volcbat

VCB winter update 2020 What better way to pass the lockdown than with a nice game of ArmA 3 milsim? Edging in on our 18th year of existence, VOLCBAT keeps going strong and delivering regular, highly organised milsim without the bollocks. As always, our missions are grouped by campaigns developed by our in-house mission makers. A selection from recent outings: Op. Vigilance, by Minty To help us brace for a long winter, VOLCBAT deployed to the Ihantala winter wonderland to fight the Free Ihantala Army, an eastern-European style armed resistance equipped with post-soviet leftovers and PKMs strapped to vehicles. In spite of the rag-tag nature of the force, they gave us quite the fight, slipping in and out of snow-covered defensive positions to make our lives difficult. Op Komodo, Vince Making full use of his very own AIS script set to wrangle the opposition into hardened fighting force, Vince sent the platoon into a deserty IED festivity. With the sections afraid of tin cans and trash-bags on the floor, they ignore the enemy riflemen at their peril. Op Tangerine, by Matt For another change of scene, Matt sends us into the jungle in the Special Forces Support Group role. With high speed and low drag, we wrestled our way through thick brush and the occasional jungle town. Recruitment Interested in joining an established unit with a tradition in light infantry gameplay? Check out our webpage, or contact us on discord!

New recruitment trailer VCB member Ben created us a flashy new recruitment trailer: New website After a bit of downtime, we're pleased to have a new (temporary) homepage. Check it out at: http://volcbat.co.uk. On it, interested players can find out all the information needed to check us out: a recruitment trailer, our information pack and links to our discord.

Looking forward into 2020 Looking back at 2019, it was once more a steady year and a chunck of milsim without the bollocks. VOLCBAT continues to produce quality scenarios to play as a light infantry platoon twice weekly. As always, recruitment is open: we are looking for more riflemen to join the ranks! Interested? Contact us on Discord. Take a look at our FAQ or How to Apply A selection of videos Since a picture paints a thousand words, here a selection of our favourite videos from the last year: In the first video, 31 section patrols the island of Bornholm and gets drawn into an intense firefight in a small coastal town. In the next video, the platoon assaults a small cluster of buildings on the Finnish-themed Virolahti map. 2 section provides a base of fire from the left flank, while 1 section opens up the assault with an ASM shot and performs fire and manoeuvre into the objective, followed by a brutal bit of building fighting. Because we like to change it up, some operations are themed white instead of green. In this video, 1 Section assaults the left side of an enemy radio installation and barely makes it through. The last video we'd like to present is this clip from our SFSG campaign. Occasionally we pretend to be even more elite than we usually do and switch gears in undercover and high-speed, low-drag operations. In this clip, an undercover team attempts to find one of their teammates who'd been compromised and cut off, only to find his location to be a tough nut to crack

A new year Before we knew it, another year of operations flew by, and we have been remiss in keeping our squad thread updated. As ArmA 3 settles into its fifth year, the Volunteer Commando Battalion celebrates its fifteenth. Our core business remains unchanged: deliver authentic, well-organised light infantry platoon missions twice a week. The past year has been no different, and we saw an interesting variety of variants on the light infantry concept throughout the campaigns. At the same time, we'd like to use the occasion to thank our tireless mission making team. A selection: Joint Operation with ODA-951, by Dai Hard In one of our most cherished missions of the year, VOLCBAT teamed up with American SF-themed unit ODA-951 to conduct a set of joint operations on Dariyah. In these missions, the platoon acted as a Special Forces Support Group, helping the SF teams reach and capture their high value targets in hostile environments. Operation Chameleon, by Vince In this jungle-based campaign, VOLCBAT shook it up both by introducing a covert element into our gameplay, set as part of the Special Forces Support Group, as well as as a new set of skills and drills to be applied in the thick vegetation. Some times, however, the game was flipped on its head: Operation Lightning, by Redders Following the classic theme, in this clip you can see the platoon walking out of the Helmand FOB only to see nothing has changed since the last time they went out: IEDs, opportunity shooters, poppy production, and... more IEDs. Operation Styx, by Dai Hard In this campaign, the platoon fought a conventional war on the Takistan map, which made for a nice variation on the usual IED-carnival created on the map. In the fragment below, you can see the platoon fight its way across an occupied bridge, only to be caught in a flanking attack on the other side. Operation Valiant, by Imperial Penguin In Operation Valiant, the VOLCBAT platoon was deployed in a wide-open German plain, conducting a delaying action against an invading Russian armoured division. Outmanned, and certainly outgunned, the name of the game was to deploy our man-portable anti-tank assets in an efficient manner so as to cause maximum damage to the invading tanks. During the latter half of the campaign, the platoon asked as a screening force for the friendly counterattack. In the clip below, you can see our efforts to advance into an enemy-held town to allow BLUFOR armoured elements to pass through, and one of our sections being served a stark reminder to never slack off on the close quarter battle drills. Our next year is sure to be as promising as the last. If you're interested in mature realism without the bollocks, check out our website or chat to us on discord.

