New recruit guide

We pick applications up by hand, so post in Discord once yours is in, or it can sit for a week.

• Apply on the personnel portal

  It takes about five minutes, and it becomes your service record.

• Join the Discord under the same name

  We match applications to Discord accounts manually.

• Post in #find-a-recruiter

  Tell us you applied and when you're free in the evenings.

• Ask questions in #recruit-chat

• Set your own Discord nickname

  Roles are assigned from the portal automatically, but nicknames aren't.

Once you're accepted you go into a squad and a fire team, and your fire team leader and squad leader look after you from there. Take any problems to them, including if you'd rather be somewhere else in the unit.

Start the download the day you apply, because it is large and people miss their first night waiting on it.

• Arma 3 on PC, updated

  You don't need any DLC. Arma is CPU-heavy, so a full op will run worse than singleplayer does.

• Subscribe to Paramarine Milsim Core

  The collection is here. Steam pulls the dependencies down with it, and if you can't get past the loading screen it usually means one of them didn't finish.

• Load PTF Core in the launcher

  Say yes when it asks about dependencies. There is nothing else to configure.

• Install TFAR, then its TeamSpeak plugin

  The plugin is separate from the mod and installs on the TeamSpeak side, and you won't be able to hear anyone without it. Once it is installed it shows up under your TeamSpeak profile.

• Connect to TeamSpeak

  ts.Paramarines.net. All in-game voice runs through it.

• Join the unit on units.arma3.com

  Our page is here. The server then shows up in your launcher.

• Get on the server before Sunday

  Loading in once is the only way to know your mods work. The server details are in #unit-information.

If you hit an error, post it in #recruit-chat with a screenshot.

PRT runs on Friday nights for recruits only, and an instructor teaches it live. It takes about ninety minutes.

You don't need PRT before your first op, so come out on Sunday either way. You have thirty days from joining to pass it.

• Take the first Friday you can make

  The thirty days start when you join.

• Have your mods loaded before 8

  The session starts on time.

You're an 0311 Rifleman either side of PRT, the same as everyone else. Marksman, corpsman, armor crew, pilot, JTAC are course qualifications you pick up later.

Operations start at 8 and usually finish around 11, though they sometimes run later. Much of that time is spent moving into position or holding somewhere between contacts.

• Sign up on the calendar

  You can sign up in the portal or from the embed in the attendance channels, and squads are built from that list.

• Take a rifleman loadout until you've passed PRT

T-30

Recruits come on early with the game up, mods loaded and TeamSpeak connected, so there is time to sort out a dead plugin.

T-10

Most of the unit arrives around now. Get on the server, and TFAR will move you into its own TeamSpeak channel. Check your radio once it does.

8:00

The briefing covers the situation, the mission and how it is being run. Ask your questions here.

After

You insert, move, deal with whatever contact comes, and finish with the debrief.

What to get right on the night

• Hold your spacing. One grenade should never be able to take your whole fire team.
• Stay off the net. Listen more than you talk, and keep it short when you do transmit.
• Follow your team leader. They are moving three or four people and answering to a squad leader at the same time.
• Don't go after something on your own without telling anyone.

If you are killed you respawn at base and ride a helicopter back out to your squad.

Sunday is the night to plan your week around. On Tuesdays your squad or platoon trains, and the whole unit trains together on the third Tuesday of the month. Thursday recon requires the MSO certification. Saturday is attendee's choice, so the course that runs is whichever one the most people there need.

• Show up on Sundays

• File a PAR on the portal when you'll be away

• Ask for the Saturday course you want

• Watch your service record

  Promotions run on time in grade, points and course completions. Thresholds are here.

Passing PRT makes you eligible for Private, at which point you are no longer a recruit.