29th Infantry Division

29TH INFANTRY DIVISION | DARKEST HOUR: NORMANDY 1944

Company Server 209.40.101.115:27015

dod_saints

PLAYERS: 0/32

Platoon Server 209.40.101.113:27015

dod_clervaux

PLAYERS: 0/32

Squad Server 209.40.101.114:27015

dod_29th_fortmeade_b1

PLAYERS: 0/16

UPDATES

Welcome to the 29th Infantry Division

The 29th Infantry Division is a realism unit in the online World War II game, Darkest Hour: Normandy 1944. Realism is the conducting of a gaming group as close to real combat as possible.

Above, you will find our primary navigation menu with five links on it. For each of the links, a submenu is provided on the left of the page with related links.
For more information about the 29th, read our About page.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Now Recruiting in Darkest Hour by 1Lt. Lilley

Now that drills have officially and finally been moved to Darkest Hour, recruiting can now begin to fill the 236th Training platoon. Mind you, that is after a completion of 135 Training platoons, almost three complete Years of Lighthouse working together, planning and dedicating time training to get each and every cadet into our unit, and well informed of military courtesy and procedure.

The 236th TP will set a foundation, the new Training Platoon in a new game. The 29th Infantry Division has survived through multiple game changes and for multiple years. Thus giving true meaning to "29th, Ever Forward." Every TP, every cadet, every soldier of the 29th makes this unit what it is, and leaves a legacy of their actions as members, squads, platoons, and now companies. Without recruits, without new potential, without the personalities that the 29th has brought together, none of us would be a part of a unit that truly gives the feel of brotherhood.

The 236th Training Platoon will begin Next Sunday, August 24th. That gives everyone 4.5 days to work on spreading the passion and the experience that everyone here holds dear to them, the rush of being a part of not only the realism community, but the 29th Infantry Division.

29th, Let's Go!

First Lieutenant Lilley
Executive Officer
First Batallion
116th Regiment
29th Infantry Division

2 Comments

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

No Soldier Gets Left Behind by PFC O'Brien

In the past week, several members have really stepped up and shown that the 29th Infantry Division is not just a unit but a family. Starting with Private, First Class Norton who found out that two of our members were in need. They could not afford to purchase Red Orchestra, which is required to play Darkest Hour. They soon had a lovely surprise when they started up Steam with a gift waiting to be downloaded. Private, First Class Norton also noticed that the company server in Darkest Hour was often full, so he decided to purchase a new server that will hold up to 50 players!

The next day, when Captain Wilson posted that there were still two more people who were in need of the game. The post was not even up for 24 hours when Corporal Strauss replied to it stating that they should now have Red Orchestra waiting to be downloaded.

A few days later, another soldier in need was announced when Technical Sergeant Jesse Glackin came to the rescue, spending $20 out of his own pocket to help another soldier, and just yesterday Corporal Strauss was able to give this gift to yet another member of our community. Thanks to such extensive generosity, these six soldiers who feared that they would have had to resign from the unit are now able to continue living the best gaming experience of their life!

No one asked these gentlemen to do such deeds when they joined the unit. They went through the same process as everyone else. They passed Basic Combat Training and showed up to drills like every other soldier is expected to do, and took it upon themselves to help out others in need. If you happen to see these gentlemen around, be sure to give them thanks for their generosity and helping the 29th Infantry Division become a better community.

Every act of kindness is noticed in the 29th, big or small. And if you want to be a part of this unforgettable experience, you can start by doing something as simple as enlisting today!

0 Comments

Monday, August 4, 2008

29th Advances to Darkest Hour by Pvt. Gelner

It is with great pleasure that the 29th Infantry Division announces that we are starting the transition from Day of Defeat to Darkest Hour, a game that we feel is best suited to fit our needs and high standards of realism gaming. This is a very exciting time to be a part of the 29th. This will be the fourth game change the 29th ID has made, so we've got lots of experience with it. TSgt. Glackin, who has experienced every single change that the unit has gone through, had this to say:

"Being the only one in the unit that has been through all 4 moves the 29th Infantry Division has made, I can tell that we are totally prepared for the transition. We are a realism unit and there is no game out there that is more realistic than Darkest Hour. Many more job opportunities are arising for soldiers to become much more involved in the unit and some will have the chance to use the new vehicles at our disposal. Nothing tests a unit’s strength more then moving to a new game. This is when you get to show everyone if you are truly a 29er and not just another washout. I am proud to be moving my fourth move with the 29th Infantry Division."

Furthermore, we realize how important it is to make sure that we take care of everyone in the move. Now is an excellent time to make sure that Darkest Hour is running smoothly on your computer.

