Things I Wish I'd Known as a New 506th Recruit

[SFC (Ret) Lyon]

Just hit the one year anniversary of my first official Op with the 506th IRRU.  That, paired with a recent post from a potential new recruit made me ask myself, "What's the one thing you know now that you wish you had known as a new recruit?". 

For me, the answer was simple:  You can lean on these folks.

As a new recruit I didn't want to seem too green and probably didn't ask as many questions as I should have.  That was a mistake. 

The 506th is jam-packed full of men and women who are not only willing, but anxious to help others.  We're all here because we enjoy a co-operative experience.  People here want to help you.  You can post in Global "Requesting volunteer to tutor me in How to Zeus" and have three people fighting over who gets to help.  You can ask a total stranger for help getting your Loadouts squared away and they'll drop whatever they're doing to assist.

[Leeds]

This is a good thread. I'm going to go ahead and post things that I wish I knew when I first joined, that I didn't learn until an absurd amount of time later.

• You can change your ACE options to have a better interaction menu than default. Located in ACE settings when you hit ESC
• Don't post weird things in global as an FNG. I'd say only post when you have the intention of gathering a group of people to do something
• LShift + ` to point at things in the field
• LCtrl + v to climb on objects
• Don't call anyone that isn't an officer "sir"

(last one's just obligatory)

[Rigger]

A PV1 CAN fill-in for an Official Training at the discretion of the person holding the Training.
Do this as much as possible so you can learn and meet people.

[McIntosh]

That you can join almost any fun op, even if its in progress, just ask.

[SFC (Ret) Lyon]

-Ask your Squad or Team leader to suggest important forum threads you should set to "Notify".  Your Platoon and Squad Bulletin Boards are prime candidates.

[1LT (Ret) Marsden]

Try to play with a lot of people once you join to see if you like the community. Join fun missions, trainings, or just chill in a channel with some people in it. Then you can narrow it down to a solid group of guys you like to chat with, play with, and have fun being around. You can then request to be a part of that group/team once you finish all of your training. The people around you can really complete and enhance your experience here.

[CW2 (Ret) O'Neill]

Talk with guys in your squad and get to know them a bit. It really helps. It's rough being the new guy in a unit of guys that have know each other for 6 months or more but try to be open and talk about stuff (life, gaming, how much ISIS sucks, etc). Let them get to know you and do fun missions or other games with them. Pretty much everyone on is just waiting for someone to talk to or shoot the shit out with or game with.

Play on the assault server every now and then. You work with guys you'd never work with in any other scenario (example, almost no where else will you play with a jet pilot, a helo pilot, an engineer, and a brand new PV2 all dressed in civvies playing scavenger)

[Oakley]

the best advice that i can give and wish i knew was:

Find which MOS you want to do and find info and get some experience at it:

want to be a Helo Pilot ? go talk to section leaders in aviation ? ask what extra training/skills you need to have after OSUT.

want to be a 12B Combat Engineer ? go talk to squad leader/platoon HQ down in engineers, ask if you can fill-in in one of their squad trainings ?

want to be an 68W go talk to company/platoon medics, ask info ....

as someone already mentioned people are always eager to help and explain their role and help others.

it goes to say that we members of the unit are expressly forbidden to actively "recruit" and approach RCT/PV1 candidates as we have a battalion wide "no internal recruitment" policy. but that doesn't mean that YOU can't approach us ask question and be interested to know more. also you can approach people by talking to them on TS or PM on the forums.

SO . . . Approach us and ask. . . because we sure hell can't approach you

[S. Murphy]

Talk with guys in your squad and get to know them a bit. It really helps. It's rough being the new guy in a unit of guys that have know each other for 6 months or more but try to be open and talk about stuff (life, gaming, how much ISIS sucks, etc). Let them get to know you and do fun missions or other games with them. Pretty much everyone on is just waiting for someone to talk to or shoot the shit out with or game with.

Play on the assault server every now and then. You work with guys you'd never work with in any other scenario (example, almost no where else will you play with a jet pilot, a helo pilot, an engineer, and a brand new PV2 all dressed in civvies playing scavenger)

This is a Fantastic Topic and Thank You SGT Lyons!!  I particularly like this that I have quoted more for this part.. 
"try to be open and talk about stuff (life, gaming, how much ISIS sucks, etc)."

