TAAGS AAR - September 20, 2025
YouTube Footage
General Field Information
TAAGS is on 5 acres privately owned by Bolt. Super cool dude. The people running this were awesome, well organized, clearly articulated things.
Sessions
There is a morning session and afternoon session, $20 each, you can play one or both. There is a 2-hour break in between, which we actually were invited out by this Russian team for a private match which was actually maybe the best part of the day.
Field
Plenty of trails, multiple towers, multiple other objective areas (tincan, tent), hills, big open area, two connex boxes (a respawn). I would describe as a really good, cozy size.
Facilities
They have multiple shed "store fronts" essentially, with I believe some gear you can buy, snacks/food, and Sabre airsoft gun shop (I bought two Krytacs there). There are two honey buckets to take your poops.
Safety
Before each of the morning session and afternoon session, your guns are chrono'd and you stick a tiny ziptie to your gun to show it has been chrono'd. Everyone is instructed to wear at least a balaclava face cover, if not actual mask (mesh etc). In addition full seal eye pro is required (glasses, mesh). Anyone found on the field without is to be yelled at "BLIND MAN".
Sportsmanship
Everyone was super cool given this data point of one session. I dont think we experienced any cheaters, I called hits I think twice where I wasnt really sure but figured call it to be safe.
Labrador AAR
Communications
Comms are important to have squared away before an event like this. Losing comms with each other repeatedly led to either inaction or aimless participation.
Patrol Fundamentals
Patrol fundamentals broke down and were not easy to employ given randos trying to weave in and out of our formation. This ended up leaving gaps in security and a lack of cohesion between our actual squad.
Team Structure
Lack of a team structure led to inaction and indecisiveness. Need a squad lead and fire team leads who also establish a squad objective before reaching the AO.
Physical Fitness
Get fit or you're (me) gonna die.
Nomad AAR
Airsoft-isms
Real bullets are going through brush and plywood, so when defending the tower and shooting at a flanking opfor who I can see clearly through brush, but my BBs aren't penetrating enough, that is kind of immersion breaking but I guess you have to roll with it.
Final game of the day was an everyone full-auto, plant your flag and defend, unlimited respawn, team deathmatch. Some of the guys thought this was great, I personally ended up going back to safe zone and packing up because I thought it was just too much of an airsoft game.
My observation was dudes getting into the it's an airsoft match, wasn't even sure where they were what the plan was, just seemed like chaotic airsoft battle, which wasn't what I personally was there for (stick in the mud), but totally fine the other guys had fun with it (it was the last of the day after all).
Communications
Everyone did have comms to some degree, but clearly we need to get everyone to a MINIMUM base level, which I am going to say is the Earmor M32 with PTT or BETTER. Even my Sordins with expensive Gucci disco32 shit seemed to have issue where I had to unplug and plug back in, and everyone keeps saying I sound quiet. I will have to debug and see WTF is up with this. $750 Sordin comms headset and $350 disco32 my shit should work fucking FLAWLESS.
Kinks
Working out the bugs, make sure we get dudes having the right combination of PTT device that works with the headset. There is low impedance, high impedance, ztac as major three types of U94 PTT (wirings). And they don't all work with all headsets. Disco32 has a new two-in-one PTT that at least solves the problem of low/high impedance but doesn't work with ztac headsets.
Basics
Radio basics, remember when using PTT to push your talk button, wait 1.5 seconds, THEN talk, wait a second, then release. Multiple times messages were not coming through because people were pushing their PTT and instantly trying to talk and then you cant hear shit because it wasn't transmitting so it comes cut out.
Use your Words
Ability to clearly articulate position, directions, plan. There were numerous occasions of "we are in the bushes", like dude everything is fucking bushes. "We are at the tree", dude everything is trees. We need to be able to clearly articulate how to link up again, where and how to get there. Now as we learn an area obviously it would be easier if we all knew the various main locations (e.g. connex, SE tower, tincan, tent).
Physical Fitness
I was sweating bawls, and I passed out pretty much right after I got home until 7am the next morning (today). There are multiple hills to climb, and a good mix of that explosive movement, running/sprinting, and just adrenaline pumping even while doing some slow movement.
Airsoft guns like the Lancer Tactical gen 2 all polymer are super light, as are the mags, they weight nothing compared to real mags with 556 (1LB for a 30rd each). For the first half of the day I was wearing assault pack with like 12 spare mags and various other stuff.
