed the road Southwards and then turned West, hoping to regroup. This is when I got cut to peaces.

Funny moment was being given the Coup de Grace (against ROE?) and then Chris shitting on the guy
Then wathching my body beig taken as a trophy...listening to your banter, velly funny


And some Video:
-R2LEGoIUvA
wvXJNFOGvA0



Our info pack can be found posted on the first page of this topic. If you're interested in playing with us, please visit us at www.volcbat.com

[DaveP]

VCB January Update

New year and a fresh face to the operations ahead with an increase in numbers and an ongoing flux of great missions

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Operations/New missions
Mission making and new mini campaigns are as strong as ever, with the last splurge of major desert operations for a while coming to a close before we get back to the green stuff in the Jungle and Temperate climates.

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Recruitment and New Members
Having experienced a new years upturn in recruits, the platoon is steadily approaching a full strength roster (although there's always room for more!), with old members returning and new guys falling in to the fray rather quickly. Of course this in turn drives more awesome big operations and more cool experiences all round.

If you think you might want to have a go at being a part of a quintessentially british coop squad with a good sense of humour and fun missions, take a look at our forums in my signature link or check out the info pack on the first page of the topic

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Procurements

Inundated by the awesome range of islands now available to the game, but at the same time trying to reduce the addon pack sizes to hospitable levels, there has been quite a few recent shuffles in addons used, but thanks to our automated SVN system this is a cinch for new members to get a hold of. We're always on the look out for British Addons newly released, in development or in need of the in depth research some of our members can offer.

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Media

As a recurring theme, here's a smattering of videos showing us doing what we do best: having fun playing realism-based coop. Enjoy!

This is a video of Operation Earthworm, a patrol to contact to secure a local militia leader. With two full rifle sections, an HQ detachment and a Manouver/Support fire-team, a strong force was brought to bear on the enemy, which they returned gladly. This video jumps in to my role on the night, Second in Command/Spotter/UGL Gunner for the Manouver/Support fire-team, a group tasked with bringing big guns and explosions to bear on the enemy's position.
-NUQLpbBR8o


Here's the same operation from the perspective of One Section Charlie Fireteam 3rd Rifleman slot, a key role in assisting the section commander by carrying out his commands, carrying spare ammunition for the LMG gunner and being one of two of the section's AT holding members. Perfect for new recruits, it allows players after a bit less pressure to follow orders and work out how it all works 'on the job' before taking on more demanding roles
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Here's a video from one of our more interesting Wednesday ops, from the boots of One Section's Delta LMG Gunner, tasked with overall flank protection for the section when patrolling out and giving maximum supporting fire in engagements.
-_-5Dtw12Lg

And since everyone loves explosions
V6kYWANApo0

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Our info pack can be found posted on the first page of this topic. If you're interested in playing with us, please visit us at www.volcbat.com

[DaveP]

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VCB February Update

Less pictures, more video this month as the action gets fierce deep in the bush

And to start, a very swish (if slightly cheese) promo viddie by our fresh upcoming video talent, CLARKY:
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Operations/New missions
Missions move west as VCB prepares itself for the upcoming jungle deployment in the thick flora and fauna of the Chernorussian isles, with Podagorsk and Chernarus setting the stage for some action packed commando operations

Here's a video of Op Lostiwithel, a WW3 what if scenario with Fulda gap style intensity and a bloodbath of a result
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Recruitment and New Members
Healthy stable numbers are being maintained with the inevitable slow decay of older members being replaced by fresh blood, keeping things varied and interesting, with a 'core' of experienced JNCOs keeping the new'uns on top of things.

If you think you might want to have a go at being a part of a quintessentially british coop squad with a good sense of humour and fun missions, take a look at our forums in my signature link or check out the info pack on the first page of the topic

Here's footage of our most recent operations on Podagorsk in the form of Op Salamander, a command harassing raiding forces based mini campaign against a rouge breakaway airborne forces battalion. In this mission, an intensely pitched airfield assault to cut off logistic support and prepare for amphibious invasion of the island.
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Procurements

Thanks to an internal strategic defence review of items superfluous to requirement (not quite aircraft carriers and nimrods but close) the size of our addon set has recently shrank and thanks to our automated SVN system is a cinch for new members to get a hold of. We're always on the look out for British Addons newly released, in development or in need of the in depth research some of our members can offer.



In all, a shorter update than most, but we do like to skip to the point on these things; our info pack can be found posted on the first page of this topic, if you're interested in playing with us please visit us at www.volcbat.com

[Nikeleye]

VOLCBAT - The Volunteer Commandos
Update March 2011



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A quick update to the status of things with VOLCBAT.

Since concluding our campaign as part of Task Force Truncheon in the Chernarus area, VCB moved to the Podagorsk peninsular as part of Task Force Toaster. Read the full post-op report here. (http://www.volcbat.com/index.php/News-Latest/After-Action-Report-Operation-Salamander-Campaign-Task-Force-Toaster.html)

VCB's individual and section-level drills are being pushed hard now to keep standards high and all of the members seem to be benefitting. Some of us recently took part in an excellent training refresher led by Friznit covering some anti-tank engagement standards, section level attacks and use of Forward Air Controller assets and Artillery.

Regarding the staff at VCB it's with saddened hearts we say a temporary goodbye to Red who's deploying as part of HM Armed Forces. We wish him all the best and a speedy return to Blighty!

On the Recruitment front we're still ticking over the applications but there's never been a better time to join up; there's plenty of room provided you can get through our application process - give it a try now! (http://www.volcbat.com/forum/index.php?board=2.0)

As usual there's plenty of media flowing from our missions, here's a few bits highlighting the recent campaign!



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[DaveP]

VCB April Update

Welcome to the jungle baby

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Operations/New missions
VCB has been deployed deep in to the jungles of Lingor to help stabilise a fragile political situation in the country, with ARL rebels to the north trying to take over the country in a bloody coup. We've also been testing out the fantastic MSO mission framework, allowing us to do long form counter insurgency operations over the course of a week or two.

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Recruitment and New Members
Numbers are stable, with some older members from Arma 1 and further back returning to the fray, and new blood entering the ranks as well.