A quick update on Discord They say better late than never. VOLCBAT can now be reached on our new discord server. Feel free to hop on to chat with us, or talk to our members if you're interested in joining.

VCB Autumn update 2017 The Volunteer Commando Batallion is a light infantry unit. This narrow focus allows us to maintain a high standard in our training as well as in our platoon-level operations. But after close to 15 years of continuous operations, the question becomes: how do we keep offering our members interested and varying campaigns within the scope of our unit? We can rely on key advantages: On the one hand our active serving members infuse changing infantry tactics, technique and procedures into our training schedule. They provide the unit with interesting insights into the current infantry doctrine, from counter-insurgency tactics, to jungle warfare, to asymmetric warfare. On the other hand, our mission makers never fail to deliver hand-crafted missions twice-weekly in carefully considered campaign storylines based on the experience of our serving members. They create the environments in which we can deploy in the various roles we train for. In this autumn update, we’ll take a look at their recent campaigns: Operation Stranglehorn by Outlaw "Local news channel, CABLE NOTICIAS, reported to have been handed over footage of Fuerzas Socialistas de Tanoa guarding several civilians and Colombian forces in dire circumstances. The footage included a warning for towns who are encircled to surrender or else they would take it by force and would arrest everybody in the town for treason against the new Socialist State of Tanoa.” Against this background, VOLCBAT deployed to the island of Tanoa to restore security on the island, supress the separatists and stop the cocaine pipeline that funds the insurgency. Operating in a the thick jungle environment required the unit to adjust some of its tactics, focussed on contact drills designed to supress the sections immediate area and withdraw before formulating an attack plan, as well as changes that revolve around keeping all-round security in the jungle’s low-visibility environment. In the video you can see the difficult fighting that takes place in jungle environments. Operation Pesta by iTiamo “Two Zubr class landing crafts were seen landing on the beach near Dueodde, a popular tourist destination on the Danish island of Bornholm, last night. Smartphone footage shows the Russian Navy offloading dozens of BTR-80s and hundreds of troops onto the beach. Russian forces have managed to gain a sizable portion of the island as the closest troops stationed on the island were in the vicinity of Roenne, Bornholm's capital. It is unknown if there anyone got injured or died during this event. The world is awaiting a reaction from NATO.” Set on Bornholm, 3 platoon deployed in a cold-war type scenario, featuring long firefights against a conventional enemy, sprinkled with tank actions that saw the platoon frantically scramble their AT weapons to fight off the armoured threat. The campaign was a great opportunity to put our bread-and-butter tactics centred around enemy suppression and platoon-sized attacks back into practice. In the following video you can see our third section taking effective enemy fire and using their contact drills to overcome the threat. Operation Peacemaker by Elite “Lately the internet criticism against European politics has wide spread in Bystrica. In protests more and more violence was carried out against the police and government representants. Soon after, Sinti and Roma minorities got driven were driven out of the villages, locked up or "disappeared". Videos of executions and rumors of mass graves strive through the internet. On top of that military depots got raided and weapons as well as armor and armored vehicles are in the hands of the rebel movement. The economic and cultural damage is tremendous, NATO needs to intervene..” In this counter-insurgency and peacekeeping campaign, the unit was tasked with intervening in ethnic violence in Bystrica. Apart from the usual insurgency suppression, the platoon was also tasked with putting together a dossier of evidence of human rights violations and gradually uncovered the stark reality of ethnic conflict in the region. In the footage below, you can see 3 platoon’s 1st section advancing over open ground, taking contact and finally withdrawing after taking a few casualties. Operation Stahog by Rozo “President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was on a city visit tour in the south of his country in Mindanao province. When arriving in Davao City he was attacked by members of the ISIS militant group Abu Sayyaf. President Duterte and his close protection unit were unable to fight their way out of the ambush and sought refuge in a nearby building until armed forces arrived to evacuate the president. On the first of august British Prime Minister Theresa May ordered 3 Commando Brigade to be deployed in Mindanao Province to assist the Philipino armed forces. The brigade will arrive in three waves and the first troops are scheduled to arrive on the 20th of august.” This campaign on Tanoa featured a variety of operations, from raids to ambushes that mixed jungle warfare with conventional fights against a well-equipped enemy. In the video below you can see the platoon conducting an assault on a vicious enemy reinforced compound from the perspective of 1 section (who are put through the wringer more than a few times). Upcoming: WWII ops In the period around Christmas, we will be completely flipping over our usual light infantry premise and play a full-fledged WWII-themed campaign. The absence of assault rifles, modern radio communications and vehicles will prove for an interesting challenge. If you’re interested in playing with us, feel free to check our website, or read our comprehensive information pack.

