Introduction

[goon175]

Welcome to the site comcam,
I do have some advice, you can take it for what its worth....

1. If you aren't already, get in great shape. It doesn't take too much of a stretch of the imagination to figure out where your going, and there are some looong infils. The fastest way to get taken off the manifest (as an attachment) is to not keep up on infil/exfil. Set your kit up now the way your going to use it over there, and start doing PT in it. I'm not saying throw your plates on and go for a light jog, but get completely kitted out, draw your weapon, put your NODs on your mich, the whole nine yards, and do PT. Get used to being in that shit for long hours up and down shitty terrain and keeping up with dudes who take pride in embarassing others in PT.

2. Know your role. Don't try to jump into the breach to get some action shots (seen it happen). Make sure you talk to the PSG at some point before you go out, and find out his expectations of where he wants you in the order of movement, when it will be ok to approach the target building, etc.

3. Don't make the guys nervous to take you out b/c of lack of the basics. walking around with your IR laser on, not tying your stuff down, not having noise/light discipline, etc. are all examples of what not to do.

4. Everyone likes to look at themselves doing cool guy stuff whether they admit it or not. If you take bad ass pics, they will be excited to take you out. If after every mission all you got was a jumble of blurry shit...yeah not so much. My 4th trip the comcam guy we had with us took some bad ass pics, his stuff could make nat. geographic look like a bunch of kids with disposable cameras. My last trip, the pics were really hit and miss. The difference between the way these two guys were treated? my fourth trip they went out of there way to get comcam on the manifest when ever they could. My last trip, comcam went out only when it was conveniant. some food for thought....

5. Be eager to learn. You are going to spend a significant amount of time with some of the best in the game. Rangers are unique in that we train both at home and every chance we get while deployed. Hook up with the squad leaders and team leaders, let them know that you would like to train with them as much as possible. And not just when your bored and all caught up on season 6 of entourage. Everytime some one goes to the range, when they do combat focused pt, doing demo/breaching classes, or even just doing react to contact drills, ask if you can tag along. learn as much as you can. not only will you walk away a better soldier/comcam, but you will be less of a liability and more of an asset when out on mission (but still defer to #2 above).

6. When in doubt, apply the fifth principle of patrolling...common sense!

[Jim]

Allow me to add to what is the best discussion of what is expected of someone "attached" to a unit during combat. Re-read Ranger Goon's message several times and don't never forget nothing.

Welcome...