We're always welcoming new members to our group, so if you want to have fun in the internet army, then give us a bell on our forums!

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Training and Specialization

The last month or so has been a great one for learning new combat skills to help us with future missions. Sessions have been run in helicopter/airborne assault drills and armoured fighting vehicle tactics. We're always looking to gain from the knowledge of our ranks, so if you're looking for a new squad and have something to offer (or possibly even cross-training with another squad), we'll be more than happy to have you! Here's a nice snippet from our tanking lesson, taught by former King's Royal Hussars tank commander Friznit

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Our info pack can be found posted on the first page of this topic, if you're interested in playing with us please visit us at www.volcbat.com

[DaveP]

VCB May Update

Land, sea, air


Operations/Deployments

This month has been a cracker for VCB, with a great variety of different missions and the fantastic multi-session-operation

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The month kicked off with some great desert action all the way back from 1945, with the volunteers stepping in to the shoes of a 1940's era desert commando unit, knocking out german held towns in the push back from El Alamein

Some video of another INV44 mission played this month
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From here VCB deployed back to the rolling sands of Takistan, with some great counter insurgency ops in short-form missions and the brilliant multi-session operation, allowing us to take the long haul fight to the enemy with patrols, fobs and in-unit fire support. And airborne operations! Swish!


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And to round out the month we've been riding the waves in amphibious assault in support of operation Fishy Fingers by member Morts

Video from the operation
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Recruitment and New Members
As with operations, its been a good month, with a variety of new members and recruits including some RAF regt., bringing our likely roster up to including infantry and ancillary members of every arm of HM armed forces. Of course, we're always looking for more, and only a shade away from the much sought after full platoon strength

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Procurements
New kit ahoy! With the possibility of future joint ops with a certain armoured unit, the decision was made to upgrade the UKF Challenger 2 to ACE FCS/Operation Arrowhead standards. Very fun indeed!

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Other developments are in the pipeline, but perhaps there will be more to talk about next month

Other Media
With the density of missions and ops this month, a good collection of video has come out from our members. Check it out!

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Our info pack can be found posted on the first page of this topic, if you're interested in playing with us please visit us at www.volcbat.com

[DaveP]

VCB June Update

This month saw VOLCBAT deploy across a more varied range of missions and scenarios than ever before; from new fresh mission formats to old favourites we went to the jungle, the desert, the forest and back again.


Operations/Deployments

With more active mission makers than ever before, we've been playing a good mix of new fresh content and renewed older missions, strengthening our key infantry skills and really taking the fight to the enemy in ways better than ever before.

Members of two section waiting out a possible ambush opportunity
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We started this month with a very slick commando raid on a compound holding a key takiban commander and the consequent cutting off of our escape route and supplies with Op Victorious:
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Alongside our major operations this month we further developed and wrapped up our testing period with Multi-Session-Operations and have some VERY cool developments in the pipeline. More to come next month, but I thoroughly recommend you take the leap and come check us out if you want to be on the ground floor for a very fun set of upcoming missions.

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One of our most successful operations, Op InsertNameHere really showcased the abilities of our platoon when it came to our bread and butter: Close in fighting and platoon assaults, max aggression and minimum casualties

Videos from the operation from the point of view of One Section
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Two section taking defence in a bunker position after a hasty re-org
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Recruitment and New Members
This month's intake of new recruits included amongst it a higher percentage than usual of people coming over from other squads. If you're tired of the american three tier cake special forces cowboy hat antics then maybe consider having a go with the premiere british infantry coop squad. We're always welcoming new members of all abilities, from players brand new to the game and multiplayer to salty dogs of the OFP days.



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Our info pack can be found posted on the first page of this topic, if you're interested in playing with us please visit us at www.volcbat.com (http://www.volcbat.com)

[DaveP]

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VCB July Update

Big happenings at VCB!


Operations/Deployments

For the last month or so (possibly more) we've been working closely with british coop group 16AA to deploy on a joint op that gives a chance for both groups to showcase the best of their abilities and come together in the sort of play-style that both groups cherish: To that end, starting today VCB and 16AA are deploying on a joint MSO (Multi-Session-Operation) for the near future. We're most definitely looking forward to playing along-side our air-assault equals and I'm sure they'd say the same.

In preparation for this, we held one of our rather insightful training sessions, with member Friznit taking the reigns and teaching various helicopter drills that will make working with an Air-Assault group much easier and painless

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Video of the training session

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First platoon strength operational disembark drill goes rather well!

Operation wise, in the build up to the joint-op we've been playing a variety of missions in our usual style, with the NCOs getting used to commanding the newly growing numbers we have as older members come out the woodwork and new people get involved and we get close to pushing the limit of a platoon's strength.


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Members of one section offering defense as two and three section move through an objective

Website
A special thanks to member Vowlsey for re-doing our website and forums; with new front-end and back-end functionality it will be easier for us to keep you updated on what's happening in VCB than ever before.

Recruitment and New Members
As I stated previously, members are coming out the woodwork to take part in the MSO joint op, allowing us in recent ops to be able to deploy three sections of infantry, taking our capabilities on ops to another level.

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One section IC Dark during his action hero phase on a wednesday night op

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One and Two section in all-round defence after helicopter disembark during training

Procurements
We're in the early stages of testing out Lennard's rather nifty L119A1 pack, the british special forces rifle. While we base ourselves off of a regular light infantry unit, our operational capabilities often stretch in to the territory of the kind of brigade reconnaissance forces (such as the Pathfinders) who deploy with the weapon, so we feel we're in a prime position to put it through its paces and still stick to our identity.

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The new L119A1 in long and short barrel variants


Other Media
In line with our other updates, our first page post has been updated, thanks to everyone that contributed to it and Steve for changing the posts around!