VCB Spring update 2017 Operational Tours Our engaging campaigns and missions remain a core element in the VOLCBAT experience. These are all custom made in-house by a team of enthusiastic scenario developers. The last few months saw the introduction of “operational tours”: longer campaigns that see the platoon take on different roles than our usual regular infantry fare. The first tour featured the platoon attached to the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG). The SFSG is a UK special operations unit that provides tactical support to tier 1 units like the SAS or the SBS. To get us up to speed on working in an unconventional setting, the platoon conducted two training sessions covering defensive driving in civilian vehicles, familiarisation with Non Service Pattern Light Weapons (soviet-style light arms), how to act like a normal civilian, fast roping and advanced Modern Urban Combat techniques. The tour itself started off with a deniable covert insertion into hostile terrain. It required us to keep a low profile, avoid detection by the enemy forces and carefully plan when to go overt. We undertook a series of tasks that started off with acquiring locally sourced weaponry and quickly moved on to hitting key enemy targets in support of the special forces operating in the area. Support Riflemen Over the last few weeks, Jonny, one of our currently serving members, has developed a programme to train “Support Qualified” (SQ) riflemen. Building on real-life experience adapted to the game, volunteers were trained in the use of the GMPG in the Sustained Fire role, learned what they need to know to serve in the Direct Fire Support Weapons (DFSW) role, acquainted themselves with Survaillance and Reconaissance techniques and procedures, both in aerial and dismount roles and trained on the use of the 60mm mortar. While VOLCBAT’s priority remains to fill the regular rifle sections on ops, the continued high turn out on missions has enabled us to deploy SQ trained individuals in a range of support roles providing both tactical flexibility as well as new and interesting experiences.

Op tours Starting in February 2017, all missions and campaigns will string together to form coherent overarching strategic themes. Instead of lots of separate mini-campaigns, VOLCBAT will deploy into theatre with as part of a task force and in a fixed role for the duration of the operational tour. While VOLCBAT remains a Light Infantry Battalion first and foremost, being attached to task forces other than 3Cdo offers the opportunity for temporary conversion to specific roles as per the requirements of the tour. A longer campaign in a new role permits us to commit to a thorough training cycle in different roles, such as airborne assault, mechanised infantry or as part of the Special Forces Support Group, and gives sufficient opportunity to use our new skills over the course of the operational tour. A new year After finishing the year’s last campaign and a refreshing Christmas break filled with casual gaming, VOLCBAT is ready to commence the new year with our annual Platoon-wide refresher training, where we rehearse our basic infantry skills, from contact drills to effective communication methods. All of our trainings are based on real-life British tactics, techniques and procedures, carefully edited to suit ArmA3, following our motto “Realism without the bollocks”. All of this is documented in our training wing, which features detailed Standard Operating Instructions per topic Tanoa After a recent poll revealed the vast majority of our members owned the Apex expansion pack, work began on creating scenarios on the new island. The thick jungle environment will offer a thorough challenge and a welcome change of scenery to the platoon. To a succesful new year!

