USMG - Basic Leader Course Study Material

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Basic Leader Course (BLC)

Utilize this guide to progress to the rank of E5 within the USMG. This is a reference that will always be available to you to go back on and review. You are free to use this during your tests and evaluations. This document is updated regularly, and is to be considered doctrine for planning, enforcement, and documentation purposes.

Click on each drop-down box to expand details of each topic - mastery of each topic is essrntial as a Noncommissioned Officer in the United States Military Group

Topic 1: Obby Navigation

Obbies are important for a plethora of reasons within our genre and profession. Many times in raids, you will be expected to navigate difficult terrain with ease. The seconds that you can shave off through your hours of training could make the difference between winning and losing a raid. Navigating difficult terrain and obstacles in Roblox should be second nature to every Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) in the USMG. You should be fully in control of your character at all times, whether you are on mobile, PC, or console. You must be able to not only know these foundational skills and concepts, but assist others in mastering them too. As an NCO, you are never too good to take your subordinates to an obby and brush up on your navigational abilities. Utilizing strategies such as shift-lock, first person navigation, and advanced camera panning can make the difference between a raid win and loss, between a new member and someone disappointed with your lack of technical expertise in the game.

Topic 2: Event Hosting

Events in groups are typically repetitive, nonsensical, and no fun in general. They can be massive wastes of time, led by inexperienced instructors, teaching you skills you literally will never need or use. The USM aims to fix these problems by instilling a certain mentality in event hosts to prevent poor events, and promote event attendance. This document will cover the following:

  1. Event Growth

  2. Event Engagement

  3. Event Diversity

  4. Host Maturity/Control

EVENT GROWTH

All events in the USM should be hosted with a mentality of growth. You are so much more than an event host. You are a leader. You are a teacher. You are an example.

DO NOT:

Train others in something you are not confident and proficient in

Host an event with minimal interaction between attendees

DO:

Encourage Questions

Cater to the group of people you’re hosting for. Ensure that experienced members gain just as much from the event as inexperienced ones.

Leverage the knowledge and expertise of experienced members to lessen your workload and give them an opportunity to learn by teaching

Encourage everyone in the event to get to know each other, interact, and grow closer as friends. Ask about their day, tell them about yourself and vice versa, get a feel for what sort of role they’d assume in the group.

EVENT ENGAGEMENT

Both Training AND social events should be engaging, fun, and provide a better group of people than what you started with.

Events cannot be engaging if the host does not have any contingencies for if the event falls through, or a “Plan B”. If the raid you planned falls through, have an alternate lined up. If the game you play ends up boring most of the players, have a second one lined up. Have an alternate host on standby in case anything happens and you cannot continue. Hosting good events will heavily encourage people to take you seriously and attend events more, it will also make your experience more enjoyable for both the host, and the people attending the event.

EVENT DIVERSITY

Any game on roblox can be used for events. Do not forget this. Furthermore, do not underestimate using our own base for events, which comes with a plethora of benefits including increased recruitment. However, keeping activity in our own games has its own set of benefits, as it generates revenue, attracts more players, and will often lead to a larger event turnout. If our training facilities are found to be inadequate at any point, letting your chain of command know may lead to our developers implementing new features that could be of use in the future.

HOST MATURITY/CONTROL

As a host, you must keep your composure. This is easier said than done, but ensure that those you are in charge of understand that there is a time for work and a time for play. Do not let them run over you and make a mockery of your training.

If there are trolls, disruptive individuals, or any other disturbances interrupting your event, it is essential that you have the mental agility to navigate these obstacles, removing the issues from the event by any means necessary and making a mental note of how to prevent it in the future.

Events are all about flow. The second your event ceases its natural flow, for any reason, the trainees OR the host, the event instantly becomes far less enjoyable to everyone involved, and loses its effect.

Remember the following when hosting events

  1. Talk to as many people as possible, especially those active in chat. Get to know them and create a relationship that makes them want to reply to my pings, or at least acknowledge them.

  2. Hosting an informal pre event, getting the people from chat to hop in voice and get comfortable, talk about our days, get a general consensus of what event they want to see and what we can get out of it

  3. Pinging people to rally up for the event, getting to a place we can wind up and get ready, whether it’s a chill game or a competitive one. Somewhere we can all be in voice.

