Airsoft Milsim Roles DMR Sniper Rifleman

Posted by mir tactical on Nov 27th 2020

Roles:

This will be a “mini series” going through the roles in airsoft and their place within a squad. These are my opinions, I very well could be wrong. I have not ran all of these roles and do not have first hand experiences with some of them. Each article will follow three main points, the Goal, the Role, and the Process of each role. Here is the first of the series:
Support gunners:
A SAW does not make you a support gunner. A Mini Gun does not make you a support gun. A box mag on an M4 sure had hell does not make you a support gunner.
A Support gunner is not the same as having a support gun. There are a lot of players, both new and old, who have a LMG/SAW and are basically full auto rifleman. That is fun, and can be effective but there are better uses of a full auto platform. There is a mindset difference between a support gunner and most players. Focusing on using a SAW to get the most kills will make a poor support gunner. The focus is on the squad. It’s a SQUAD automatic weapon….. The support gunner is a vital role at most Milsim Events because rifleman are limited to semi auto and have limited ammo. A effective support gunner will provide fire and cover for rifleman to make pushes or take objectives by using volume of fire, intimidation, and accurate fire.
The Goal: To SUPPORT the squads movement and mission.
The goal of a support gunner is to allow for the squad to complete their mission. KILLS DO NOT MATTER. If you are counting your kills with a support gun then you’re doing it wrong. You will get kills in order to help the squad but that is not the goal. Providing fire support is the goal. The squad should be able to be more flexible with a support gunner present. Ideally, the squads success is a reflection of the support gunners skill.
The Role: Support

The role of a support gunner is to provide cover, open lanes of movement, and suppress/eliminate enemy contact. Again, You’re role is not to kill people….. its to suppress and eliminate threats. If that means killing them sure, do it. This can be done with a standard rifle so don’t think the box mag makes you special. If you aren’t using it within the role, then a box mag is useless.

Within the squad, you are not a point man. You are not the tip of the spear. A good support gunner is a force multiplier. The squad can afford to lose rifleman on a breach or charge but not the support gunner. A good gunner will stay slightly behind the front so he is able to provide fire support across the whole front or push.

The Process:

The fun part….. A good support gunner will lay down TONS of fire. I have known support gunner go through 30-50,000 rounds a weekend. The benefit to a support gun is that it can fire full auto and having large magazine capacity. Use it. The accuracy of the fire is not as important as the volume. The enemy needs to know they are being engaged. Sometimes this means shooting over the heads, lighting up a corner because someone is behind it, or just making a lot of noise. It doesn’t have to be 30 RPS to suppress someone. It can be done at 14-18. This allows for longer bursts without reloading. Of course knowing what you are shooting and having acccurate fire is important but it does not have to be pinn point DMR accurate. SAWs can be used for area denial. Most will not cross into an area that is covered by a SAW. Knowing that a SAW is around with cause the enemy to hesitate. A good support gunner can capitalize on it and push or provide more effective fire. It is okay to shoot at nothing.

Recap:

A support gunner is not every one with a SAW. A SAW is not a support gunner. The goal is to help the squad. You are not Rambo. Lay down fire and provide support. You are a force multiplier.