Our info pack can be found posted on the first page of this topic, if you're interested in playing with us please visit us at www.volcbat.com (http://www.volcbat.com)

[DaveP]

VCB August Update

Reinstatement of HQ, Op Herrick, 16AA Joint Op

Return of HQ

In a brilliant coincidence, HQ members Jonny and (VCB founder) Mav have both jumped back in to the fray and reinstated the in-game HQ contingent, allowing for VCB to operate even more effectively as a cohesive platoon and to expand to levels which we would not have been able to handle in game before. With years of experience both in real world military tactics and all of the BI games since OFP, they are a great asset to the group.

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One section delta fire team moving in to clear a building after entering a compound in Advanced Urban Combat (AUC) training

Operations/Deployments


--- UNCLAS - FLASH -- JTFHQ -- 190200ZAug11 ---

*Joint Task Force HQ*
*HMS Illustrious*
*Near the coast of Podagorsk*

---MESSAGE BEGINS---

August 2011

A former British overseas territory, Podagorsk was constantly under threat of Soviet invasion during the Cold War, both due to its rich mineral deposits and its strategic location near Chernarus. Regaining full independence in 1992, the local government gradually aligned with Russia and eventually became a key regional staging post for the Russian airforce.
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After of the failure of the Russian backed coup in Chernarus, a mutiny on board the Udaloy class destroyer Admiral Levchenko was the spark to trigger an internal power struggle within the Russian armed forces, resulting in a breakaway force of Russian naval infantry supported by the destroyer taking control of the peninsula, seizing the airfield and issuing a set of unassailable demands. The Russian government is denying involvement in the action and to save face has reached out to the British government for assistance.
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In a statement this week, the British Foreign Secretary confirmed that a Joint Task Force spearheaded by elements of 16 Airborne Assault Brigade and 1st Battalion The Volunteer Commandos has been deployed to the region on board HMS Illustrious. Further details are being witheld for reasons of operational security.

--- END OF MESSAGE ---
.

The cooperation with 16AA on a joint MSO is continuing to this day. Although technology restraints held us off from the valiant company level effort we were pining for, it has set up the communications channels and as of next month we're embarking on a more traditional joint op campaign on Podagorsk.

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VCB on the MSO taking out a previously recced position

In addition to this, talented swedish/dutch/crazy madman =DK= has put together a challenging string of ops on the rather superb Sangin map, giving us a taste of the challenges and skills required to operate in the modern battlefield, with difficult terrain, a huge IED threat and hit&run enemy tactics giving us some of the hardest operations of recent months.

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The Platoon moving in a supply convoy to 2PARA base, Sangin Town

To prepare ourselves for this, ex forces members of the group have been putting together some comprehensive training sessions to get us up to date on the tactics we need to survive on this battlefield, including Advanced Urban Combat (AUC), Counter-IED tactics (C-IED) and Support weapons use, including the platoon level 60mm mortar

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SNCO Lt Jonny runs one section through C-IED (Counter-IED) tactics and showcases the ordnance used by the enemy

In addition to these, we've also played a fair old few operations by newer mission makers in the group. We're always welcome to new members with mission making experience or the enthusiasm to want to learn how to make missions, and have taught many members past and present the skills required to do so.


Website
A quick note on our forums: As of late last month to early August, we experienced issues with forum users not having the account registration process complete successfully. If you had any issues registering an account around this time, please try again! (if any further issues are experienced, please PM myself)


Procurements
Less to say on this front, beyond picking up the rather beautiful Afghan Sangin map and being on the look out for a Protected Patrol Vehicle alá Bushmaster, Cougar or Mastiff

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Two section Pte. Ecco opens fire with the GMG during support weapon training

Our info pack can be found posted on the first page of this topic, if you're interested in playing with us please visit us at www.volcbat.com

[Nikeleye]

VOLCBAT - September 2011


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Another busy and exciting month for the Volunteer Commando Battalion. We've completed operations in three different parts of the ArmAverse, had a major C3 re-alignment and are about to embark on an operation series in a new theatre.


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Recruitment

Our recruitment continues to flow, with more new members being added to the ranks and returning members rejoining the sections after successfully passing Phase 1 Training this month. While the recruitment process is currently being reviewed to see where we can improve it, everyone that's interested and thinks they're what we're looking for should check out our recruitment forum (http://www.volcbat.com/forum/index.php?topic=29.0) and put in an application! To find out more about VOLCBAT, check out our Information Pack (http://www.mediafire.com/?t008x2w7ky7ozmo) that contains all the details on who we are, what we do and how we do it.

Conversion to Six Updater Suite

VOLCBAT uses a mixture of in-house, community developed, and BIS add-ons for our missions which have been reliably hosted via Tortoise SVN for many years. However, to keep with the times VCB has now come into the 21st century with it's ArmA mod collection, and converted to using Sickboy's Six Updater Suite. The process to download the modpack is now just a few clicks, and to update even less - and it gives more flexibility to the VCB admin staff for adding/removing mods and maintaining the add-on repository.



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Command Changes

After the return of several senior members of VCB, some retirements and some deserved promotions, Capt. Jonny_LI has taken over as OC, A Coy, VCB. Mav has downgraded himself to a normal bod due to real life commitments, after co-founding and leading VCB for almost 10 years he probably deserves the rest! Lt. Friznit has taken over the reigns of 3 Platoon, A Coy and together with CSM Red and newly bumped up Sgt. Jez forms the senior leadership team at VCB - some fresh faces, some old, they all put in whatever time they have to keep VOLCBAT moving forwards.


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Operations in the Qom Province

After ArmA extraordinaire, MSO god and all-round good guy Tupolov joined up with VOLCBAT in August, it was never going to be long before we considered doing operations on Qom province, his brilliant map representing an area in Ardistan, on the border with Takistan. With the map shortly being added to the VCB add-ons goodie bag, Operation Rusty Trombone looms on the horizon as NATO peacekeeping operations are reported to have been disrupted on the border. Elements of A Company, 'The Volunteer Commandos', have been dispatched to deal with the upcoming threat that the border conflict presents.


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Remember to keep an eye on our website at VOLCBAT.com for updates on all the goings-on,
and check out our Information Pack (http://www.mediafire.com/?t008x2w7ky7ozmo) for an insight into how we operate - our recruitment forum (http://www.volcbat.com/forum/index.php?topic=29.0) is always open!