As Cheesy as this may sound, there are a lot of resources available to you here at a click or channel away.  More educated, life learned and or just an age difference that can assist in so many different ways and help on this famed road of Life.  Where the hell is this coming from and why the hell state it here??  Because through the members here that you'll eventually become friends with or already have you can share your experiences and relate to them with someone. 
An Example:

First, let me please state that this is in no way shape form or fashion a Brag or LOOK @ Me Post.  I'm not like that and don't want to be.  Second I'm Older.. so there silver in my hair from a lot of experiences anyway...   
I was in a Pursuit yesterday evening.  It was exciting, frightening and such an adrenaline rush it is unable to put into words it started with a Bad Guy, yes a Real Bad Guy intentionally driving the wrong way down an Interstate it had 2 breaks of contact.  It ended with the Bad Guy getting caught however, one thing, anything could've happened that could have gone horribly wrong.  After that rush and exhilaration and that reality hits and then you have the emotional and physical adrenaline dump how do you cope and cope in a good way?  This is an unnatural act which occurs to the human body and you can't do anything immediately anyway so what the hell can you do?? 
Some work out, do PT, read, watch TV, Drink or do some other type of "activity".  Realize some can have and be negative, I generally try to game, confide with my wife and have friends that I have here and elsewhere that I can TALK TO!!  That is my long winded point.  No matter what you may face, whatever comes down the pike, there is someone, somewhere within this Unit that has had the same or at least similar circumstance that you can share with. 
Yes it's formed around the premise of a Game and MilSim Unit but it however has so much more to offer.  Friendships, Brotherhood, Gaming friends whatever.  It's all at your fingertips.  You just have to exercise it.  Don't let the Ranks fool you either, there may be a Military Retiree, A Veteran from back in the day or one that is recent out to someone currently serving their perspective Country that they are from to an Beat Up Old Ornery Patrol Sergeant behind that PV1, PFC or above Rank. 
So to the topic at hand and your resources...  They are here Brothers!!!  Use Them!! 
Thanks for letting me share and Y'all be safe!!! 
Murf

[P. Grimm]

This is a fantastic thread, thank you all.
I couldn't agree more with all of the sentiments shared so far. This is a community and as a community we rely on each other for friendship, knowledge, understanding, tolerance and acceptance. I have found all of this here. Before I joined the 506th, I had 4 friends on steam. After only a couple of weeks, that number went from 4 to maybe 10. Now I have 30+ and 90% are people in this unit. I have made friends with people from all over the world and for that I am grateful to the 506th.

Advice I would give:

Use the assault server to meet people. It's a fantastic tool that I hope doesn't go away.

Don't be afraid to share things about your life. You don't have to broadcast your address, but you should feel free to talk about things in your life, I guarantee there's someone here who can relate to you.

Thanks to all who make this community what it is, especially the people who go out of their way to run it and organize it.

[M. Anderson]

Good idea for a thread,

Know that the community here extends beyond Arma and even PC gaming. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people helping, been helped, or helped others with class work, work work, or just about anything. The amount of people here with different skills and experiences means that there's a decent chance that someone has already done what you're currently struggling with

[Coffman]

Just because is says LT before someones name doesnt mean you cant talk to them. Remember this is in all honesty just a game and we are a pretending. That LT is just somebody who has been around a long time. They like to play games and shoot the shit too. Dont be intimidated by an internet title.

[Leeds]

Bumping for great justice!

[SGT (Ret) Reilly]

With so many new recruits, thought I'd bump this.
My tips: When going around seeing what people are doing, do not immediately talk, wait and listen. Sometimes recuirts will join a channel and start talking while people are in the middle of something. If it sounds like they are not doing anything then feel free to join the conversation and ask what is going on!

[SSG Shundo]

Another tip, probably been said before, don't just go around messaging anybody about anything all up and down teamspeak. Find it annoying when a pv1 pokes me on TS while I'm busy then messages me then goes into my channel for something small and only something in their CoC can do.