For those that don't know, Darkest Hour is a modification of the game Red Orchestra. The game is set on the Western Front, 1944-45. This game has some amazing features that will open many doors for continuing our goal of realism gaming. The introduction of vehicles will likely spawn some interesting changes to our unit, as will the emphasis on teamwork that Darkest Hour calls for. Darkest Hour has a very involved development team, so as our unit continues to grow, Darkest Hour will grow right along with us. Amazingly, Darkest Hour has even less-demanding system requirements than the Source engine, despite the fact that Darkest Hour's graphics are neck-and-neck with it.

Just as the 29th did with Day of Defeat, we hope to perfect our teamwork and battle tactics in Darkest Hour. While every new game brings some frustrations, the realism level achieved in Darkest Hour can seem particularly unforgiving (Hey, real life combat isn't a cakewalk, either!). However, one can rest assured that training for Darkest Hour will be stepped up in the unit until every member is a certified killing machine!

Again, this is a very exciting time to be in the 29th Infantry Division. A massive door of opportunity has swung open. We invite you to enter it with us!

3 Comments

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Performance Upgrades Anyone? by PFC O'Brien

With the possibility of moving to Darkest Hour, the last thing we want to do is leave people behind because their computer doesn’t meet par with this higher end game. Because of this, Sergeant Olson is researching methods of purchasing large amounts of computer hardware for the unit at a fraction of its retail value. This way we can help people who lack computer performance so that they will not be left in the dust. The hardware will range from Bluetooth heads sets to video cards to new mother boards. The transaction with the hardware will only be made if the move to Darkest Hour actually happens. So those of you who are afraid that you will get left behind because of your computer performance, don't worry, we have you covered.

Captain Wilson has been working hours on end to make our Darkest Hour server feel like home. He has created a mod to prevent respawning so we may perform realism scrimmages. That way scrims can be performed in a similar manner as in Day of Defeat. He is also working on a modification so that we can extend our names past 20 characters and use spaces without them being turned into underscores. Because of this, we can now have our names typed out properly with the 29th ID tags.

On another note, enlistments have returned to normal levels. Everyone has been doing a spectacular job in showing that the 29th Infantry Division is the way to go. For those members who alway want to do more for the unit, just remember that we can never have enough recruits. Recruiting is the number one thing that keeps this unit up and going, and the 29th Infantry can not thank you enough for putting in the effort. So whats to lose? It takes five, maybe ten minutes, of your game play and you can earn a weapons pass for it. And if you feel like you’re being left out of the fun, enlist today because who knows, maybe someday you’ll lead the 29th to victory!

4 Comments

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

A Simple Reminder by PFC O'Brien

I would like to start off this week with putting a couple members in our unit under the spotlight for just a few moments. Sgt. Hart was promoted to Sergeant from Corporal. He has earned this rank because for the past year and a half he has shown an amazing amount of effort, dedication and leadership to his squad and the rest of the 29th. A few other members have worked really hard and have shown large amounts of dedication: Corporals Ayers and Ducat have been promoted from Private, First Class after passing SLT. Those earning their first chevron into the ranks of Private, First Class are Turk, Summers, Ricchio, Harnish. Great job guys!

A special thanks should be given to Captain Wilson, Staff Sergeant Cyr, Private, First Class McClarron and Technician, 5th Grade Munro. They have been working their butts off over the last couple of weeks trying everything they can so we can enjoy Darkest Hour as much as possible. Whether it's performance issues or just getting a hang of the game, dozens of pages and been created at this link: www.29th.org/dh. I encourage everyone who has the game to at least browse around the site. You might just find something that comes in handy.

We encourage members of the 29th Infantry Division to continue the great effort you have all been doing with recruiting. You can even feel free to start spreading the word around Darkest Hour about this amazing unit, but be sure to specify that we are a DoD unit. So any public players who think they have a shot at this awesome DoD unit, go for it - enlist at www.29th.org/enlist today!

29th Ever Forward!

0 Comments

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Three Years of Service (Jesse J. Glackin) by Cpt. Wilson

Jesse James "Grandpa" Glackin has been a member of this community for the last three years. It makes me proud to know that we have with us today one of the unit's original founders. Just a few years ago, Sergeant (or was it Staff Sergeant?) Glackin was giving me my Basic Training to become a member of 29th. I have faint memories of a scrimmage on dod_kalt, where I saw for the first time a true and effective use of teamwork, and I was impressed by how well everyone listened. After participating in that scrimmage, led by Sgt. Glackin, I knew I was hooked. He did this for me, PFC Davis, Cpl. Hampson, Pvt. Nieskes, and so many many others.