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[W0lle]

Please note that in the future any posts which include images over 100 kb are not approved anymore, instead they are just removed.

Forum rules (http://forums.bistudio.com/misc.php?do=showrules)
Guidelins for this forum (http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=120137)

[Nikeleye]

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Over the past couple of months VOLCBAT has embarked on a major campaign in a new theatre, seen a big server hardware change, and run an extensive PJNCO course and selection procedure.

Operation Rusty Trombone
A Coy, 1VCB deployed in early October to the Qom province of Ardistan, Takistans nuclear enriching neighbour. The main efforts of the operations thus far have included clearing and securing Main Supply Routes (or MSRs), recovering High Value Targets, seizing CBRN weapons from enemy forces, holding objectives from enemy counter-attacks, and more.

With Operation Rusty Trombone IV approaching VCB is pushing further south into the Qom province, taking on more and more elements of the enemies main Motor Rifles defensive line.


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The Area of Operations (AO) guide map for 3Pl A-Coy 1VCB.

PJNCO Course
Recently the VCB command elements opened up for applications for two new JNCO positions to offer new blood into the hierarchy of VCB and to fulfil a requirement for a L/Cpl for both 1 and 2 Sections. After many good applications were received the successful candidates were then put onto a PJNCO (Potential Junior Non-Commissioned Officer) cadre trial spanning many weeks of missions trying out the Section 2IC role, and even the Section Commander role when required.

This culminated in a final exercise this weekend putting each of the remaining candidates through their paces in both simulated enemy and live enemy situations where they were required to plan and carry out a section-level assault. Each of the candidates performed admirably and the NCOs of VOLCBAT were left with an incredibly tough and trying decision making process to decide who would be offered their stripe and promotion to Lance Corporal.

Congratulations to both Mac from 2 Section, and Ewan McStab from 1 Section that passed the process, and I speak for all of the NCO staff when I say everyone that took part in the PJNCO Cadre did themselves a massive credit and showed the depth of skill and ability that lies within the sections of VCB.


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Some of the action from the final PJNCO Cadre Exercise.

Add-ons
The VOLCBAT add-on repository for it's ArmA 2 missions has increased again, with the addition of the SR5 Explosive Ordnance Disposal mod, adding a very dynamic anti-IED element for our mission makers to add in to missions. Also ASR_AI has been added for its lightweight but flexible AI management, aswell as Tupolov's Qom Province (as referred to above), and MBG CinderCity, a replica British Army training village for us to carry out both training and force-on-force operations on.


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A column of 3Pl's Land Rover Wolf TUMs, EWMIKs, and SUPACAT Jackal MWMIKs on mission in the desert of Qom Province.

Server Change
At the end of October 2011 we officially changed our server hardware, running a new much more powerful dedicated rig with the same incredibly high quality T1 network. This now enables us to have more flexibility adding such things as Nomad modules (of MSO fame) to our missions, and hosting more hardware intensive missions with more AI, more human players, and more scripting to improve the overall VCB experience.


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VCB promotional video by Clarky.

Recruitment
VOLCBAT is, as ever, recruiting like-minded and enthusiastic ArmA 2 players new and old to our ranks. For more information, check out our Recruit's Information Pack (http://www.mediafire.com/?t008x2w7ky7ozmo) and if we seem to be what you're after in a co-op milsim experience, head over to our Recruitment Forum (http://www.volcbat.com/forum/index.php?topic=29.0) and put an application in!


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[Nikeleye]

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As we close in on 2012, VOLCBAT is going from strength to strength in the British milsim hemisphere. In recent months we've finished a major and incredibly well crafted campaign, taken part in some of the best standalone operations in VCB history, as we look forwards to taking part in a Falklands-style scenario and continuing the new training regimen for 3 Platoon.


Operation Rusty Trombone


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As the associated image suggests, 3Pl have completed their multi-stage operation in the Qom Province of Ardistan, titled Operation Rusty Trombone. Initially an invasion and offensive role series of attacks, the mission morphed into an anti-CBRN campaign fighting off the local army and militia forces to secure nuclear power centres and possible WMD sources.

Culminating in a rather messy suitcase bomb taking out half of Qom Province, 3 Platoon returned home somewhat more glowing than in months previous, another successful campaign under their belt.


Current Ops
Since concluding Op Rusty Trombone and looking into the beginning of the New Year, VOLCBAT has been utilising the excellent in-house mission making skills of the likes of Lorcan and Gilson, performing everything from full platoon-level standing attacks on insurgent held villages, recapturing ordnance and assets seized by the enemy, securing MSRs, to a Rorke's Drift style objective defense mission.


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Operation Marquis
Looking to the first quarter of 2012, 3 Platoons commander, Friznit, is adapting a set of missions originally designed for a multi-group campaign to fit with VCBs current strength of numbers. Consisting of a number of sequential and dynamic missions, Operation Marquis sees British forces staging an amphibious invasion of an Atlantic island recently subject to a hostile occupation by a similar strength force. Loosely based on the 1982 Falklands war, the British led by 1st Battalion VCB are tasked with destroying the enemies strongholds and ability to wage war on the island, and successfully liberate the island either through military victory or forcing an enemy surrender.

Operation Marquis will be an exciting and challenging set of missions for VCB to partake in, testing every members personal drills and setting new demands on the NCOs and Officers commanding A Company, not only co-ordinating a light role infantry mission but adding in naval gunfire support, close air support from RAF/FAA resources, sorting CASEVACs, resource resupply, etc. We'd love to have more capable and friendly bods for this so if you're interested take a look at the Recruitment section below.

Training
Coming up in January and continuing afterwards, VCB are continuing the new modular training scheme for all members. Everyone is able to individually pass 20 to 30 minute training modules on a number of subjects such as Advanced Urban Combat, Helicopter Drills, Section/Platoon Level Weapons, and more. We aim to host at least 3 of these modules in January over the course of an evening, with the goal of getting more bods up to Class 2 Rifleman standard. Moving up to Class 2 in VCB means you've got a hard figure to show for your time and effort committed, and those that attend more training will have more opportunities during mission nights for the more advanced section roles.