Winter 2016: Ongoing campaigns Missions in VOLCBAT revolve around campaign deployments. Our team of mission makers build several custom operations into a coherent storyline, guided by our experienced scenario creators and members with real-life military experience to ensure the scenarios are realistic and remain dynamic and interesting. While we operate as a platoon, we do not deploy alone and will have other friendly forces and support elements in theatre with us. Over the previous few months we have deployed on a number of diverse and interesting campaigns. Operation Ereshkigal - by Outlaw28 IS terror attacks against both civilian and military targets have become more and more frequent in Diyalah province. So far attempts to suppress and push back IS in the region have met with little success. While the US Army struggles to maintain control, the disillusioned local populace have become increasingly radicalized and in some villages the majority of citizens are now considered hostile to security forces. Meanwhile, the tenuous peace with HASM looks certain to fail as they lay claim to contested tribal land South of the Diyala River. HASM has fought for control of the South for hundreds of years. 1st Battalion The Volunteer Commandos are tasked with tracking down and eliminating the terrorists. The outcome was a hard-fought campaign in the close quarters of convoluted compounds and lush greenzones. Hindered by the high IED risk, individual and section level skills were stretched to deal with the high-threat environment. Operation Bellerophon - by Dai Hard After the events of Op Crusader in Summer 2015 and a regime change in the Takistani government, Janjaweed militia have returned to the Dariyah region. Intelligence suggested that the Janjaweed have rallied behind a new leader Aziz Al Minsah. It is suspected that Al Minsah and Takistani security services have been actively targeting local Shi'a minorities in an effort to remove them from the oil rich region. A meeting was to take place between local Janjaweed Warlord Mustafa Awank and local Takistani Army Colonel Abu Hajah to broker an oil for weapons deal. 3 (Morton) Platoon was inserted into the region as a part of A Company, 1 Volunteer Commando Battalion and was led on a wild manhunt through the desert, doing some old-fashioned scudhunting along the way and resulting in an intense finale in which the platoon was forced to assault a large city through the open desert, followed by intense close quarters fighting to reach the high value targets and capture them. Operation Courtney - by Friznit Tensions in the Caucasus escalated in recent months as extremist separatist groups led by the little known Kohr bin Baharis Fahraj flared into open conflict with Russian Security Forces (RSF). After a military and diplomatic disaster, RSF subsequently withdrew across the border leaving the bulk of their equipment behind and the Kohr bin Fahraj Coalition (KFC) in control of the country. Well-equipped and emboldened by their success, KFC forces turned Westwards and invaded the neighbouring region of Gunkizli. VOLCBAT is deployed as part of the UK’s Joint Rapid Reaction Force with a mission to neutralise KFC and provide assistance to local security forces as they attempt to return the region to a semblance of normalcy. Footage This deployment was a fully persistent campaign using the ALiVE mod persistence tools. All unit locations and equipment states were saved between server restarts. In between our regular twice weekly missions, the operation continued to run with 'off night' patrol tasks conducted by small teams in support of the main effort. Recce missions, defensive patrols and logistical moves influenced the situation on the ground and directly impacted the main operations. Visit our website or read our information pack to find out more about the unit and the application process.