When the 29th made the switch from being a bunch of undisciplined clan members who went spectate after they died to being a group of disciplined professional soldiers, it was because of the partnership that Sgt. Glackin and I had. At first, I tried disciplining the men myself. I remember having those little rats lined up on the wall jumping, spinning, proning, chatting, cussing, jumping, shooting, jumping...and not listening. When I began disciplining them I started to look quite intimidating, and less like an officer. If I wanted to hold their respect in the officer manner, I knew I couldn't be the disciplinarian as well (as much as I loved yelling at those rats :P). Sgt. Glackin and I decided he would be the designated disciplinarian. While I spoke to the line, he would keep them in order and stop them from messing around. This "partnership" began the officer-NCO relationship that flourishes throughout the unit today.

Before Lighthouse there was Sgt. Glackin. We called it Basic Training, but it was essentially Sgt. Glackin's training grounds. The "programme" for training was not written in cold stone like it is today, but written in his head. You were lucky if you caught him on a good week. At first, our programme was two weeks straight - 14 days in a row, and Sgt. Glackin was expected to attend every one of them. Then we shortened it to 7 and eventually to the 5 it is today. Even at 5, Sgt. Glackin was expected to train week after week...after week. You can imagine how this could "burn out" someone, but Sgt. Glackin kept going. He trained many of the unit's great leaders and even brought in other people with whom he went to school to help us out. They eventually became DIs as well, and they would discuss Basic Training and the 29th at the lunch table. While I remember busting his chops for this once, the truth is, I wish I could have discussed the unit with someone at high school lunch :P

If you think TSgt. Glackin is a stubbourn guy now, you should have seen him back then! If he felt strongly about something, you couldn't budge him, and if you tried, he would enjoy laughing at you. While this was frustrating at times, it was a helpful balance for me that helped "smack me back to reality" when I got a little out of touch.

Through the years, there have been many changes in the unit - especially early on. For all of those major changes, Grandpa Glackin was not only here with us, but he was the guy helping implement them and make sure the enlisted men were settled with them. Many of you have heard "war stories" of Grandpa's, such as when we had squad drills twice a week or when we were only a two-squad unit or when we used to scrimmage without going spec on dying for fun...he knows these stories because he was there for all of them. He was there when the unit needed him most - when it was growing.

Through just about every rank in this unit, Grandpa Glackin has seen it all. He has even retired a few times - more than I care to remember :P But last year he came back in a different way. It was apparent that his time away had changed him, and he and I had both matured past our prior disagreements. For the longest time he held First Platoon together while we were waiting for an Officer candidate, and his presence in this unit has had a hugely positive effect on morale even while he's on LOA.

Grandpa Glackin is a classic member of the 29th Infantry Division and those of you who know him know that he is truly "one of a kind." He has been a First Sergeant, an OCS Candidate, a Platoon Leader, a Platoon Sergeant, a Squad Leader, a Drill Instructor, and a Friend. And we are all very glad he is with us today.

I am proud to award Technical Sergeant Glackin his Sixth Army of Occupation Medal in celebration of his Third Year of Service to the unit.

:aocc:

43 Comments

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

A 29th Darkest Hour Server by Cpt. Wilson

With the recent release of the Red Orchestra Mod, Darkest Hour, the 29th Infantry Division is very interested in playtesting every nook and cranny of it to determine it's potential. Over the week end, Red Orchestra (required to play Darkest Hour) was only $4.99 instead of the normal $19.99, so nearly all of our members purchased it and have been playing the new mod.

As the game is on a completely different engine, it takes some time to get used to, and has a bit of a learning curve. This curve is not the easiest to tackle when bullets are flying over your head in every direction and you cannot stay alive very long. The need for our own server in which to "get used to the game" became very apparent.

Yesterday, Corporal Strauss messaged me saying that he would like to pay for 3 months of service of a 32 slot public server for the 29th in Darkest Hour. He was willing to donate hundreds of dollars so that the 29th would have a place to learn the game and discover its potential. Shortly after, it was discovered that GameServers.com was having a sale - 32 slot public servers for $29.99 instead of the usualy $50 - so we didn't think twice.

Thanks to Corporal "Godfather" Strauss' generousity, the 29th Infantry Division now has its own 32 slot public Darkest Hour server.
The server IP is: 208.167.250.135:7757

For those of you with questions or are struggling to get Darkest Hour to perform to its potential, or have low FPS, or have crash issues, refer to Our Infobank Wiki for solutions to those problems. I look forward to seeing you all on the huge battlefield!