Recruitment
VOLCBAT is, as ever, recruiting like-minded and enthusiastic ArmA 2 players new and old to our ranks. For more information, check out our Recruit's Information Pack (http://www.mediafire.com/?t008x2w7ky7ozmo) and if we seem to be what you're after in a British co-op milsim experience, head over to our Recruitment Forum (http://www.volcbat.com/forum/index.php?topic=29.0) and put an application in!


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[friznit2]

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VCB February 2012 Update

It's been a while since our last update, mainly due to some busy deployments on operations around the world of ArmA2. VOLCBAT goes from strength to strength, with a core of long serving members creating a foundation on which we continue to build a highly competent milsim group. We pride ourselves on our relaxed approach to what is ultimately still a computer game, whilst maintaining the highest standard of tactics, techniques and procedures expected of a British Light Infantry platoon, ably assisted by our serving and ex-British military members.


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Ops & Deployments

A Coy 1VCB recently deployed to Podagorsk in response to an escalating crisis situation sparked by a breakaway Russian faction. As Op Marquis unfolded, Morton Platoon was called upon to conduct many and varied ops including pathfinding behind enemy lines, littoral (amphibious) landings and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconaissance (ISR) missions. In the following video you will see 3 (Morton) Platoon being inserted by chinook to secure a Forward Operating Base in preparation for further taskings in 1VCB Area of Operations.


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In the latter half of Op Marquis, 1VCB was joined by 1Flt 16AA, who brought much needed close air support, transport helicopters and a Tactical Air Control Party for some of the more challenging missions. This next vid is a joint raid on an enemy held airbase in order to secure air superiority over the AO.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2AhcNjRAqE#ws

VOLCBAT is currently on standby to deploy as the Spearhead Battalion on Op Canterbury Hotel in Lingor Province.

Training

Having recently put the finishing touches to a brand new Infantry Training Centre at Copehill Down Village on Salisbury Plain (Cinder City), VCB has taken every opportunity to make use of this excellent facility to refresh and develop our skills and drills.

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We have reworked the monthly Platoon Training Schedule and implemented a comprehensive training plan that see recruits progress from Phase 1 Rifleman to Phase 3 Specialist. With full documentation provided on our forum and regular training sessions, we have seen a real improvement in the capability of the Platoon on operations.

Procurement

We are always on the look out for good quality kit and equipment to enhance our experience and have recently received a significant uplift in our night fighting capability in the form of the CWS, Maxikite night sights and the VIPER2+ Thermal Imaging sight for UKF Weapons thanks to Da12thMonkey.


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We have also employed the DDAM Merlin to fill a capability gap between heavy lift and light role Support Helicopter & ISTAR platform to support operations in complex environments.

Recruitment & New Members

And finally, we have continued to streamline the recruitment process to both reduce the administrative burden on NCOs and remove the perceived barriers to entry into VCB. This is due to be rolled out in the very near future and will hopefully make the recruitment process quicker and easier whilst still giving new members all the knowledge they need to operate as a useful member of our team.

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As always, if you want to know more or are interested in joining VOLCBAT, have a look at our Info Pack (http://www.mediafire.com/?t008x2w7ky7ozmo) or head over to our Website and Forum (http://www.volcbat.com) for more details.

Friznit
Lt
OC 3 (Morton) Pl


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[Nikeleye]

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April 2012 Update

Apart from a short break for jungle refresher training in late February, 3 (Morton) Platoon have been on continuous ops for almost 3 months. As the spearhead company for 1VCB, A Coy was recently stood up to deploy to Lingor Province as part of a larger United Nations Security Force in response to a deteriorating political situation in the former Portuguese colony.


Operation CANTERBURY HOTEL

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Following the success of Operation Marquis, A Coy 1VCB was once again called upon for a rapid deployment to Lingor Province, under the directive Operation Canterbury Hotel. Unlike the previous campaign, which was heavily supported by air and naval assets of a local carrier task force, Morton Platoon now find themselves engaging a tough enemy with little in the way of support. Every move forward is met by stiff resistance and the unit is constantly in danger of being cut off with their supply lines overrun by local militia forces.



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After pushing a spearhead into the flanks of the native militia, 3Pl then conducted probing attacks on the enemies communications lines, such as a former army listening post occupied by the guerrilas, and one of their ammo caches. Operation Canterbury Hotel continues.


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Operation HELLION

Alongside their commitments in Lingor, elements from VCB are also co-deployed in the Chernarus region continuing conflict resolution following previous large-scale operations. Under the moniker of Operation Hellion, 1VCB are taking on pockets of Chedaki resistance. However, while inserting to the TAOR under cover of darkness, their Chinook helicopter was attacked by a SAM battery and they were forced to ditch the helo and make a rapid egress from enemy territory to the safety of the nearest 1VCB forward base. 1VCB expect further missions in the area to take out that anti-air site amongst other strategic objectives to assist in ridding the area of the insurgents.


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Upcoming Mission - Operation RAVENOUS

While 1VCB are already fighting on two fronts, rumours abound of the Afghan National Army suffering heavy attrition and taking large casualties in a series of ambushes and raids by the Taliban in the Sangin Province of Afghanistan. Morton Pl Intel suggests the ANA will need relieving, probably by UN-backed British Army forces in the near future. 1VCB stands ready to deploy into a third theatre in as many months.



Training

The Infantry Training Centre at Copehill Down Village (a.k.a Cinder City) has seen continuous development in recent weeks and has been used extensively for Phase 1 Basic Training, pre-op shake outs, advanced lessons in Fire Missions and CAS 9 Liners as well as a general testing and practice area for weapon systems both new and old.


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Pl HQ is currently planning a TEWT (Tactical Exercise Without Troops), led by our resident (retired) British Army Captain and a (serving) Royal Marines Commando, to develop the command and control skills of our junior leadership team. We take milsim seriously!


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...so seriously that we set our O Groups to music.



Procurement

Thanks to Cleggy's awesome work, we are now trialling the British Ridgeback MPV (http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?132986-British-Ridgback-Protected-Patrol-Vehicle) with a view to training and deployment on Op Ravenous in Sangin.