Summer update 2016: becoming a rifleman The Volunteer Commando Battalion focuses exclusively on playing as a light infantry platoon. This allows us to maintain a high standard of skills and drill throughout our operations, because we have built up a long expertise in training those tactics, techniques and procedures. This training starts in the week you enter, and continues throughout your stay in the unit by means of platoon training session, special qualification sessions for specialised roles and separate section-level training. Recruitment, Phase 1 In order to maintain our platoon-sized operations attendance, we are recruiting new members. The process is very straightforward: You fill out the application, the NCO team looks it over and checks to see if you would be a good fit to the unit and you get sent along to training. Before new recruits can participate in one of our two operation nights (Wednesday and Sunday, 2000 British time), we require them to complete a "Phase 1" training course. In this short and concise training session, usually organised outside of the op nights, recruits learn the basics: How is the platoon structured, how does the section work, what are the roles within the section, how do I react to contact, what do I say on the radio, and so on. Once this has been completed, recruits enter a probationary phase where they're assigned to one of the sections and we asses whether they're a good fit in the unit and if they are catching up on their skills and drills. Mentoring This is, of course, very much being thrown in the deep end. Every recruit is assigned a senior rifleman who will help them through the application process and phase one training. On operations, they are put close together in a section so the senior rifleman can help the new recruit by nudging him the right way from time to time. Continued training To complete their training as a rifleman, all members attend regular platoon-wide training sessions. These are organised on mission-nights and are usually a mix between refreshing basic individual and section level skills as well as campaign-specific training: It could cover anything we needed, from IED procedures, to refreshers on working with PPVs, to parachuting. In addition to this, we offer a variety of courses revolving around the use of specialized gear, from courses on the sharpshooter rifle, extra medical qualifications to the support qualifications where members are trained to work in a fire support section. At VOLCBAT, we pride ourselves in our training programmes and materials on which our training is based. Furnished from active and ex-members of the UK's armed forces, our trainings aim to emulate tactics, techniques and procedures modelled on the British army. At the same time, staying true to our "Milsim without the bollocks" credo, we limit ourselves strictly to tactics that work in ArmA3. Operations VOLCBAT runs two operations a week, every week. Our mission makes carefully construct realistic campaigns that usually last four to six missions and provide us with varyingchallenges: it might be a high IED-threat campaign on Kunduz, it might be a more conventional fight with Russian forces on Chernarus. Does this sound interesting to you? Visit our website and read our information pack to find out more about the unit and the application process.

VOLCBAT Public Operations VOLCBAT is a close knit community and most of our members have been around for a long time. In fact on average our members have been part of VCB for over 3 years although we do of course regularly recruit new members as the doors are always open. This has benefits when it comes to tactics and teamwork, and enables us to focus on the complexities of the mission instead of micro managing individual skills. We are also fortunate to have some very experienced military instructors on the team, from British Army officers, tank commanders, RAF pilots and Royal Marine Commandos. This depth of knowledge means we stay current on contemporary TTP's and have a very good understanding of how to deliver realistic military simulation. VCB Trials We have often been asked if it's possible to have trial members of VCB. We have avoided this because it requires just as much effort to join as a trial member as it does to go through our standard recruitment and integration training. However, we have recently set up an open Public Server for anyone to join and play alongside members of VCB. If you've wanted to see what milsim is all about but not wanted to commit to a group, this is a good opportunity to jump on and play with some of our members. Public Operations VCB will from time to time conduct more formal public and joint operations focused on community participation and recruitment. These will be advertised in the usual places and we will invite anyone from the ArmA community, including other milsim units to come and play with us. Further details will be posted in due course. Public Server Server details, rules and public teamspeak info can be found on our website under Public Ops Does this sound interesting to you? Visit our website and read our information pack to find out more about the unit and the application process. We are recruiting now!