Overall I wasn't totally gassed, but then again I wasn't running the entire time. I thought it was just the right amount of cardio to go "huh, well fuck I need more cardio fatty".
Patrol/SUT Fundamentals
This is where we knew going in that hey look, this is an airsoft field, it is an airsoft game primarily, so that 100% introduces some airsoft-isms that can break the immersion/realism.
Team Structure
This should be absolutely no surprise to any of us, pretty duh thing, but establishing clear fire teams, with fire team leader ahead of time. Next time we have to do this. Additionally, if there are enough for a squad, establishing a squad leader.
Team Leader
If you are the team leader, your PRIMARY job is NOT to get into the gunfights and get tunnel visioned on "winning the game". For me, our decision to put TL in position 3 of the fire team stack was affirmed. As team leader, your job is to command and control, know where your guys are at all times. Additionally, if you are a rifleman on a team, you should always be checking and knowing where your guy is on your left and right.
The team leader should not be the first one (ideally) to engage in a fire fight, and should be who is communicating information and commanding the team with decision-making. Where is the enemy, how many, where to shoot, what are we doing (break contact or assault), where are we going, do all of your team members understand what the plan is, where we are going.
Sticking Together
Alright this was my number one complaint/critique from the day. I can see how guys may get sucked into "winning the airsoft game", and fucking off on their own, but our intent is small unit tactics, being a fire team, and general doctrine is that a fire team is the smallest unit you break down into and you fight together.
It felt like half the time was spent going "where the fuck are you? where the fuck is Zeka? Goddamnit Chewy why are you going down that trail by yourself when we are all going left??".
If we were in a real fight and dudes are just solo-capping, we are all dead.
The TL should know where all his guys are at all times, and you should know where your TL is. Going off on your own on different trails, splitting up, this is not the way.
You Gotta Keep It Separated
My second biggest critique is an airsoft-ism one that we likely can't solve at a public airsoft game, which is the respawn mechanism. Remember, this is an airsoft game, somewhat mimicking call of duty. When you "die", you have to go back to your team's respawn point, then get back into the game.
Well, what this causes is a huge clusterfuck for teams working together because you instantly get separated, and if comms are not working or team members are not communicating clearly enough or articulating what the fucking plan is, it was a shit show. Not knowing what is going on, where people are at, where to go, not being familiar with the field and locations made this not enjoyable at least for me.
A couple of times myself, and myself + Labrador ended up just sitting down at the connex respawn because it was just retarded being separated and not being able to communicate with the guys that were still out and having no idea what to do. It's not fun to just wander around looking for your guys, getting shot again, heading back to respawn. My big take-away for running our own internal or cross-group sessions is we need to use MARCH/TCCC TQ or dedicated medic roles, revive in the field to keep teams as close together as possible, OR not respawns, but basically don't send a team member halfway across the "map" to force them to wander back.
CQB / SUT Fundamentals
When you are on the tight trails, it feels like CQB rules at that point. We KNOW we need rear security and we did get it picked up decently, but when out in an airsoft game I think it was easy to forget some fundamentals.
Fatal funnel, when we're on a trail, dont stand in the middle of the fucking trail which is the fatal funnel and where all the bullets go, and you are not leaving room for people to move up/down the stack.
Labrador and I experienced this, which WAS a good experience and we hopefully learned our lesson, where we were with the stretcher and security team looking for our pilot, and Labrador and I were pulling rear security, but he was in the very rear, middle of trail, he looked away for one second and OPFOR runs across and hits him, then because we are in a file in the middle of the fuckin trail, he is blocking my sector of fire so I get hit by OPFOR too and we both go down. I think we did at least end up saving the casevac team because we were hanging back a bit to cover rear, just poorly.
Another situation that came up a few times, again people standing or walking in the middle of the trail and a few times I had to shout "MAKE ROOM" so other randos on our team could push up in front, but having that situational awareness and knowing to get the fuck out of the way for others.
Sportsmanship / Social
Everyone seemed nice, friendly, no assholes that I ran into. There was a Russian (or Ukrainian??) group that seemed super chill, and even invited us out during the 2-hour break for a private match. They seemed to be more on the tactical/serious side which was great.
We also picked up a "conscript" during the morning session that joined our team.
Gear / Equipment
Magazines
The mid-cap 120 round magazines I think were the perfect size. It's airsoft, that shit is not accurate and not that much range, and when laying down covering fire, I went through 5 magazines in one game/round. Which was great. Remember to call out "RELOADING!"