We've also moved our add-on pack to version 1.337 of Lingor Island with a plethora of tweaks, fixes and new features to add even more to our favourite jungle map.



Recruitment & New Members

Our streamlined recruitment is now fully implemented and joining is now a simpler and less bureaucratic process that will get you from application to shooting pixels with the platoon quickly and smoothly. We still expect the same attitude and willingness to play our game as before. If you want to know more or are interested in joining VOLCBAT, have a look at our Info Pack (http://www.mediafire.com/?t008x2w7ky7ozmo) or head over to our Website and Forum (www.volcbat.com) for more details.


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[friznit2]

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May 2012 Update

Ops & Deployments

In late February A Coy 1VCB was called upon for a rapid deployment to Lingor on Op Canterbury Hotel in response to political tensions in the area. Following a priority FLASH signal, 3 (Morton) Platoon was tasked with securing a SCUD launch site deep in the jungle to prevent an anticipated attempt by enemy forces at launching a chemical warhead at UNSF(L) HQ. What started as a successful strike at the heart of the enemy operation quickly unravelled as the Platoon found themselves surrounded and cut off from friendly support. With the subsequent destruction of the Task Force HQ, the platoon was forced to conduct a fighting withdrawal through enemy territory to an extraction point on the coast. Not one to give in lightly however, 3 Pl conducted a surprise counter-attack on enemy depth positions, crippling their command and control centre and dealing a decisive blow to their logistics capability. Unfortunately due to a rapidly detiorating situation and the withdrawal of the UN mandate for operations in the area, 1VCB were extracted from theatre leaving the conflict largely unresolved. It is unknown at this time whether UK forces will redeploy to the area in future.


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Meanwhile, elements of D Coy 1VCB have been conducting night time raids in the woods and forests of Chernarus on Op Hellion with varying degrees of success. Starting with some text book platoon attacks, VCB faced a variety of set piece actions from defensive ops (which went very well) to ambushes (not so good) and Advanced Urban Combat (not too shabby at all).



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM33TijkxGA#ws]Volcbat Op Hellion 0.5

Not content with limiting our milsim credentials to the in game mission alone, we are currently looking forward to trialling a novel approach to mission making, loosely termed the 'campaign on demand'. VCB HQ will conduct a full planning cycle between ops based on available Intel and the missions will then be built to suit. We will us the British Army Military Decision Making Process or Combat Estimate, colloquially known as the 7 Questions, facilitated by our Pl Comd who is a trained staff officer. This will give the Pl Comd and HQ team more flexibility in deciding how to approach each mission, rather than the restrictive traditional method of following the mission maker's 'rail road'.

Training

Pl HQ recently ran a TEWT (Tactical Exercise Without Troops) for all NCOs and Senior Riflemen to develop the command and control skills of our junior leadership team. Covering Ground Estimates, the '7 Questions' combat estimate and Platoon Orders, this was a thoroughly informative session and well-received by all.


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Monthly platoon training will take place in mid May and a further specialist training session for the Seniors will cover planning considerations for the Platoon on defensive ops.

Procurement

VCB has reviewed and refreshed our addons pack, adding two new maps - Isla Duala and Celle 2. We have also formally introduced Cleggy's Ridgeback PPV, which we look forward to using on the next desert op!


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Recruitment & New Members

Recruits continue to join us every week, and our new, simplified recruiting process has proved a success. As always, if you want to know more or are interested in joining VOLCBAT, have a look at our Info Pack (http://www.mediafire.com/?t008x2w7ky7ozmo) or head over to our Website and Forum (http://www.volcbat.com) for more details.


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[Nikeleye]

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June 2012 Update
Over the past month the Volunteer Commandos have been as busy as ever. With one of the most ambitious campaigns to date going on, regular training and everything in between the Volunteer Commando Battalion are continuing to exploit every opportunity in Armed Assault 2 to maintain our reputation as one of the best milsim units out there.


Deployment
After concluding their previous tour on the island of Lingor last month, A Company, 1st Battalion was preparing for some much needed home leave when the news came down to stand ready for immediate deployment to eastern Germany in response to sudden and unprovoked Russian hostilities. 1st Bn VCB now forms part of the NATO Task Force sent to contain the enemy, along with elements of the USMC (24th Marine Expeditionary Unit) and the Bundeswehr (Mechanised Infantry Bn 371) - operating under Operation BURGLAR ALARM. The first part of the campaign consisted of holding back the advanced Russian heavy armour and mech forces around the towns of WALLE and OFFEN. In tandem with joint RAF and USAF fixed-wing close air support A Coy valiantly held the line long enough for a supply route to be established and more reinforcements to arrive. This has been followed by raids on enemy supply depots and logistics targets, and as of last week 1st Bn have been tasked with pushing the enemy back from the town of BERGEN in an effort to regain momentum and start re-establishing pre-war borders. Thus far an initial attack by 3 Platoon was thwarted by the enemy turning its powerful mechanised AAA assets towards the infantry, inflicting very heavy casualties on the British troops.


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A local press piece about the events leading to Operation BURGLAR ALARM


Re-assignment to 3 Commando Brigade
Shortly before deploying to the Celle region, 1st Bn VCB went through a largely administrative change that now brings it directly under the command structure of 3 Commando Brigade of the Royal Marines. Now part of the unified Naval Service of the UK's Armed Forces, 1st Bn VCB are designated as a true amphibious warfare unit and this will be reflected in future operations and training. Like the other infantry elements of the RM, 1VCB will maintain it's light role proficiency, as well as keeping the air mobile and armoured infantry sub-roles. Rising political and military tensions following the recent economic instability in the Aegean region may decide the nature of the training environment in the near future.


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A member of 3 Platoon, A Company on patrol


3 Platoon Training Regimen
As ever VCB is keen to keep our members at the top of their game and able to demonstrate very high "skills and drills" for all our missions. The training session held this month covered Advanced Urban Combat, Convoy Drills and Ambush Training. With a significant amount of 3 Platoon in attendance, bods were split into their designated sections as the course matter was explained, demonstrated and then they were tasked with going over this themselves led by their Section NCOs. The live fire element of the convoy training was a particular highlight, as was the Platoon HQ taking on the enemies role for a simulated ambush.