Spring 2016 Update VOLCBAT is fortunate to have a dedicated team who have been with us for many years. Our active serving members keep us up to date on the latest tactics, techniques and procedures taught by the British Armed Forces and we regularly refresh the platoon on collective training nights. Everyone is a rifleman first but we also conduct specialist training for smaller groups in order to fill specific tasks on operations. These Additional Qualifications cover a wide variety of topics, from deployment of Fire Support Weapons such as the GPMG(SF) to understanding and writing Op Orders. All our training is conducted by a member with the relevant experience in real life. Whether that's a Royal Marine Commando, Royal Air Force fast jet pilot, Infantry Rifleman or Army Officer, what we teach is 100% authentic. Support Qualification The SQ is designed to equip 3 Platoon with a number of trained individuals who can fulfill critical roles in support of the operation when the situation demands. Ad Quals include use of UAVs and Light Utility Helicopters in the C2ISTAR role, Artillery Forward Observer and Mortar Fire Controllers course and a Joint Terminal Attack Controller course. Fire Team Commanders Course All our NCOs have to complete the FTC and we regularly conduct refresher training. We invite anyone who is interested to attend the course in order to learn what it takes to be in a leadership positions. Our Senior Riflemen often have to step up into the NCO positions too! Patrols Course Almost every op involves the platoon on some kind of patrol but occasionally we need to work as independent sections to fulfill a specific task. Planning and conducting a Recce Patrol with a small team is an important skill that every rifleman needs. In fact we often use the recce patrol format for our Potential Junior NCO cadres. This course covers ground appreciation, Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB), planning and conducting the patrol itself as well as how to write a patrol report. These are just some of the many courses that we run on a regular basis. Our training is supported by a detailed reference library in our Training Wing website, available to all members. Does this sound interesting to you? Visit our website and read our information pack to find out more about the unit and the application process. We are recruiting now!

Winter 2016 update VOLCBAT's core business, playing scenario cooperative games, wouldn't be possible without the hard work of our mission makers. They provide us with a steady stream of quality scenarios that allow us to deploy in a realistic way as a commando unit. Here are some of the highlights of the last few months: Operation Fortress by Dai Hard Operation Fortress highlighted an important commando mission type: the raid. In a set of aggressive, time-sensitive and explosive missions, the platoon intervened when the Northern Democratic Republic of Sahrani invaded the south part of the island. Raid missions require a high level of organization. Objectives need to be accomplished within a strict time limit, forcing the platoon to rely on its training to overcome the the typical delays associated with coordinating a platoon of men. The scant intelligence available also demands a degree of flexibility from the command team. These factors set the stage for a series of high-octane missions: going up against a heavily armed (and armoured) conventional force, under the cover of darkness, made for very challenging gameplay and there was certainly no guarantee of a successful mission outcome very time. Operation Vulture - by Rozo Operation Vulture saw VCB deploy to Isla Duala where we were to dig out a number of Molatian army positions from the Afrene territory. Well-entrenched, they provided for VCB's bread and butter combat routine: advance to contact, section attack and re-organisation, giving us a great opportunity to go back to the infanteering basics we drill in our training sessions. Nevertheless, our tactics required constant adapting to the ground as Duala's open terrain does not always allow for easy flanking opportunities. Our support section came into good effect in this situation. Operation Vulture - by Vince In this operation, VCB deployed to Chernarus as part of a multi-national task force to assist CDF forces in defeating the Separatists Revolutionary Army. The platoon went up against a conventional combined arms armoured force, creating an additional logistical problem for the platoon hauling large amounts of heavy anti-tank weaponry around. This forced a very different to the operation, putting more workload on the command team to maintain the tempo whilst figuring out how best to get the required materials to the right place. Support Team Even though VCB is a light infantry platoon with supports assets typically managed by AI, we recently created a training course and assessments for an ad hoc support team to provide us with additional tactical flexibility and fill capability gaps where the AI is incompetent. The Support Team are stood up only when required and are first and foremost Riflemen. They are trained in the use and tactical employment of heavy weaponry like machine guns in the fire support role, mortars, ISTAR equipment and logistics. This provides much needed flexibility between putting all our manpower in the sections or having reliable, human run support to hand. Does this sound interesting to you? Visit our website and read our information pack to find out more about the unit and the application process.