Eye Protection
The mesh goggles after all day the bridge of my nose was fucking bruised feeling. First part of the morning I had them too tight and it was literally giving me a headache.
Helmet
My bump helmet may actually be a little too tight, or might need a better padding system, need to play with that.
Overall, no major gear issues, nothing broke, didn't notice jingle jangle.
I did do a number of tactical/admin reloads. It solidified my belief of minimum of 6 mags or your wrong. After doing some covering fire, I did do a reload to get a fresh magazine in before next contact. I also took the time a few times to restack magazines in my chest rig moving empty/low to the right side (magazine management). One change for next time is doing the reverse direction trick, which I knew but for some reason didn't do. As I was getting fresh mag, I was putting my empty/low mag behind the double stack, but should have reversed the direction so I didn't have to remember that shit.
Magazine Reloader
PTS Odin Innovations M12 Sidewinder Airsoft BB Speed Loader, this thing is the TITS. Fuck all those cheap plunger reloaders, invest the $50 and buy this speed loader.
Standardized Comms Radio
Having us all on RA89, we saw a benefit of this when one of the guys didnt have a fully updated filled radio (no MURS), so I was able to just swap his radio out with one of the two spares I brought. Same radio so really doesn't matter whose it is.
Identify Friend Foe / PID
The yellow/orange neon armbands were Gucci. Totally worth the investment. I can see the yellow better than orange but that totally helped. It was a bit of a struggle in the field identifying friend vs foe, and Madmax had three friendly fire fratricides, womp.
Overall Thoughts
I focused primarily on critiques/improvements, but there were positives as well obviously. Overall I feel 100% good on the airsoft investment. I totally see this being a viable asset for training.
Start of the morning, with a slower first mission/game, we had some pretty good movement, covering, fire and maneuver. That felt pretty good. Dudes were picking up rear security.
Comms when they were working, were 100% convenient. I don't know how a team would play without comms.
Zeka AAR
- Situation
On 20 SEP 2025, MK conducted airsoft operations at TAAGS Field. The team arrived early, securing sufficient time to establish a staging area, test communications, inspect weapons, and prepare gear. The event consisted of multiple matches with limited downtime between engagements, allowing minimal opportunity for hydration, debriefing, or reloading. The operational environment featured dense brush, narrow scurry trails (approximately 1.5-man width), and frequent openings/forks, creating complex terrain for maneuver and communication. Objectives primarily involved capturing and holding designated points, with opposing forces (OPFOR) identified by lack of armbands (friendly forces wore armbands). - Execution
• Preparation: The team arrived early, enabling effective setup, comms checks, and gear preparation prior to the first match.
• Initial Engagements: The first two matches suffered from a lack of established command structure, resulting in confusion, indecision, and delays in movement. To address this, the team reorganized into Alpha (holding element) and Bravo (flanking element) teams, each with designated team leads. This structure improved coordination but required refinement.
• Mid-Operation Adjustment: By the second half of the day, the team was reduced from six to four personnel, which enhanced cohesion and simplified coordination.
• Key Actions: The team engaged in objective-focused movements, with a notable late-game push led by [Callsign: Chewy] to assault a flag objective. Despite failing to secure the objective, the effort demonstrated potential for rallying unaffiliated players (“randoms”) under clear leadership.
• Challenges: Narrow trails created linear danger areas (LDAs), complicating movement and increasing vulnerability to ambushes. Poor positive identification (PID) in dense terrain led to multiple friendly fire incidents, with team members, including the reporting individual, shot in the back. OPFOR’s ability to dig into brush-heavy positions made dislodging them difficult once objectives were secured. - Sustainment
• Early Arrival: Arriving early ensured ample time for setup, comms checks, and gear prep, contributing to operational readiness.
• Team Reorganization: Establishing Alpha and Bravo teams with designated leads improved command and control, enhancing coordination compared to initial matches.
• Smaller Team Cohesion: The reduction to a four-man element in the second half improved teamwork and communication, enabling more effective movement.
• Leadership Initiative: [Callsign: Chewy]’s late-game leadership demonstrated that clear, decisive commands can rally unaffiliated players to execute coordinated actions. - Improvement
• Command Structure: Pre-establish a clear chain of command and designate team leads prior to engagement to eliminate initial confusion. Conduct pre-game briefings to assign roles and clarify objectives.
• Communication: Implement standardized communication protocols, including cardinal directions and identifiable terrain markers, to improve coordination and reduce confusion over comms.