21 Comments

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Momentous Occasion by PFC C. Stear

Well, in this week's news for the 29th we have quite a few promotions. The new Privates, First Class are Valet, Harnish, and Ricchio. We also have two new Corporals who have finished Squad Leader Training, Cpl. Ducat and Cpl. Ayers. Private, First Class Ricchio was awarded a Bronze Star this week for racking up 5 Kills on Diversion in drills. Private Doss was awarded a Silver Star in Company Scrims for going 17-2 with 1 minute respawns. Private, First Class Pearson was awarded a Bronze Star for killing 7 Axis during platoon drills with his MG. Pvt. Norton has donated $40 this week, bringing his total to $200. Everyone should thank him for helping to pay for our servers.

We have some Members who have earned their Marksman's Badge with the Rifle. These members who have worked hard for this are: Pvt. Collins, Pvt. Scholes, and Pvt. Doss. Also, members who have earned their Marksman Badge with the Heavy are: PFC Gir, PFC Ricchio, and Pvt Norton. PFC O' Brien has earned his marksman with Machine Gun. PFC Scott and Pvt. Niegsch have earned their Marksman Badge with their Bazooka's, so stay away from those dark alleys. PFC Leveille Earned his Sharpshooter with Bazooka. T/5 Munro has earn his Marksman with the Enfield. The following people have earned their Expert Infantry Badges and are now able to participate in an Official 29th Scrimmage: PFC Ricchio, Pvt. Niegsch, Pvt. Collins, Pvt. Scholes, and Pvt. Doss. Well done all of you gentlemen.

This week marks the 225th Training Platoon Which means Lighthouse has been around for 2 and a Half years. It was first started by Cpt. Wilson and FSgt. Reyes and is currently run by Cpl. Walker. This is one of the most important offices in the 29th as it keeps this unit alive by training new recruits and bringing them up to speed with 29th life in general. Many a recruit have been shown the proper and effective way to play DoD. So remember, if you see any of the guys that work for Lighthouse, thank them. Also don't Forget to thank Captain Wilson for all the work he has done for keeping this unit alive.

24 Comments

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Where are our recruiters? by PFC O'Brien

As far as the past couple of weeks go a few of the unit's members that have been with us for some time, PFC's Radmanesh, Vega, and Walker have each completed their SLT and are now Corporals!

On another note, Pvt. Norton has really stood out this week by donating another fifty dollars to the unit! This brings his total to one hundred and sixty bucks! It's men like these who keep the unit going.

Captain Wilson has posted a thread allowing us to post ideas for jobs within the unit. This would give more people an opportunity to participate in a wonderful realism experience. It could even end up making the unit stronger as a whole! Be sure to throw in your two cents and aid the unit.

And finally, we need your recruiting skills! We haven't done too bad over the past two weeks but things are starting to slow down once more! Why would anyone not want to recruit? It takes five minutes of your game play and if all goes well, you will get a free weapon pass! Ladies and Gentlemen, it couldn’t be any easier! So let's see those enlistments!

0 Comments

Thursday, May 15, 2008

29th Downloads Database Open for Public Use by Cpl. Walker

Attention to all 29th and non-29th:

The items we the 29th use for custom content while playing DoD has been released for use to our great public players who frequent our great server. If you're wondering what it is, just check out the link found on the left hand side of this main page. It's listed as Downloads and is quite hard to miss. There you will find skins for weapons, uniforms, and even some of the great tools and features to help make playing the game easier. Trouble with not being able to see all the people on the scorelist? A fix is found there. How about a easier custom command menu? Just click the link and follow the directions found in the newly polished downloads link.

For those of the 29th, the Ordinance office has re-vamped it's old look for a brand new one. Check out what was done to improve the custom content that can be brought to you. Also, a way for posting new custom content is available in the new office, so read the directions and share the wealth. Remember, what you bring to the office, you bring the entire unit and its guests.

Finally to give credit to those who made this happen, PFC Hutchins and T/5 Munro of the 29th's Ordnance Corps. If you see them, be sure to give them your thanks for this great, new feature that all can now share.

4 Comments

Thursday, May 8, 2008

NCO Overview Session on the Way by Cpl. Walker

To bring to your attention, Sgt. Commander will be holding an NCO training seminar for the unit coming this June 6th. It will be at 8pm and cover the clerical work section of being an SL/ASL/SLT member. It is a must attend if you're able, as it will get you caught up on things that need to be done at this level. I am sure he will add more to this. If interested, reply to the thread and show up in the platoon server on that date.

If you had not also noticed, the FG-42 should now be selectable on all maps, regardless of paratrooper maps. Captain worked that out as well as making it so you don't look like a paratrooper now when mixed with regular Wermacht soldiers. Does this affect people much? Well, if you have your rifle AQB, maybe, if not, why do you not have your rifle AQB yet? Get it! Warning however, if still going by the old manner, Heavy AIT checks usually only get earned when using an STG-44 as it is the basis of the heavy on Axis side. This may be different from squad to squad, but mastering the STG-44 is still better as it helps more than the FG42.