  4. Encourage those in voice and those in chat (even those who can’t attend) to invite their friends who they know can attend

  5. Conduct the event. Keep people involved. Communicate, make it fun, and make it so people get something out of it. A CT means nothing if you aren’t getting people to improve through constant feedback. A raid means nothing if you have 0 good reason to raid. Game nights are lame if it’s a dozen people playing together silently. Get to know them! Have some fun! That will make people more likely to return to your events and be more active with you in general. Step 1 is the most important. Building a repertoire with the people who talk in chat, and more so those who don’t, will quadruple your activity in no time!

Topic 3: Patrolling

PURPOSE

The main purpose of patrolling is to establish the USM’s security presence in an area and validate security. It also serves the secondary purpose of team building, becoming more familiar with USM Maps and doctrine, and building discipline within the ranks.

A successful patrol of USM personnel will ensure that the local area stays secure, personnel are always sharp and ready for combat, and that the local population, whether they be players or USM personnel in garrison, knows that they are safe; the USM is in town.

MOUNTED VS DISMOUNTED

When patrolling, dismounted patrols enable troops to navigate terrain more easily since they don’t have to lug a vehicle everywhere. It also makes them a smaller target, and more easily able to interact with the local population.

However, it also makes the dismounted personnel easier to harm, and hinders their rate of movement since they no longer have wheels to get them to where they need to be.

BRIEFS

Every good patrol should include a pre patrol brief where the patrol leader (the highest ranking person) will designate roles, prepare with the proper gear and uniforms, get everyone in comms, and establish callisgns, followed by a rehearsal, where members can practice their basic combat drills in case they receive contact. They should also incorporate a post patrol brief, where they discuss these 4 key items

  1. What was supposed to happen

  2. What actually happened?

  3. What can we sustain?

  4. What can we improve?

Those 4 questions are not exclusive to patrols, but should actually be incorporated into every event that you host in the USM. Letting your attendees have input on these key topics will improve your event experience tenfold.

Topic 4: Individual Combat

ROBLOX COMBAT

Roblox combat, unfortunately, is just as reliant on your PC capabilities as it is your ability to actually point and shoot. Latency, lag, and a slow computer will be your worse enemies. Having max graphics, headphones, and a gaming keyboard and mouse will make a huge difference. Spend whatever time you can practicing with the weapons you will be using, whether in arsenal, phantom forces, planks, or theltgrounds, do what it takes to get better.

Remember that a positive attitude will win you any fight. As cheesy as it sounds, it is extremely true. You only REALLY lose a raid if you give up and quit. Sure, the result may be a loss on the scoreboard, but if you come back and eventually win, that’s what counts. But if you mentally check out of the fight, you’re already a loser.

FAIRNESS

I get it, Roblox maps can be unfair, people can admin abuse, you can be outnumbered, the enemy can have aimbot, laser guns, and master chief armor while you have a squirt gun and a sword. But life is unfair. The USM fights and wins in the most dire of circumstances. IF you cannot get it through your head that NO raid is a fair raid, then you will fail.

MENTALITY

Go into fights with the mentality that it is unfair either way. Unfair because you have a trained team by your side. Unfair because you have an extremely well oiled training, intelligence, and combat apparatus at your back.

Remember that both First Person, Third person, and swords are all integral parts of Roblox warfare, and should not be neglected.

Topic 5: Raiding

PURPOSE

Raiding is how you show other groups what we’ve been training for. All of our practice, our drills, the countless hours you pour into the game, all if it has one single pinnacle event, and that event is the raid.

When you show up to a raid, you bring the best people you have, in their best uniforms, on their best days, on their best behavior. No one talks outside of team chat except for the raid leader, AT ALL. It is essential that you don’’t respond to the enemy team. Be faceless. Be nameless. Talking in a raid is the easiest way to get your rank taken from you.

Every person that can should records raids in order for us to maintain a record of the USM’s wins and losses, to review what went right and wrong during the raid, and for use in future training purposes.

RAID TYPES

There are a multitude of raid types:

Flash Raid: A sudden, quick serverflood of raiders with little to no warning. Most groups don’t take kindly to this, but those that do are worth the raid.

Endurance Raid: A battle of the wits as each group tries to outlast the other for as long as physically possible in the raid. Some of these can last for hours, even days at a time.

Conventional Raid: A pre planned raid where both sides agree to terms and conditions.