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A convoy of MWMIKs and TUMs during a 3 Platoon training exercise


Multi-Session Operations
VCB are incredibly lucky to have several of the development team of the very popular 'MSO' mission for ArmA 2 within the ranks. We've just seen the value of this with MSO being tested with a Persistent Database system (probably familiar to most as a similar system is used by the "DayZ" mod), which is taking ArmA 2 gameplay to a whole new level with tremendous server performance increases as the bulk of the load is taken on by the clients - who now will have their own profile hosted on a website logging any of their in-game statistics or accomplishments as required. We're looking forward to continued testing in-house and seeing just what can be achieved with this new found technology.


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Members of 1 Section, 3 Platoon rehearsing their Advanced Urban Combat drills


Recruitment
VOLCBAT are, as always, looking for like-minded members of the ArmA community new and old to join our ranks. If you'd like to know more about VOLCBAT please head on over to our recruitment forum (click me) (http://www.volcbat.com/forum/index.php?topic=29.0) to find out more.



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[friznit2]

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@<hidden> (http://www.twitter.com/volcbat)

Aug 2012 Update

Ops & Deployments

Following the recent posting to 3 Cdo Bde, A Coy 1VCB deployed to central Africa with 15th MEU in an attempt to stabilise a developing conflict between the Molatian and Afrenian forces in the region. Op Blazing Mongoose was a departure from traditional campaigns with a fully dynamic enemy that put the Platoon HQ team under pressure to conduct a full planning cycle prior to each mission. The events of each op had a direct impact on our ability to plan and execute subsequent missions, with some interesting and varied results - not always good!

During this period, the Battalion received ongoing news updates on the situation in Lingor following the UN mandated but ultimately abortive attempt to force a regime change back in June (Op Canterbury Hotel). Therefore it came as little surprise that after a short training rotation, 1VCB has been recalled to the jungle under the guise of a fresh UN mandate. The situation this time is very different however, and it will take all the cunning and experience of the Volunteer Commandos to prosecute what promises to be some very challenging missions.


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Op Burning Mongoose - Kinsella Times

Multi Session Operations

Acting as part of 1VCB Experimental Group, Morton Platoon have been on 'continuous' deployment using Persistent Database technology. As the latest development in the MSO mission arsenal, PDB allows the platoon to maintain persistent missions over the course of multiple gaming nights regardless of server updates, mission restarts or even running other operations. Testing on active operations will commence in the coming months and it promises to revolutionise our approach to campaign building.



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Training

With a greater focus on campaign cycles, Platoon training now takes place regularly every month with a clear aim to practise TTP's in preparation for upcoming ops. Recent training days have covered use of Offensive Support, heli handling drills, 'littoral' ops using RHIBs and fighting in woods and forests (FIWAF). Meanwhile, advanced training for the Senior Riflemen and NCOs continues to enhance the junior leadership and technical capabilities of the platoon in line with British Military doctrine.

Recruitment & New Members

We are always keen to get feedback from our recruits and following a recent discussion we have implemented a mentoring programme where all new recruits are helped and guided by a Senior Riflemen for their first few ops. This has been a welcome addition for those who may find joining an established milsim squad quite a daunting prospect. As always, we are open to all and if you want to know more about joining VOLCBAT, have a look at our Info Pack (http://www.mediafire.com/?t008x2w7ky7ozmo) or head over to our Website and Forum (http://www.volcbat.com) for more details.


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[Nikeleye]

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Autumn 2012 Update
In the three months since the last update, The Volunteer Commandos have continued their legacy as one of the forerunners of British Milsim in the Armed Assault community. Campaigns have including overturning a military coup in the mid-Atlantic, battling an insurgency in Afghanistan, dealing with rogue military elements in Takistan and even participating in a joint operation with another military simulation group a continent away.


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Operation RAVENOUS
Commencing at the end of August, 1st Battalion 'The Volunteer Commandos' deployed to Sangin Province, Afghanistan to join ISAF's latest effort to drive the Taliban from the area and re-establish goodwill with the local community - codenamed Operation RAVENOUS. Over a long and arduous month deployed right on the FLET (front line, enemy troops), A Company 1VCB were tasked with hunting down the Taliban, protecting supply routes and assisting the local forces in counter-insurgency taskings. Seemingly annoyed at the success ACoy was achieving, the Taliban called in reinforcements from all the neighbouring provinces and amassed a large counter-attack aimed at taking VCB out of the fight. Thanks to superior ISTAR assets, ACoy saw the attack coming and planned an intricate defensive mission posting small groups of soldiers at forward bases and falling back into defilade in sequence, using pre-briefed fire from 105mm light artillery and precision munitions provided by ISAF aircraft to destroy the Taliban force in detail. 1st Battalion were relieved by The Rifles after the operation and can record Operation RAVENOUS as a full success.


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Operation EDINBURGH
Commencing in between deployments 1VCB were attached to a multi-national force also comprising of Zulu Alpha, an elite military organisation from South Africa, to tackle a large paramilitary narcotics group operating on Lingor Island in the mid-Atlantic, under an operation named EDINBURGH. Using their amphibious assault speciality, the joint force put in a large raid on the main towns held by the mercenaries and seized a massive haul of contraband, as well as eliminating the tasked HVT known to be the head of the group. Showing their ability to work with a similar highly-trained foreign military, 1VCB can add Operation EDINBURGH to their honours.


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Operation TUPHEAD
Shortly after returning to their home barracks following Operation RAVENOUS, 1st Battalion were put on alert due to an emerging situation in the Middle East. Recent unrest in the Islamic world had led to a large part of the Takistan Regular Army splintering off and commencing hostile actions against friendly ISAF forces. This situation essentially granted the Takiban insurgency led by Hussein Bin Jezreddi free reign in the area. 1VCB was deployed within the week to try and combat the situation. Initially meeting little resistance as GREENFOR and OPFOR clashed with each other, VCB pushed further into enemy territory to gain dominance over the ground, even going so far as to establish a patrol base right in an area valued for its supply routes and local mines by both enemy factions. 1VCB remains in the area conducting probing attacks despite the recent intelligence received about hostilities spiking in the Dingor region.