PFC Leduc has also brought up a good point when dealing with the rank system. When you see ranking NCO's or CO's, call them by the full rank at all times. The only exception is that when dealing with a CO, you may address them as Sirs as the honorific level of such is acceptable. Do so only when acknowledging them however. When addressing, saying the rank is still better. Only a good warning, as abuse of the system does garner demerits.

0 Comments

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

FYI by Cpl. Walker

Alright gents, I went through and did some quick calculations on a few things that always perk my interest. These may or may not be things that concern you, but you should probably still know them cause they affect you in some manner.

First, Promotions! Joining the ranks of PFC are Trommer, Scott, and Jensen as well as Cpl. Chang becoming now Sgt. Chang.

This month alone, April, there have been ten general discharges from the unit. Main reason being AWOL. Get on the boys, make them be more active, see that they post in forums and join in the general activity of the unit. Another words, be a soldier and aid your few soldiers. Even talking with them in vent helps keep these numbers down. There has been three honorable discharges so far, which usually means three vets have retired from the ranks. Means usually that positions open up but that the unit has lost some good men. Be sure to thank them for their service. There has also been one dishonorable discharge. No one wants to see those. Be good soldiers, not just soldiers.

Figuring up things in the forum rosters, I calculated that there are currently 130 members of the 29th ID. Of these members there are 65 people with Rifle Arms Qualification Badges. That deducts to 50% of the unit being certified. Lets work those rifles boys. Means, if your in the servers and your SL is around, have him watch you with that rifle to see if your up for some checks on those AQB's.

To further this, the unit has 73 Expert Infantry Badges so far. This would be roughly 56%. This usually falls hand in hand with rifle AQB's. If you do not know what you have in the way of certification in your said weapons and EIB, go into your profile in the forums and look for the link named Advanced Infantry Training. Should be on the left hand side in the listings. From there, find your rifle and EIB and just see what you need to do to complete those badges. Lets tie these things down and get the unit moving!

0 Comments

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Come one, Come all by 2Lt. Wheatley

Looking for that chance to show off to Company Headquarters? Looking for those shiny medals that hang from your jacket? Well, show up on Friday nights in the Company Server at 9 PM EST for Company Scrims. It's the biggest social gathering every week and a way to show what you've learned.

Company Scrims are generally Cpt. Wilson's time to show off new scenarios and plug-ins that he's made or ones we haven't used in awhile. For example, a couple weeks ago, we used Campaign mode on Charlie and the Allied team stormed the beaches in a Higgins boat, just like in Saving Private Ryan.

Company Scrims are also an opportunity to see someone in Squad Leader Training lead under pressure in front of Company and Platoon Headquarters. Or even a chance to see your Platoon Headquarters face off in a scrimmage against another Platoon's Leadership and show that they still have the touch.

If you haven't attended a Company scrim yet, the main question I leave with you is "WHY?" It is a different experience every week but guaranteed to be a good one. 29th FTW!

12 Comments

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Old Dog Returns to Greet More Old Dogs in the Making by Cpl. Walker

Back from a nice retirement, one the the 29th's best recruiters returns to the ranks. PFC Tuomainen has stepped out of his retirement to aid in gathering fresh new recruits for the unit. Be sure to hit him up for some nice hints and suggestions for gathering the ears of those who gather at the servers during public play.

Those also stepping into the ranks of veterancy are a few blokes earning their six months service badges. T/5 Husted, PFC C. Stear, PFC Hutchins, PFC Tran, PFC Pearson, and Pvt. Constantine have all earned this honor for the time spent in service to the 29th. Give them a cheer as this award is one deserving of respect. All you new comers should look forward to yours as well, so stick with it and you might get a new shiny badge for your jackets.

I have noticed of late that a few more General Discharges have been issues to the more green recruits in the units for inactivity. Everyone has to do what they can to help stop this. If you notice a squad mate not showing up or posting, send them a friendly pm or steam message to ask them whats up. Ensure the bond of being a squad mate and support your fellow blokes. Fortunately, recruitment is also gaining once again. Seeing those swelling BCT classes should make everyone proud. Make sure those new soldiers stay in the unit and keep 'em active and welcome.

To further this, all new members of the 29th with those shiny new tags, be sure to read up on all the vital announcements in the Company Announcements Forum. Many of those topics need a reply so the CO's and NCO's know your reading them and being an active part of the 29th.

Keep up the good news, gents, your the ones that makes it, I just put it together for your indulgence. Cheers.

5 Comments

Monday, March 24, 2008

The 29th Is Three! by Cpt. Wilson

This month, the 29th Infantry Division celebrates its third birthday. On 14 March 2005, the 29th ID was formed by Captain Pak and Sergeant Glackin. Originally a unit in The Trenches, the 29th later moved to Battlegrounds, and finally settled in Day of Defeat.

