Tanker Tips

TANKER TIPS

The military calls it mechanized.  You call it riding around in some kick $@% vehicle last weekend when you played paintball.

I love the fact that paintball has evolved into what it is today. My father introduced me to paintball in 1989. The Sheridan pump pistol was all they rented. And those with the Bushmasters ruled. But what I wanted even then was to go to a game where a hundred or more would do scenarios. So here we are today and we even have people who bring mock military machinery to use in these hundred to even thousands of people scenario games.

DEPLOYMENT FROM A VEHICLE INTO HOSTILE TERRITORY
How to deploy from a vehicle while under fire or even just deploying into Indian country.

• 1. Watch your body parts while entering and exiting the vehicle. It’s very easy to have a body part slammed, pinched, and banged around while entering and exiting under hostile circumstances.
• 2. Prior positioning (and training is the key for this so train) get together and say “ok when we get out you will go here and you will go here etc. .”
• 3. You must cover every angle and keep low. The gunner for the vehicle will be going to town on the enemy if you are in a hot zone. Have 360 degrees covered. That means out of all the men you have, adding everyone’s position and field of fire they will equal up to having every angle covered.
• 4. Get 10-20 meters away from the vehicle the minute you exit. The vehicles draw fire and you are in the path of those rounds. Plus, if the vehicle detonates it can take you and your men out.
• 5. Once you have drawn your weapon; exited the vehicle and taken your assigned position, you will now go prone (laying down position). This gives the enemy less of a target.
• 6. Your team leader will decide to either Charlie Mike (Continue Mission), OR scramble back onto the vehicles and get out of dodge going cyclic on the weapons.
• 7. Deploy smoke to block their view if you must move from the area on foot. A good I.A.Drill is best for moving from the hostile area on foot.
• 8. Engage targets and move when told by team leader. You can deploy ordinance if you are within range. Your team will not get up until killed or told to move.

MOVING WITH ARMORED VEHICLES
In today’s battles victory is not won by man or machine alone. The tank cannot survive without soldiers protecting it. In today’s military tank platoons are accompanied by mechanized ground pounders. If a tank is ambushed by many targets then the mech comes in to help out. I DON’T SEE THIS IN PAINTBALL! I can’t tell you how many times I’m off the road watching the enemy tank go down all by itself into no mans land. Where is the support? A tank commander should talk to his general and have no less than 3 men assigned to just follow the tank around. It is too too easy in paintball to take out tanks. So here are some tips for ground pounders who run with the tank.

• 1. Stay 10 feet away from the tank! It’s the Rules! (at most fields) You wouldn’t stand right beside a tank in the real world anyway. They rotate on a dime and you will loose a leg or even worse all of you.
• 2.  If the tank engages a target make sure you have your flanks secured. Expect a flank attack on the opposite the tank is engaging.
• 3. Engage what the tank is targeting as well if you have the right ammo for the job. It will save ammo for one of you. And that other could save you later on.
• 4. Let the tank take point but don’t be so far back you can’t see his front view as well.
• 5. If the tank is hit the least you can do is avenge his death. It will also clear the way for the next tank if there is one.
• 6. Use what they have against them. If you have enough anti tank guys; assign them to the mechanized group. Let them fire right back at those who are hiding in bunkers and bases attacking the tank. DO NOT SHOOT AT INDIVIDUALS WITH A LAUNCHER! Do I need to repeat it?
• 7. In most cases if a tank is hit it just has to drive back to its insertion point. Wait for it till it comes back if you are assigned to it. You can set up an ambush and kill many just waiting for it to come back. Plus, gather info and help out a unit till it gets back. If that unit pushes on, after helping it stay and wait for the tank.
• 8. Once reunited follow step 1-6.

TIPS FOR TANKERS
I have never ridden in a tank(on it, yes) so I don’t know a lot but I will tell you what I know from having a tanker father who also went Airborne and Mp. So these are not SOP for military but what I would do if I was riding around in a coffin.

• 1. Make foot soldiers follow me .Not just ride around in it.
• 2. Make a cannon to fire nerf footballs. I can’t tell you how many alleged tanks I have seen which do not have a cannon, but instead have port holes and double paint ball guns. You can make a launcher if you take the time and want to spend about 100.00 bucks. I mean you took the time to make a vehicle into a paintball toy, why not go all the way.
• 3. Do not use plexiglass for your windows. You will not be able to see after your first go around on the battlefield. Use netting! ITS ONLY PAINT,.IT WILL WASH OFF OF YOU!
• 4. Assign someone to retrieve your rockets. Even if they are eliminated trying to get it, I can’t imagine someone telling them they couldn’t get it AS long as they didn’t run back up to the tank to let them use it again.
• 5. Destroy everything!
• 6. Wait for another tank to help assist on hitting a well defended target. Even if the enemy anti-tank team gets one tank, the other has a chance of spotting and hitting the target.
• 7. Be safe driving out there.

For tips on Paintball Tactics you can check out our article here.