12 years old this month! Happy birthday to us, happy birthday to us, happy birthday dear VCB... In the month of October, VCB has celebrated its 12th birthday. Hip hip, hooray! VOLCBAT was born in October 2003 after a reorganization of our old group RSF. From the early days of Operation Flashpoint through Armed Assault, ArmA2 and now well into ArmA3, VCB has consistently delivered a truly credible British milsim experience. One of our members, DanNewb, made a nice montage video using screenshots and footage from OFP through to current day showing a small part of what we've been up to. With over 2500 hours played over more than 1000 official VCB operations, we must be doing something right. Parental Advisory: Video contains explosions and much allyness. There is of course plenty more where that came from - we don't plan on slowing down and VCB continues to operate around the Arma3 globe. Credit: Vince, 3 Sec If you'd like to find out more or to be a part of this long, shooty story please do visit us at www.volcbat.com or go right to our Recruitment Forum and apply today! Here are a few more videos showing what we've been up to Credit: IgelQott

Winter 2015 update The backbone of any good tactical experience is the quality of the scenarios crafted by the mission makers. Although VCB always plays in the light infantry role, our mission makers create a wide range of story lines and tactical situations in each campaign, and challenge us to be flexible about the way we approach our objectives. Operation Halifax - by Rozo Operation Halifax re-creates a modern counter-insurgency operation. Set in Reshmaan, the platoon is deployed to a patrol base out in the sticks, and has been instructed to maintain order in its assigned sector. This means regular patrols in order to assure the local population that BLUFOR is indeed in control of the ground, developing intelligence through interactions with the populace and community leaders, and responding quickly to urgent incidents. The quickly changing nature of that environment is reflected in our tactical considerations. First and foremost, the ubiquitous presence of IEDs has a major impact on the way we move around the battlefield: reliance on files to reduce the risk of stepping on one, an extra burden on the point men's shoulders to look for IED indicators, and a severely reduced ability to engage and manoeuvre around the enemy when in contact. The large civilian presence also presents challenges, ranging from a complicated set of rules of engagement, to our inability to deploy heavy weapons in towns we want to maintain good relations with. While the enemy may be underequipped compared to our platoon, they are vastly more maneuverable and are able to use our own restrictions against us. Operation Fingelsham Artesian - by Gilson In sharp contrast to the scenarios faced in Operation Halifax, this campaign set in Chernarus presents us with a more conventional battle. In this campaign, we face off against Russian motorized forces, supported by armour. The presence of concrete objectives, such as enemy-occupied towns, defensive positions or key enemy infrastructure result in a more deliberate and planned approach to the mission. Battling back and forth over key terrain, gauging the enemy's likely positions and making sure friendly forces do not get overextended are the features that make this campaign unique. The enemy armour in the area certainly changes the dynamic of our advance: with more anti-tank equipment to carry, sections become less maneuverable, and the management of artillery assets becomes an extra consideration for the platoon command element. Operation Nikeleye - by Parsons Operation Nikeleye serves as the testing platform for our ever-evolving addon pack. Run on a separate server, it features both modifications that we feel will improve our British-based experience and require testing, and a testing ground for Alive's persistent campaign features. In it, VOLCBAT deploys as a small commando element conducting reconnaissance and hit-and-run style direct action in support of the Alive-driven greater conflict. This means small teams that rely on mobility in the form of reconnaissance vehicles or helicopters, and managing a variety of equipment that increase self-sustenance in the field. Much of the effort made is about identifying key enemy holdings and logistics assets, and conducting quick and violent raids on the weak points in the enemy's system, withdrawing before the large conventional forces show up in reaction to the attack. These different scenarios showcase the variety of operations that we enjoy, and what keeps playing with VOLCBAT fresh every time. PJNCO cadre As with any group, VOLCBAT relies on a dedicated team of leaders that manage the unit's affairs both in-game and outside. With the recent departure of one of our NCOs, Scotia, the unit held an extensive JNCO cadre, part competition, part learning experience, in which the candidates for the positions were asked over the course of several events to plan and lead reconnaissance patrols on various objectives, and later to plan and execute raids on what they uncovered. As always, the challenge was met with great enthusiasm from both the candidates and the members they were tasked to lead. The event served both as a team-building exercise as well as a great opportunity to gauge our candidates leadership skills. We are therefore pleased to announce the addition of L/Cpl Telfer to our NCO team. Sounds interesting to you? Visit our website and read our information pack to find out more about the unit and the application process.