Communication Fundamentals
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Situation Reports
When someone requests a Situation Report or Sit-Rep, they want to know how the situation is going or being handled. Even if you have not reached a certain objective yet, your superiors still want a clear image about what your plan is to move to an objective.
Sit-Rep Example:
Deployment Leader: “I need your squad to move over to the left flank of Echo and approach the point from the rear”
Fireteam Leader: “Seen, moving now”
Deployment Leader: “Give me a sit-rep”
Fireteam Leader: “We are approaching the objective now however are facing a lot of bugs on our left flank. Will be able to move to the rear position in a few minutes”
3D’s of Callouts
It is vital that if you want information conveyed clearly and thoroughly, you need to have an understanding of the 3D’s of callouts or some variation of the 3. Every callout must follow this format however orders may have different SoPs when speaking. DO NOT repeat yourself unless you feel like you weren’t heard or it is a matter or urgency. You do not want to clutter the comms.
The 3D’s are:
Distance: How far a specific target is from a location. This is to better determine how close or far a target is from someone and allows for people to know where to compensate in terms of weapon or equipment. It is not always necessary however if you believe Direction is only needed for a callout.
Direction: The specific location of a target. Use specific landmarks or objectives to make it easier to identify the location of an enemy. Calling out the target is not good enough as that information is not helpful without knowing where the target is, it is your job to make sure that gets conveyed when you see the target. Objective Markers or Key Areas on the Map will help you. Make sure your direction is specific enough to understand.
Description : The description of the target itself or the subject you are trying to point out. You can not make a callout with a direction nor without a description. An ACE report can be provided regarding the target’s health. Full Health, Half Health, Low Health.Callout Examples:
There is a Bile Titan on Extraction, across the map!
Multiple B1 and B2 contacts on Echo point.
Tank is low on health near caves under Charlie!!
Echo is all clear, no major threats, only 2 Stalkers north of the zone.
I killed the Tank, who was located South East from us.
Do Not!!!:
“TANK! TANK! TANK!!!”
The callout is being repeated and only Description is being used. It is neither clear or simple of where the target is. Only repeat if it is of immediate urgency or callout was not heard.
“Ughhhh, Shrieker here”
Unnecessary remarks in callout as well as not specific enough direction of target. Callout is not very important either because the target is not a priority.
“Got Spewer” OR “Dead”
Neither callout is specific enough and the second does not provide a description, distance, or direction. Where was the Spewer killed? Is the point clear now? Who is dead?
Priority Targets:
On the field, not everything has to be a callout. When you want to only provide vital and precise information, it is important to know priority targets to call out in order to be the most useful in a deployment. Targets will be given a priority list to show what you should or should not focus on calling out to your team.
Landmarks:
Landmarks are an important location because if they are not on a certain objective, it will be harder to track a certain target. You may utilize command landmarks on maps that are universally understood to better specify your callouts.
Radio Discipline:
Radio Discipline is utilized to decrease the amount of excessive and pointless chatter on the comms side of a deployment. When there could potentially be 4 people in a deployment and everyone is talking pointlessly, there will be a lot of radio traffic on the comms especially when someone is trying to give orders. When not talking about callouts or planning attacks, the person should be quiet to maintain clear communication.
As a troop unit on the field, not all callouts will apply to you if that be due to distance or vicinity. It is your job to be able to distinguish what callout or orders are important to you, which one to follow, and which one to ignore. They will not always call you out by name or unit so it is important you understand how it works.
Order Acknowledgement:
If you are receiving an order, make sure to comply to your superior to notify with them that you comply with the order:
Seen/Copy - say one of these to show you understand what is being said.
Clear Comms
“Clear Comms” is something you say when there is traffic in the comms and you need to relay a message of urgency and can be repeated 3 times. When you call out with a loud tone: “Clear Comms” it is a signal to everyone in the voice chat to lock it up and be quiet so they can hear your transmission. This can also be used when the deployment leader requires everyone’s attention however too many people are talking at once. When you hear “Clear Comms”, you must be quiet even if you were in the middle of making a callout.