To celebrate this anniversary, the 29th took to Battlegrounds on Saturday and had an official line battle for old time's sake. Sergeant Fredriksson, a participating member, recorded the battle and compiled it into a video, available here.

"Happy Birthday" to all the members of the 29th Infantry Division - we are officially three years old - the longest standing unit in Day of Defeat 1.3. This would not have been possible without the help of each of our officers, NCOs, and privates working in synch. Congratulations, all of you.

0 Comments

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Senior Non-Commissioned Officer by 2Lt. Wheatley

Congratulations to FSgt. Epperson on his promotion to First Sergeant and transfer to Company Headquarters as Senior Non-Commissioned Officer. FSgt. Epperson has been with the 29th since the 150th Training Platoon, well over a year ago. He was an original member of both CP3 and CP4. Both platoons are now flourishing due to his hard work and dedication, hard work and dedication that he will carry to all four platoons as SNCO.

Replacing FSgt. as Platoon Sergeant in CP4 will be Sgt. Revelle from CP4S1. Sgt. Revelle has been with the unit since the 151st Training Platoon and has done nothing but excell. I look forward to working with him in CP4HQ and wish both men the very best of luck.

In other news, the 29th Infantry Division's ultimate recruiter has returned from his retirement. Be sure to welcome PFC Tuomainen back and join him in his recruiting efforts. We wish him the best of luck and hope to see many more full Training Platoons to come. BUNGALABOO!

0 Comments

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Victory! by 1Lt. Lilley

February 29th, on leap year, a day that comes up once every four years, the 29th Infantry Division was deployed to fight in an official scrimmage in the city streets of Caen against a more than worthy opponent, the 35th Infantry Division. Three weeks of long preparation practices, 10 months of drilling, hard work and hours upon hours of dedication led Fourth Platoon to a solid victory.

During the first round, the 29th took up the axis side with the soldiers of the 35th on allies. As live was called both teams rushed to meet each other barrel to barrel, both sides sustaining a few casualties. The 35th had the 29th suppressed on our left flank, but the right flank of the 29th pushed through the lines of defense brining the two Infantry Division's face to face in a building. TSgt. Epperson reminded the men to stay calm and focused while on the assault. With 2 men left on allies, the 29th stormed the building and Pvt. Noye picked off the last two allies in a nose to nose confrontation on a flight of stairs, resulting in a 29th Victory.

During the second round, the 29th was on allies and the 35th took axis. The 29th rushed out of spawn and was met rounding the corner with hundreds of rounds hailing down upon them from the 35th. The 35th assaulted quick, and ran into the sights of Sgt. McGraw, who in succession eliminated 4 axis near electric alley. The 35th then retaliated, eliminating almost the whole left and rear flank of the 29th, leaving only three alive; 1Lt. Lilley, TSgt. Epperson and PFC Hertez. Those three soldiers went around behind the 35th, coming up on their rear flank. After an exchange of fire, the 35th had two soldiers left, and the 29th had five. TSgt. Epperson ran up to the crack overlooking fire alley and eliminated the MG. 1Lt. Lilley then entered the bank, and when going up to the second floor got taken out by a rifleman watching the ramp. TSgt. Epperson followed in 1Lt.'s footsteps, and fell to the same peril. With three members of the Fightin' 29th left, Sgt. Revelle took the helm navigating himself and the other two into position to eliminate the last member of the 35th. Sgt. revelle was successful in doing so, and secured a second round victory for the 29th.

On this day, we don't only celebrate our Seventh official victory, but show the benefits for constant drilling every week, and the benefits that can be birthed from hard work and dedication. As Cpt. Wilson always once said, "You get a return investment equivalent to the amount of work you put into it." Those words could not be more spot on, and Fourth Platoon really got their return on February 29th.

This victory is not only a victory for those involved, but for the 29th Infantry Division as a whole. Fourth Platoon held high our reputation as a unit and represented all of our past, present, and future members to the utmost of their capabilities. We are the Fighting 29th; not by blood or right, but by training and cooperation. We've earned it.

0 Comments

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Updates! by Cpl. Walker

A basic round up of small news to compile it all for you blokes to take in a bit easier!

Several new policy hit the 29th today to help clear up a bunch of hassle seen in many of the servers. These policies are not a form of punishment, but a form of education to better represent the unit and keep order within the ranks. So, definitely look over those new policies on Whining, Demerits and Accusing People of Cheating. If not, then your not in the forums enough; get active! Everyone should be reading and posting something at least once a day. Be sure to also contact members of the Military Police when dealing with unit members on the Disassociated List. Do not take it into your own hands. MP's must hunt for their meat, so don't feed them any BS for they have quite a duty as it is.

