How to use real Army methods to best prepare for a Airsoft game.

Introduction

Okay so you have your next event coming up and you want to make sure that you are totally ready for it, but how do you best prepare for it and how can you make your life easier so you don’t miss anything important out. Well in this post I will take you through the way that British Soldiers prepare for battle, and explain how you can use the exact same method to prepare for Airsoft.

The British Army and most militaries in general love acronyms, they have one for literally everything, sometimes it is totally overkill and a little stupid however a lot of the times they are genuinely helpful and are used a lot. The one we are going to discuss today in this post is PAWPERSO.

If you know anyone in the Army, they will 100% have been taught this. I still remember now to this day being taught it on a basic training exercise and conducting the necessary steps making sure I had nailed each one before we stepped off on a patrol – and even as the years have passed any my experience and ability as a soldier has increased I still conduct PAWPERSO on every exercise or training event. It is in fact the first step in the 6 section battle drills.

So what is PAWPERSO and why should I be using it?

Well simply put it is the acronym that you follow in order to prepare yourself for battle, it covers all the necessary steps that you need to take to make sure you have the best chance of success possible, and it forms as the very first step in the 6 section battle drills which is “preparation”.

The Breakdown

So lets get straight into it and break it down:

• Protection

• Ammunition

• Weapons

• Personal Camouflage

• Equipment

• Radios

• Specialist Equipment

• Orders.

Lets go into each on in more detail:

Protection: Making sure you have protection when you are preparing, typically you will be in a safe zone while you are conducting the preparation for the event but if you have to conduct it in the field, make sure you have sentries posted or some sort of cover provided by a team mate so the enemy don’t catch you slacking.

Ammunition: This is where you will make sure you have enough ammunition to last the event, making sure that you have the correct BB weight for the weapon and site (some have limits). Have all your magazines loaded and if using a GBBR making sure that all your magazines are topped with gas. Carry extra ammunition in a speed loader if required for the game.

Weapons: Here you want to be checking they are serviceable and working correctly, if you are using a GBBR make sure they are lubed as required to help maintain them especially If its wet outside. This is also where you want to conduct a Chrono of the weapons to make sure you are legal! If you have a primary and secondary do all the required checks for both. Make sure sights are set up and zeroed in and that any attachments are tight and secure. I would also add Battery checks for AEGs here too, as they are kind of important!

Personal Camouflage: This one is a little less important in Airsoft, as people tend to wear what they like and what they want. A rule of thumb is to match the environment you are in, so if you are in an urban setting, woodland camouflage may not be the best. Try to blend as best as possible and be aware how effective your camouflage is. For nighttime missions, wear the same as you would during the day, it will blend the same with its surroundings in the lower light levels – and black is not all that effective (but does look cool)!

Equipment: This is the equipment that you will be carrying or wearing, so things like plate carriers, shooters belts, helmets, EYE PRO, FACE PRO, ear pro and any equipment that you will always use or have on your person regardless of the situation. Make sure it fits correctly, make sure it is serviceable and is going to function as intended. This is where I would also conduct noise checks to make sure you don’t sound like the tin man, where you can be heard a mile away from your battle rattle. Keep loose straps tied and secured down to limit snags and hang ups in game.

Radios: If you use radios to communicate with teammates, this is where you will want to check they work, make sure you are on the right frequency or channel and that you conduct a coms check. Have spare batteries if required to last the game or have a way to recharge in between games.

Specialist equipment: This is equipment that is specific to the task or mission you are undertaking, for example you might need breaching equipment on some MilSims, or you may need NVD (Night Vision Device) if conducting nighttime ops. Again, making sure it works, is serviceable and is secured and stowed correctly in your kit.

Orders: This is where you will be told what you are doing and why, typically it will be a game brief that is delivered just before you start playing. It will describe what exactly you are doing and the game rules. With some larger MilSims you may get a brief situational description of what is happening or what to expect also.

Summary

You have now conducted the preparation phase of getting ready for airsoft battle! Following these steps will help you prepare for your airsoft games and give you the best chance of making sure that you don’t have any game day hiccups. With Airsoft you can conduct elements of this way before the actual game day, so don’t think you have to wait to start checking kit, it should be a continuous thing you do outside of the airsoft events you take part in.

Train Hard Fight Easy. T .