So I bought the Valve pack back in the winter of 09' but didn't play DoD:s until around May of 2010, where Teachey (he was a MSgt. in this unit if you didn't know) and I decided to play a bunch of random games in the valve pack such as old DoD and Source. Well, we happened to stumble upon the 1st MRB server, and Teachey got really well acquainted with people in the unit, while I preferred straying from it. I think people at the time, particularly Wells gave a good first impression of the 1st MRB, and him being a WWII fan, he decided to join and do realisms. Somehow he managed to convince me to enlist back on June 4, 2010 and I was accepted into the unit. I passed my BCT with having then Sgt. McKenzie (Now WO.) and then SgtMaj. or 1stSgt. (can't remember) K. Swartz (now 1stLt.) as my DIs. I didn't really get into the unit even after my graduation, and contemplated leaving as I pretty much sucked at the game (I'd always try and avoid being on Axis side as much as possible as I couldn't hit a target with the K98 to save my life). I tried a few realisms but didn't get into it and actually thought it was boring.
However, I met several people, some of which are no longer in the unit, and most who showed me the ropes of playing DoD:S and being in the realism unit. Over time, I learned a lot about realism and the realism community and the history of the unit and its founding members. A lot of the veterans in the unit will probably recognize these names: Phan, Ollhoff, Collins, Wingate, Miller, Tolomeo, Legend, Collazo, Wells, Ritchey, Dillon, Twitty, Harlan, Humble, Parker, Zahl, Englebretson and many more whom I don't have the patience to go back into the archives and look, sorry guys. (Dillon and Twitty were BCT 139 Grads like myself, along with Teachey, Coogan, and CWO. Berg in the Euro BCT 139). Getting to know the unit and its members is something I probably won't be able to experience in any other online video game.
I remember the first time I ever got a PTU it was from Collazo on jagd because I think I was camping somewhere with a Garand. Hell if I know now. I remember staying up until 4 AM PST pubbing with Parker and a few other guys while they tried to come up with a nickname for me and finally "Kaba" stuck. I remember getting the crap scared out of me by then TSgt. Wingate during one realism when he saw our Enlisted line on the back wall completely screwed up, and yelled at us. I remember seeing the then 1/1 Squad Leaders: Collins, Miller, and Phan as the deadliest trio I'd known up to that point. In fact, my first realism ever was on dod_adenau against the 9th ID, and we had all three of those guys on our team, and if memory serves me right, I didn't get to see much action because of them :/ but we still won so who cares now. I remember Kirkendall retiring shortly after I had just joined the unit, before I had ever gotten to see him in action, so all the talk about his legendary skill would grow into legend in my mind, until of course he came back. I remember viewing the Officers as intimidating and I really didn't want to get to know them that well, but all of that changed over the course of that summer two years ago. I remember hearing then 2ndLt. Zahl and 2ndLt. Englebretson make erotic, weird jokes whenever I had the luxury of being the same vent channel. So yeah, there's probably a lot more that I'm forgetting, but you get the idea. I had an awesome time learning about this unit and its core members, and I still do to this day. Summer is when I'm most active, as I'm rarely around several days in a row during the school year.
Just know that you've joined a good community that has been an awesome place for me to represent for the past 2 years in both the 1st MRB and BAR (I retired back in 2011 as a GySgt. and joined BAR for about a month until I came back to the 1st MRB. It's true what Parker always says on retirements: They always come back) Perhaps we all do because we know in our hearts that the 1st MRB is a place where we can chill and play other games with each other, or just hang out in vent and chat for hours on end. Believe it or not Rec., everyone of us in this unit started out just like you: a person new to the world of realism and had to start from the bottom and work our way up, and yes that includes the Officers too. Imagine our officers running around with tags like Pvt. or Sgt, it's weird, huh? (Actually here's a
that shows just that. Made by Kirk a couple of years ago in another unit). So we're glad to know that you intend to stay, but keep in mind that it's a long road, but you'll have many people willing to guide you along your way.