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3 'Morton' Platoon Training
In between and during all of its campaigns, VOLCBAT regularly conducts section- and platoon-level training. Recently we've gone in depth into Advanced Urban Combat, the refined art of operating in urban and close-quarters combat situations. Additional topics such as Support Weapons, Helicopter Landing Drills and Vehicle-borne Skills are covered in 30 to 40 minute 'bolt-on' packages run alongside combat operations.


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VOLCBAT Recruitment
VOLCBAT are, as always, looking for like-minded members of the ArmA community new and old to join our ranks. If you'd like to know more about VOLCBAT please head on over to our recruitment forum (click me) (http://www.volcbat.com/forum/index.php?topic=4019.0) to find out more.



And now, for something completely different...

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[Nikeleye]

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Happy New Year! 2012 was a pretty fantastic time for VOLCBAT with some truly epic campaigns, an ever growing and stable member base and the finding of considerable mod and mission making talent within the ranks. It seems to have been a great year for the community at large as well with modifications and missions being released at an unprecedented level of quality. VCB is looking to build upon this success as we go into 2013, and here's a look at what we've been up to since the last update and what lies ahead for us.



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Operations
Since the last update in October, VCB has completed three full scale campaigns and several mini deployments around the armaverse. Starting off with Operation LEGIT, created by one of our most imaginative mission makers, Gilson, 1st Battalion 'The Volunteer Commandos' deployed with little notice to the Malabango archipelago amid a military coup on the island nation of Dingor. 3 Platoon was mainly utilised in a 6-stage campaign effort to raid enemy resources, support assets and C3I, as well as staging a hostage rescue effort and a large convoy ambush. 3Pl's efforts were deemed a complete success when the leader of the enemy council was reported as fleeing to the South East Asia region, his forces completely collapsing in his wake. Almost immediately following that, 1st Bn was redeployed to the seemingly endless conflict in the Chernarus region to assist government forces in destroying elements of a well organised, well equipped guerrilla insurgency. Deploying in the newly issued RIDGBACK Protected Patrol Vehicles along with Jackal MWMIK fire support platforms, ACoy moved from the centre of the AO southwards clearing towns fortified by the enemy in a very 'bread and butter' campaign that saw very heavy, regular contact dealt with. Attempting to enjoy some R&R after mopping up the last of the known enemy, 1VCB was once again stood to as reports came in of neighbouring Chellorussia inserting peacekeeping troops to the country only to meet a rejuvenated guerrilla force, this time equipped from an unknown source and willing to use truly asymmetric tactics. Utilising their Commando skillbase, 3Pl raided an outlying island to use as a forming up point to secure a beach head back onto the mainland. Having given themselves a way in, they moved to eliminate the local enemy commander and rescue the Chellorussian President, a mission with mixed results. Things took a turn for the worse after that as NATO, ever cautious to risk further assets, could not recover 3 Pl and they were left to high tail it out of the AO being relentlessly pursued by three different factions on their way out. Managing to extricate themselves at the last minute, VCB returned to the fleet sombre at the deteriorating situation in the country but with renewed confidence that their training could get them out of the worst of situations.



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Rebasing, Training & Leadership
Almost with the coming of the New Year came a new base for 1st Battalion, previously being local to the British Army's Copehill Down Village AUC training ground, the battalion has now moved to the locale of CENTA, the British Forces training area in the Celle region of Germany. With extensive facilities for all types of training, VCB has continued its ongoing cycle wherever possible in between major deployments. Recent training has focused on platoon-sized attacks, ambush and anti-ambush drills and a back-to-basics night with a full platoon redux of Phase One Training amongst other 'bolt-on' courses for new recruits. In the same vein of keeping everything fresh, due to vacancies arising within the rank structure Scotia and Lorcan have moved up to the rank of Lance Corporal and taken on the 2IC role for 1 and 2 Sections, respectively. Both have demonstrated immense energy and maturity in their previous roles as Senior Riflemen and they are both now making their presence felt as they deliver top notch section drills and admin. Congratulations to both of them.



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Joints Ops, PR & In-house Development
As well as VCBs regular mission nights we are now working with Zulu Alpha, the premier ArmA outfit from South Africa, on a force-on-force counter-insurgency campaign dubbed Operation ALICE. Despite mixed results from VCBs perspective from the first mission (one of VCB's NCOs got captured and interrogated), we all look forward to the next iteration and learning lessons from the previous outings. Also working towards our outside image a new website is in the works which will bring the first contact many potential recruits have with VCB up to modern standards. There has been a real wealth of talent on show from VCB lately too, with Legion moving towards a public release of the FPII/NP Aerospace MASTIFF PPV, the first British version of the Cougar 6x6 to be announced, Tupolov of MSO fame creating an amazing modification to the Advanced Combat Radio Environment add-on to introduce the full range of modern British 'Bowman' radio equipment, at the same time as working with Highhead, Gunny and Friznit also of VCB with the rest of the Multi-Session Operations team on the recently released, highly acclaimed 4.5 edition. VCB are lucky enough to be testing the recent Headless Client tool with MSO which has vastly improved performance and playability.



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Looking Forward
As we move into the New Year, 1st Bn VCB are ready to deploy on our first campaign of 2013, Operation NOSTALGIA. Returning to the classic environment of Everon (well known from OFP) we're looking forward to getting back into it after the seasonal festivities. We've also just updated our modpack with some fresh changes to unit configs, weapon balancing and medical equipment, as well as adding in the fantastic new Reshmaan Province map.
If you're interested in taking part in some of the best milsim in the ArmA community without any of the usual nonsense that comes attached, why not check out our Recruitment Pack .PDF (http://www.mediafire.com/?t008x2w7ky7ozmo) which is a great read for anyone looking to find out more, and if you like what you see, head on over to our Recruitment Forum (http://www.volcbat.com/forum/index.php?topic=4019.0).



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