Stop being “OAF”
OPERATOR AS F@(%
(OAF, Geardo, Milsim, Airsoft tactical)
Signs
More COTS equipment than issued equipment, Pouches on every strip of MOLLE webbing available, Brags about gear selection.
Symptoms
Constantly being eyed from high ups, Firm belief that better gear makes you a better soldier.
How Common
OAF is most common in junior enlisted soldiers with less than 3 year time of active service. About 30% of all lower enlisted 11Bs suffer from OAF symptoms at some point in their military career.
Overview
OAF is a state of mind that better equipment makes you perform your duties as a soldier better. This altered state of mind often begins from envy of special operations forces across the globe. It can manifest slowly or quickly. The exact reason for the manifestation changes depending on the host, and can effect each host differently.
Risk Factors
The overall risk for contracting OAF is moderate within the occupation field of 11B.
The overall risk to health is often times low especially if diagnosed early and monitored closely by a trained professional.
Diagnosed By
OAF is often diagnosed by partners and supervisors. This disease is rarely self diagnosed and does not require a professional for official diagnosis.
The real issue at hand
“OAF” means Operator as F@(%. This pejorative phrase originated from the notion that soldiers acquire gear to look cool, at times neglecting basic soldier tasks and skills. Although tongue-in-cheek, this personal attack should carry considerable weight.
The first thing a newly indoctrinated sniper will do is slap the word “sniper” on/in every crevice that makes sense.
Facebook profile “ US Army Sniper” or “Sniper for XYZ” which is especially true if the individual is young. As flattering as this act is, it can be a step in the wrong direction for our community. The title should be earned, not given. Now anyone who talks to me knows that I do not require the illustrious “B4” to be considered for the title. In fact, I believe that many that hold the identifier could not hold a candle to a true “Sniper”. Allowing fledgling snakelets the ability to call themselves a Sniper increases their overall arrogance diminishing their drive to learn and grow better. All the while lowering commissioned officers' opinions of us. Officers should seek out people with this title for advice on the direct fire engagement process, or for avenues of approach to a new environment, Not avoid us because we like to wear ball caps and refuse to blouse our boots, and when they ask us a question we respond with opinions instead of doctrinally sound information. But I digress.
Moving on
Specifically in the world of the military; the field gear. Young soldiers believe that better gear will make them operate better. 50 dollar “taco mags” a brand new JPC Plate carrier, the most incredible and slimmest assault pack on the market, the list goes on. The purpose of equipment needs to be understood. If a soldier is not capable of analyzing the Pros and Cons of a specific set-up; their choice of equipment is purely cosmetic. While the purpose of this rant is to enlighten on why OAF is not "the cool thing to do" I do believe the that we should talk about the steps needed to weigh the pros/cons of equipment choice
Know what the purpose of that piece of equipment will be (IE hold mags, quick access to specific kit, general-purpose...etc)
Practice with said equipment in a static environment (at least 100 reps in every possible configuration)
Practice with that same piece of equipment in a dynamic environment (again at least 100 reps in every possible configuration)
Bring in the new piece of equipment and rehearse steps 1 and 2
Weigh the outcomes from the two different pieces of equipment in each configuration( Time, ease of use, reset difficulty... etc)
Make an educated decision
After these steps have been done, you now have the power to decide when a piece of kit is not the right tool for the job you are trying to accomplish.
Unfortunately, even if snipers are proficient with every piece of gear, the choice of equipment matters doubly.
A sniper's gear is their hallmark from the weapon to the pack they carry it in. Snipers must consider what they are trying to blend in to. They would not wear an orange jumpsuit in rural terrain any more than they should wear a Dark earth Gunslinger V2 when attached to an infantry rifle platoon.
We should not be choosing our gear on how it looks, Equipment should be chosen based on how it performs on the mission at hand. While any rucksack with a place for a rifle is incredibly convenient, they are not always the best took for the job. Let's look at an example to prove this.
An infantry rifle company is walking through a dense urban landscape. Every member of this patrol is carrying a standard-issue "Assault Pack" except for 3. These 3 get spotted from 300 meters away with a rudimentary pair of binoculars. The observer then switches to a LPVO mounted on a carbine and notices that they have different weapons, one of them appears to have a telescopic sight mounted. Who will they choose to engage first?
o The person(s) that have the highest chance of located and engaging them?
o A random person in the formation
o The machine guns
o A possible leader
Any trained gunman will eliminate the threats first. With the snipers eliminated, they will have more opportunities to cause chaos, or inflict damage. In this scenario, snipers are better off using the standard equipment issued for their government. But that is not always the case. When operating independently, sniper should choose the kit that makes them the most efficient.
Bottom line, Soldiers need to choose their gear based on the mission at hand. Kit should always be changing. You may have few staple pieces that are always with you, but even then, maybe placement will change depending on the mission at hand. Take your time, get familiar with your equipment. Practice with it, and be able to talk intelligently on why you chose it for the operation at hand.
