Opinions -- what are the bare minimum skills an infantryman in the UCAS National Guard might be expected to possess?

This grunt may learn more, but by God and all that's Holy, he will know these skills.

Suggested list:

Active
Assault Rifle 3
Handgun 2
Athletics 2

Knowledge
UCAS Army procedures 3
Military Theory 2

Agree? Disagree? Add more?

-Siege

Only officers carry sidearms.
Everyone learns to shoot a rifle.
Everyone knows athletics.
Officers would have small unit tactics and theory.
Grunts wouldn't probably have theory.
They do teach 'em how to lob a grenade.
They do teach 'em how to fight unarmed, as well as how to use a bayonette/rifle polearm.
Electronics or computer, this is the army of the future.
Maybe basic first aid, too.

Just think about those boot camp movies. They always learn to shoot, fight, throw grenades, and run/climb/jump. Once they're out of basic, and re-assigned for training (there's specail words for this that I don't know and don't care to), they can pick up more. Field medics get more biotech, officers get theory and tactics, sidearms, infantry beefs up their rifles and combat, airborne gets jump training, etc.

I thought rifle/bayonet training was being phased out?

So:

Active
Assault rifle 3
Athletics 2
Thrown weapons 2
Biotech 2
Unarmed combat 2
B/R assault rifle 2

Knowledge
UCAS Army procedures 3

-Siege

I see it differently...

I see the average infantryman being tested on certain items:

Assault Rifles TN 4
Athletics TN 3
Thrown Weapons TN 2
Biotech TN 2
Unarmed combat TN 2
B/R Assault Rifles TN 2

If the guy could successfully default and make the TNs, then he passed.

How about:

Assault Rifle/M16 2/4 (3)
Athletics 3
Thrown Weapons/Grenade 1/3 (2)
Biotech/First Aid 1/3 (2)
Unarmed Combat/Style (1/3, unless you use actual CC style rules, then yer on your own)
B/R Assault Rifles/M16 1/3 (2)
Ettiquette/Military 1/3 (2)
...and:
UCAS Army procedures 3

They may be phasing out bayonette training, but they still make 'em, so I still suggest polearms/mounted bayonette 1/3 (2). Then, perhaps I'm just partial to bayonettes (reach 2, Str+2M, whee!).

One of the things that you should keep in mind about basic training is that it is just like SR rules in that it makes absolutely no sense when you look at it from a real life perspective. It is hopelessly outdated and serves almost no useful function in todays military. So I say teach your guardsmen whatever the fuck you think a soldier should have because marching around like a jackass is about the only thing the you learn in basic training.

Well, you learn to take orders to do stupid stuff without complaining too much. That counts for a lot

Yes, I apologize if that sounded a bit like a rant. It was. *Deep Breath*

It is also worth noting that the NG (and presumably the UCAS equivalent) goes to the same basic training that the active duty guys go to.

KillaJ I have to completely diagree with you to some degree. I had a friend just get out of boot camp, and he definitely picked up Military Etiquitte 3 or so and assault rifles at 3 or so. he definitile showed a dramatic change of competence in seevral areas. he had never fired a rifle before in his life now he's actually pretty damn accurate with it, and knows all basic military protocol. That's the definition of picking up skills at low levels. Athletics he already had... so that was a wash.

Would it be in bad taste to suggest that basic training skills include something like:

Naked Prisoner Stacking (Homoerotic) 1/3
Photography (Ill-advised) 1/3
Intimidation (Creepy Naked Type) 1/3
Leatherwork (Leashes) 1/3


Probably would.

Bad taste? Yeah. But if you must...

BitBasher, first of all, you are right there are numerous things that you learn in basic. I apologize for letting my personal views cloud my post. My point (which was completely lost by the time I had it typed out) was that your friend, myself, and anyone else who has been in has something like Assault Rifles 3 Unarmed Combat 2 and about 100 skills along the lines of Boot Polishing 6, Marching 6, Not Thinking For Yourself 6, Not Exposing A Superior's Ignorance 6. When I said the only thing that you learn in basic was marching I was wrong, but I do think that I was right on target with most of the rest.

Sounds like someone believed the "Army of One" nonsense only to realize that the military isn't a computer game.

Sorry, but whatever you got you asked for. If you enlisted, you've taken on the responsibilities to listen to your commanders, ignore their hypocrasy, polish your boots, and show some respect. Each one of these things has its point and purpose, and you are supposed to be an automaton in the military, free thinking is for officers, your job is to shoot and avoid dying.

Sorry, but if you can't handle the heat stay out of the kitchen.

That said, Photography: Ill Advised 1/3 is just WAY to funny.

I'd go with

Rifles 2
Assault Rifles 3
Edged Weapons 1 (Survival Knife 3) <-- closest thing to a combat knife I could think of
Ettiquette 1 (Military Ettiquette 3)
Unarmed Combat 3
Athletics 3
Biotec 1 (First Aid 3)

JaronK

My personal 2 nuyen...

Assault Rifles 3
Thrown Weapons 1/Grenades 3
Bayonet/Knives/Unarmed-Combat-Of-Choice 3
Atheletics 3
Biotech 1/First Aid 3
Etiquette 1-3/Military 3
Electronics 3
Possibly Electronics B/R 3
Assault Rifles B/R 3
Possibly Car B/R 3 (Never know when you might have a breakdown )
Feel free to add.