CLICK ON THE 2010 OPERATIONS BANNER TO ENLIST IN recondo school

Recondo 09 was hands down the best military simulation I have ever experienced. The level of immersion and realism was simply unmatched and exceeded all my hopes and expectations for my first Vietnam airsoft event.

-- Kiko, Aug 31, 2009

RECONDO School 2010 will be held August 5-8 in the Pacific North West. Our school is a multi- faceted event. It is primarily a living history weekend intended to provide the participants with a movie like experience placing them in Vietnam in 1969 as a student of the Elite and Rigorous RECONDO School at NHA TRANG Vietnam. All participants and the Cadre will wear period correct uniforms and use equipment representing weapons and supplies of the day. This is true for the students, cadre and the enemy forces. Even the language of the day will be encouraged. Sights, sounds and smells will be replicated to facilitate a completely immersive experience for the participants.

The Vietnam RECONDO School was known as the only school on earth where the final could get you killed. all students attending the  course were volunteers but to be accepted they had to be proven patrol specialists from the assorted LRRP/ RANGER elements for their perspective units. They were invited if they had demonstrated a level of competency in the field and had sufficient remaining time in country to apply what they learned and share their experiences back at their units. Likewise our RECONDO school is not for beginner airsofters.  It is very much an advanced course.  LRRPs were primarily reconnaissance units trained to insert deep in enemy territory, observe the enemy and provide intelligence that could guide conventional unit operations. They also were trained to conduct intelligence gathering ambushes, Harass and Interdiction missions (electronic ambushes and random combat operations), raids and prisoner snatches and other missions deemed essential by their units. For the most part the intent was to focus on what they saw rather than what they shot.

The primary goal of the RECONDO school is to serve as a small leaders course. Each student will be required to serve as a patrol leader and assistant patrol leader during the simulated combat missions assigned. They will be expected to create a plan, share the plan, anticipate contingencies, react to circumstances and lead their patrols effectively. They will be observed and graded on their effectiveness and receive valuable one-on-one coaching that will support their efforts both on the Airsoft battlefields and in whatever leadership assignments they have in civilian life. Communications and leadership are vital skills learned and translate extremely well in any setting. The intensity and dynamic environment creates an extremely effective laboratory for learning.

RECONDO School is secondarily a patrolling course that will teach individual and small unit skills that were required for survival in Vietnam and are useful for enhancing your individual and small team, Airsoft skills. Sessions include, Patrolling, Individual skills, Immediate Action Drills, Hand and Arm Signals, Map Reading and Land Nav, Quick kill Marksmanship, Ambush Techniques, RTO Procedures and Recon Techniques. These sessions will be taught by a seasoned and impressive list of cadre instructors. All are graduates of the US Armies’ actual RANGER School, RECONDO School or both. One instructor at the Course is Cal Rollins who was both a graduate of the actual NHA TRANG RECONDO School but also an instructor there. Another instructor was a former LRRP team leader in Vietnam and author of two books on the subject. John Burford. The course commandant was a graduate of the 101st RECONDO school and the 1st Brigade 9th ID course as well as the training officer for that course for 3 cycles. John Robison, The final lead instructor and acting Training Officer for the event is RANGER Josh Warren who served multiple tours recently in Iraq and Afghanistan. Others on the cadre are veterans and combat veterans.

All participants who complete the course will receive a certificate of completion. Only those satisfying the leadership requirements and demonstrating the necessary skills will graduate and receive their RECONDO patch. This patch may be worn proudly on their Airsoft uniforms. It mirrors the patches for the assorted division RECONDO schools by depicting an inverted arrow head signifying a threat from above at the point of the offensive spear. The Hooah Airsoft RECONDO patch features a Native American symbol for Sasquatch who was known by the NW American Indians as “One who lives in the woods but is seldom seen.” Are you up to the challenge? Enlist as a student in the 2010 RECONDO school class.

Price: $185