Also, still keep up that recruiting! It's great to see all these fresh new names being placed in the unit, especially with a lot of veteran soldiers taking their leaves. If your not doing your part for recruiting, talk with your SL's about how to get on that. Great benefits come with it. Who doesn't mind a weapon pass?

PFC Wozniak and PFC Belanger joined the ranks of PFC. To accompany this, many new badges have been handed out, so go and congratulate a few of those blokes. They all range from AQB's to even a few EIB's, but still too many to list in this minor report. This is a great accomplishment within the 29th and should be celebrated equally.

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Monday, February 18, 2008

Schedule Changes by 2Lt. Wheatley

This week, Cpt. Wilson announced the changing of the Schedule of Operations. Some drills changed days, some are changing times, and some drills stayed the same. Company Scrims have been moved to Fridays eliminating the Public Scrims. These changes were made based on the Availability survey that unit members filled out listing the best time for their drills. Just a reminder, if you have any scheduling issues or questions, send a PM to your Squad Leader so that he may send it up the Chain of Command to work out the best schedule for your availability. You may find the complete schedule of operations for the Company by checking the Company Announcements Thread or by clicking on the calendar visible on the forums.

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Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Rifles to the Front by Cpl. Walker

While a Browning Automatic Rifle is great and machine guns can decimate an entire team, the M1 Garand is the key to victory. As you should all know, the 29th Infantry Division is a core rifleman infantry division. A rifle can kill any soldier of any nationality in just one shot, but most particularly, a soldier of the German Wermacht.

Why do I bring this up? I have seen so many complaints to it's use, and people wishing they could use this weapon or that, myself being prone to this banter. The thing is, the rifle is all we truly need. Ask yourself, is it really that Garand or K43 that hinders your ability to make the kill? Most times, no. That assembly of iron and wood can decimate an entire squad just like that mg. How? Training! That's right, when it boils down to it, everyone in the 29th should be doing their damned best to at least get AQB's with the rifle. It is not a bad thing to not have one, we all have different swings and flows to gaining ability with weapons, and I am sure many of you excel with other weapons, but like our Captain has stated with our new AIT system, unless your in AIT for them, use good ol' reliable Garand.

So, how do we get this training, might one ask. Well, it's as simple as knowing the chain of command. Ask your SL's and ASL's! If they are not available, then kick on over to the company server and ask a couple of the crack troops and veterans their tricks to the rifle. Most are willing to go above and beyond to aid you and the 29th. Not to mention they might even give you tips and tactics on those amazing rifle wonders we all need so much, like suppressive fire, pre-fire techniques, etc.

So, the next time you have that urge to request permission for a weapon or begin to hate that lovely rifle in your hands, consider this; what makes this rifle of mine not work? You can't blame it on rifle jamming, as Captain hasn't implemented that bag of tricks yet. So, go out their and seek to train the 29th's tool of the trade, the rifle.

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Thursday, February 7, 2008

Recruit, Recruit, Recruit... by 2Lt. Wheatley

Recruitment has always been a giant factor in the success of the 29th Infantry Division. It is inevitable that members will leave and we must have new recruits to replace them. In addition, we are always looking to increase the numbers wearing the [29th ID] tag. Drills with one or two members do not work and are impractical for any type of learning, which is the whole point of drills.

This week, Cpt. Wilson implemented a new effort to increase recruitment back to its old grandeur. This method features increased rewards to those who recruit, including longer weapons passes and "Keep Your Recruit". In this program, if a recruit lists you as their recruiter, they will be placed in your platoon upon graduation. Get out there and recruit, help to strengthen your platoon and the 29th ID!

If you have any questions, as always, use the Chain of Command and ask your Squad Leader or Assistant Squad Leader, they are there for a reason. 29th, Ever Forward!!

In other news, our roster page has been given a revamp. It was a text-based roster for a few weeks as we switched servers to improve efficiency, but now it is a graphical layout that looks even better than it did before the switch, complete with graphical Tours of Duty that are automatically generated. Enjoy!

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Monday, January 28, 2008

Field Training At Its Best by Cpl. Walker

As a few of you may or may not know, CP3 and CP4 are currently undergoing a series of squad versus squad drills to better prepare them for full out deployment known as Operation Autumn Mist. Basically, it boils down to a platoon going at it with the squads rotating on a series of selected maps, much like the first sergeant games we may all remember. The roll out of locations are Verdun, Falaise, and Northbound in that select order. The squads both go at it with an A/D to find a winner, then switch sides and repeat. If the results of this come to a tie of both squads having a win, then a third match is held with a minor change, that being an A/A tie breaker. Quite an intense experience which helps fuel overall squad improvement within the realm of a scrimmage environment.