Once you become an NCO, you can lead raids. But do be mistaken, this is a grave responsibility, and your ability, or inability to perform, reflects upon all of the USM.

Topic 6: Leadership

An NCO is a noncommissioned officer. NCOs are the backbone of the USM. They train, they are technical experts, they are the workhorse of our force. They harness the manpower around them to get results. They are positive influences, professional, positive, and driven. They do not need to be micromanaged or told what to do every second. They are given guidance from their officers, and execute them to the max.

NCOs do not question orders. Once you become an NCO, you are the hand of the officer corps. You are expected to bear the brunt of the work needed to progress in the USM and the standards for you as an E5 and above will be extremely high.

This article is meant to organize a basic example of what is expected from officers and NCOs in the USM and other units associated with our community. All officers and NCOs or anyone in a leadership position for that matter are expected to understand these basic concepts. Furthermore, all officers and NCOs are expected to read this entire document and enforce these rules both with themselves and with other members.

“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”

General Dwight D Eisenhower

Integrity can be defined as doing what is right even when no one is looking. This is a premise I want all USM NCO’s and officers to follow. Furthermore, doing what is right is not a relative phrase. There is a clear objective truth when it comes to doing what is right. For example spamming our main-coms with non-USM content is not only wrong when moderators are online, it is wrong all the time.

To enforce professionalism and integrity within USM it is vital our officers and NCOs present themselves in a manner which those of lower rank can look to as an example of professionalism and integrity. Our officers and NCOs should be shining examples of what is expected in USM. Therefore, having officers and NCOs doing things which normally would be met with punishment to those of a lower rank is unacceptable.

Here is a list of basic things someone in a leadership role should do and not do.

Threats: Leaders should not respond to threats from other members or enemies by saying and doing the same thing said member or enemy did. Example: A member of USM threatens to leak personal information since he got demoted, a good leader will not respond by threatening to do the same thing. This goes for any threats made to officers or NCOs. Leaders should respond professionally by sticking with whatever punishment is deemed acceptable for the person in question, or by ignoring the enemy who made the threat.

Customs and Courtesies: Leaders should enforce basic customs and courtesies in all settings. Example: lower ranking members should refer to all officers as Ma’am and Sir, while NCOs should be referred to by their official rank or title. By allowing basic customs and courtesies to slip we are threatening our chain of command and basic respect of our officers and NCOs. Again note this goes for in-game and in USM related communications mediums.

Uniforms: All USM officers and NCOs are expected to own and wear the correct uniforms while in-game. This goes for all USM bases and war zones. There should never be an officer or NCO out of uniform in our games. Furthermore, officers and NCOs should enforce this among their soldiers, sailors or airmen.

Meetings: I expect meetings to be conducted in USM facilities in-game. This does not mean you cannot have a voice-chat at the same time or be posting links and other important information through other means at the same time.

Professionalism and Chain of Command: Though it is ok for Officers and NCOs to mix with lower ranks it should be noted that there needs to be a distinction between those of a higher rank and those of a lower rank. For example: An officer and his men are on late at night so they get into a voice chat to play a game. The lower ranks feel that since they’re off normal hours they can make fun of the officer or call him names. This should not be tolerated. Officers and NCOs need to ensure they don’t put themselves in an environment where their men would lose respect for them. Though it is perfectly fine to play games or hangout with your friends who happen to be a lower rank, basic customs and courtesies should still be enforced. It is vital we do this so that those of lower ranks do not see their leaders in an unprofessional light.

Activity: It is completely understandable that anyone playing this game has other things to do offline. However as officers and NCOs it is vital that we share our schedules and alert other members about our activity. Going offline randomly without notice for days at a time is unacceptable. Give at least a day in advance notice to your men and other leaders about how long you will be gone and a basic reason, note the reason does not have to be completely given. Simply saying “I cannot be on for the next two days please send all PMs to my XO” is perfectly fine. Not saying anything at all will warrant punishment.

Activity 2: All officers and NCOs are expected to host meetings, raids, patrols, and training daily! Getting online to answer a couple PMs then getting off cause nothing is going on is unacceptable. As officers and NCOs you are responsible for keeping your units active, not myself or anybody else in USM. Making excuses like “our games suck” or “no one is online” is unacceptable. There are always people online who would be down to come to a training or patrol, it is your responsibility to PM them or get their attention so they know.