• LDA Management: Refine tactics for navigating linear danger areas. Designate a point man to signal threats or secure openings/forks, with the team maintaining proper spacing to avoid being wiped out by OPFOR ambushes.
• Positive Identification (PID): Develop methods to improve PID in dense terrain, such as enhanced visual markers or verbal challenges, to reduce friendly fire incidents.
• Physical Fitness: Emphasize explosive movement and endurance training to enable rapid objective capture before OPFOR can entrench. - Lessons Learned
• Leadership is Critical: A defined command structure is essential for effective execution, particularly in chaotic environments with unaffiliated players.
• Terrain Impacts Tactics: Narrow trails and dense brush require disciplined movement, spacing, and awareness of LDAs to mitigate ambushes.
• PID Challenges: Dense environments complicate PID, necessitating robust identification protocols to prevent friendly fire.
• Airsoft Limitations: Airsoft’s rules (e.g., respawn vs. tourniquet application) and equipment (e.g., BB deflection by branches, mechanical issues like [Callsign: Labrador]’s charging handle malfunction) limit realism for firearms training but remain valuable for movement and communication drills.
• Safety Protocols: Adherence to sector-of-fire discipline and the 15-degree rule is critical to prevent safety violations, particularly when navigating with unaffiliated players.
• Objective Capture: Speed and aggression are key to securing objectives before OPFOR can entrench, highlighting the need for physical conditioning and decisive movement. - Recommendations
• Conduct pre-game planning sessions to establish command, roles, and communication protocols.
• Train on LDA navigation and PID in dense terrain to improve situational awareness and reduce friendly fire.
• Develop SOPs for integrating unaffiliated players, including pre-game coordination and clear in-game leadership.
• Reinforce safety briefings to ensure adherence to sector-of-fire and muzzle discipline, especially in mixed-team environments. - Conclusion
The airsoft operation at TAAGS Field provided valuable training in movement, communication, and small-unit tactics. While initial challenges in command and coordination were mitigated through reorganization, further improvements in pre-planning, PID, and LDA management are necessary. The event underscored the importance of leadership, physical fitness, and disciplined safety practices in achieving mission success.
Chewy AAR
Trails are fucked. Hard to avoid in black berries.
Because visibility was limited, there was a tendency to bunch up. Very difficult to maintain visual contact and maintain proper distance in the winding network of blackberries.
In a network of trails in blackberries it's damn near impossible to avoid an ambush.
Bushwhacking in thick forrest is doable, but loud and slow. Flanking maneuvers are equally tough when it's so thick.
Avoid funnel trails at all costs if possible.
Assign alpha numeric designations to landmarks along the patrol route so we can effectively reference locations and avoid shit like "I'm by the tree."
Challenge passwords equally essential.
Tons of friendly fire - PID before engaging.
Overall it was good, and the airsoft guns can be a good tool for training in the future - patrols, ambushes, cqb especially.
Pillow AAR
Individual
- Cardio & Mobility: Performed better than expected, with good hip flexibility. Full face mask with ear pro accommodations worked well, no issues with comms or endurance.
- Takeaways: Solid individual performance, continue to build on mobility and cardio to maintain edge.
Team
- Observations
- Confusion & Coordination: Inconsistent actions across squads led to disorientation and "herky jerky" movements, disrupting team cohesion.
- Command Execution: All members knew and executed commands (e.g., Contact, Cover, Move, Close Ranks, On Me) correctly, showing strong individual training.
- Leadership Gap: Hesitation or lack of clear leadership caused inefficiencies. Uncertainty or fear of making wrong decisions likely contributed.
- Fire Team Split: Dividing into two fire teams was effective; splitting into three was not, leading to further fragmentation.
- Positives:
- Progress made in refining movement security on rabbit trails and fire team coordination.
- Potential for significant growth with improved leadership and skill-focused practice during exercises.
- Recommendations:
- Leadership Development: Assign clear leaders for each session and encourage decisive action, even if imperfect, to build confidence.
- Streamline Squad Actions: Standardize squad movements and tactics to reduce confusion; conduct pre-session briefs to align objectives.
- Fire Team Structure: Stick to two fire teams for better control; avoid further splits unless tactically necessary.
- Skill Integration: Incorporate skill drills into dynamic scenarios to enhance muscle memory and team synergy under pressure.
Overall, solid foundation with clear areas for improvement. Focus on leadership and coordinated movement to elevate performance.