As for current standings as of 1/29/08, it boils down as follows:

CP3S1: 1WIN - 0LOSS
CP3S2: 0WIN - 2LOSS
CP3S3: 1WIN - 0LOSS
CP4S1: 1WIN - 0LOSS
CP4S2: 1WIN - 1LOSS
CP4S3: 0WIN - 1LOSS

This still leaves many rounds to go for both platoons with a possible aspect of the platoons themselves actually going head to head in the future. These field operations will last well into the middle of March. So, if you see any of the gents/ladies from these platoons, wish them well and give'em hell. The ultimate goal is to get them prepared further for future deployment in actual combat and helping the rookies get a little less green when it comes to scrims.

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Monday, January 21, 2008

Leadership Alterations by 1Lt. Lilley

The face of leadership has changed drastically in the past few weeks here in the 29th Infantry Division. 1Lt. Lilley was promoted to his current rank and moved to the position of Company Executive Officer. Two new officers were commissioned after their successful completion of Officer Candidate School, 2Lt. Cooke and 2Lt. Wheatley. 2Lt. Cooke has assumed command of First Platoon alongside TSgt. Glackin and 2Lt. Wheatley has assumed command of Fourth Platoon together with TSgt. Epperson. 2Lt. Cooke was successful in completing his objectives in both of his scrimmages on Stadtkampf and June11. Though 2Lt. Wheatley was unable to capture the garage in his OCS I scrimmage on Veghel, he was able to capture and hold the West Village of Isigny. Both men showed what they had learned in OCS and that they were ready and able to lead a platoon and truly had what it takes to be an officer in the 29th ID.

At 2Lt. Wheatley's OCS II, numerous promotions accompanied the 2Lt.s commission. These included TSgt. Epperson's promotion from SSgt., SSgt. Long's promotion from Sgt., and Sgt. Cyr's promotion from Cpl. These promotions were well earned and are worn with honor. Congratulations to these men who have put in numerous hours, weeks, and months to help ensure the smooth running machine that is the 29th Infantry Division.

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Monday, November 26, 2007

Celebrating 100 Training Platoons by Cpt. Wilson

This week marks the one hundredth training platoon the 29th Infantry Division has trained and graduated. One hundred times, Lighthouse Corps staff has ensured ample recruitment, routed applicants to the correct destination, provided sufficient qualified training staff, and made soldiers out of pubbers - five days per week, every week.

With Lieutenant Lilley and Corporal Cooke being the two most recent Chiefs of Lighthouse, we have seen drastic improvements in the office's efficiency, even amounting in rotating training squads and quality control reports. The office today is a leak-free production factory only becoming more efficient as each day goes by.

Lighthouse Corps was not always as efficient. When I was in Basic Training, the term Lighthouse Corps had yet to be coined. There were not specific training platoons - my ingame tag was [29th T] for "Training," and it was essentially Jesse's Jump School, led by Technical Sergeant Jesse James Glackin every time we had enough trainees to hold training.

01 October 2005 marked the first official training platoon with set members and schedules. What, at the time, was known as the October I Training Platoon became the 101st TP. The reason it was referred to, originally, as October I was because we divided the month in half and had two 2-week training platoons each month.

After we realised the stress that put on our drill instructors, showing up daily for two weeks, we shortened the requirements to one week and produced the 102nd Training Platoon, from which our current Pvt. McCready (who has since left and re-enlisted) graduated. The 103rd and 104th TPs followed thereafter.

As time went by, Basic Training became more of a routine that eventually became known as "structure" and started becoming uniform for each Training Platoon. Our drill instructors were originally SSgt. Glackin, SSgt. Otradovec, and SSgt. Pirog, who all went to school together in real life and thus could discuss plans for BCT at lunch during school hours. (Obviously they were the cool kids in their school and did not have time to do normal uncool things like socialise.)

Eventually we began to use dod_lighthouse for our training, and when T/3 Theel came around he worked with Lighthouse in the creation of the Fort Meade training map, where 100% of our Basic Training can now take place. Can any of you picture having to change maps several times during your BCT? That's how it used to be.

Lighthouse has changed hands many times in its one hundred tp career, and seen effective and uneffective leaders. It has been down in the dumps and up in the skies, but it is still standing strong, at one of its strongest points I might add. Many of you take for granted what you experience in Basic Combat Training, but as any newer unit or old member of the 29th will tell you, there is a lot of work that went into providing you with that experience instead of some makeshift boring lecture each day.

I ask that you give the history of Lighthouse Corps a thought, and remember to remain thankful for all those who put bricks in the unbreakable brick-wall we call our BCT program. Congratulations to all of you.

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