Admin: As officers and NCOs you most likely have access to group admin be it in the main USM or your unit. It is your duty to uphold this privilege with trust and integrity. If you see people sitting in BMT or in the wrong rank, PM them and get them to a training or get them into the right rank. Letting hundreds of people pile up in the BMT rank is unacceptable and should be attacked ASAP.

Punishment: In the unfortunate case you have to punish a lower ranking member in your unit or in USM, you should do it the “military way”. Example: someone says bad things about yourself or another leader in your unit. First this person must be confronted in a personal manner. Confronting them in the main-coms or in front of other members is unacceptable. All personal matters are handled behind closed doors so to speak. Furthermore, you should never openly say the person’s name when referring to the punishment you just gave. Saying “Bob123 just got fired he sucks” in the announcements is highly unprofessional. Saying “One of our E4s was let go today because of personal issues” is more professional. Remember to keep punishment private. Not keeping it private undermines authority and our chain of command due to allowing lower ranks to jump in on whatever thing the person being punished did.

Raids and Enemies: It is highly important we treat our enemies with respect during raids. The fact they’re at our games is giving our group activity and ensuring our members have something to do. Example: At Fallujah there is a red line our members are not allowed to go across to ensure the enemies have time to organize an attack.This is fair considering this is a game and we want the combat to be based on skill not home advantage. It is important we treat our enemies as guests and allow them equal opportunity to fight us. Even if we absolutely hate the guys raiding we fight them like gentlemen. Making propaganda memes is acceptable as long as they do not cross the line. Example: Meme of our enemies being captured by our forces is ok. Keep it wholesome after all it is merely good fun as this is just a game.

Grammar: As officers/NCOs and users of the English language I expect you to speak clear and concisely. Take the time to edit your PMs, or posts and ensure proper punctuations and grammar are being used. Example: “I think your(wrong form of your) silly” shows your lack of intelligence. A better version of this would be “I think your degree of intelligence is inadequate” would suit your title as an officer or NCO better.

Bringing up issues/concerns: One of the biggest issues I see with leadership in USM is our lack of respect for authority and other members of USM. If you have an issue with leadership, or some aspect of USM you should personally PM myself, your CO or someone in an authority position in USM which relates to your concern. Posting in the USM Main-Coms “our group sucks cause our games are bad” is unacceptable and should not be tolerated. Sending your developers or myself a PM stating “I find this aspect of your current war zone to be of poor quality” is absolutely welcomed. Keep it professional.

Respect: I cannot express fully how big of a deal this is. If I want you to remember any of this I want you to remember the word respect. It is absolutely vital we respect all members of USM no matter their race, creed or political leaning. It takes a bigger person to disagree with someone and still treat them with respect than say being a disrespectful person just because someone voted for another candidate. All officers and NCOs are EXPECTED to enforce this, or any form of communication. If you see a member of USM making fun of another member for any reason you should intervene immediately. After all we are all fighting for the same side and have the same goals for this group.

Conclusion: I ask all officers and NCOs to read this, so share this with anyone you know who can benefit from it. Even if someone is not an NCO or officer they can still benefit from reading this. As I stated all of this is by no means complete and if you have ideas or concerns for this doctrine please let me know.

ADMINISTRATION

Every NCO in the USM is an administrator. You are experienced, and trusted to help train, manage, and equip the force.

Awards: NCOs are responsible for teaching their peers and those that they lead about the USM award system, and driving them towards achieving these awards. They also will be the chain between the junior enlisted and the officer corps when recommending awards and communicating grievances to superiors.

Ranks: NCOs primary duty in the USM is to ensure that their branch is trained as well as they possibly can be. They are expected to take the initiative and guide new E1s, E2s, E3s, and E4s on how to rank up and progress in our community. OFTENTIMES, YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING PROMOTED AS AN NCO HINGE DIRECTLY ON YOUR ABILITY TO HELP YOUR SUBORDINATES GET PROMOTED.

Upholding Standards: NCOs in the USM are tasked with enforcing our standards. Whether it be vehicle or equipment use, rules of engagement, customs and courtesies, or proper wear of the uniform, NCOs are expected to know and enforce the proper standards.

Chats: NCOs must ensure chats stay professional. Topics do not always need to revolve around the USM, but they must exercise integrity, bravery, and quick thinking to keep chats appropriate, productive, friendly, and non toxic.

United States Military Group (USMG) Handbook