FM/C149 - The UNITAF Way

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The FM outlines our core skills, policies and guides to ensure every member stands ready for the mission ahead.

FM/C149 - The UNITAF Way is the set of core principles and fundamental philosophies that guide UNITAF. It is the articulation of our shared beliefs and values that shape our decision-making, member interactions and overall experience within the unit. These tenets establish the "why" behind UNITAF's decisions, actions and systems and serve as a compass for all members, when making decisions or in situations where specific rules may not exist or fully apply. 

The UNITAF Way therefore is the core foundation upon which all other standards are, and should be built. Nothing the unit does should conflict with The UNITAF Way. This ensures UNITAF remains a thriving, effective and enjoyable community committed to achieving our shared goals over the long term.

UNITAF is fundamentally a community built on mutual respect and shared purpose. Treating every member with respect, valuing diverse backgrounds and providing a positive and inclusive environment. Mindful communication, sensitivity to cultural differences and a commitment to teamwork and collaboration are also important. Respect and community are active principles that ensure UNITAF is a welcoming and supportive home for all its members. 

This principle is codified in FM/G30 - The Code of Conduct, particularly;

• FM/BP-226 - Article 2: Culture
• FM/BP-227 - Article 3: Realism

Which set expectations for respectful interaction and cultural awareness.

UNITAF strives for excellence in all we do and understands that every member plays a role in representing the units standards. Immersive and cooperative gameplay, effective teamwork and a commitment to upholding UNITAF's reputation both internally and externally are vital. Members are to be mindful of their actions, both in-game and out and to act as ambassadors of UNITAF. This ensures that UNITAF is not only effective but also maintains a positive and respected standing with its Members and the wider gaming community. 

This principle is reflected in FM/G30 - The Code of Conduct, particularly;

• FM/BP-227 - Article 3: Realism
• FM/BP-228 - Article 4: Representing UNITAF

We act with honesty and fairness, ensuring accountability for upholding UNITAF's standards. Open and transparent communication within appropriate boundaries, responsible handling of sensitive information and a commitment to fair and progressive processes for addressing misconduct. Integrity and trust are vital for a secure and reliable environment where members can confidently collaborate and contribute, knowing that UNITAF is committed to upholding its values consistently and justly.

This tenet is reflected in FM/G30 - The Code of Conduct, particularly:

• FM/BP-229 - Article 5: Confidentiality
• FM/BP-255 - Violations of the Code of Conduct

FM/G168 - Part 2: Philosophy of Realism and FM/BP-847 - Principle 4: Realism Where it Matters fundamentally mean that we prioritise adaptation and inspiration, crafting our own effective and enjoyable methods within our adopted platforms, currently Arma 3 and Arma Reforger and soon to be Arma 4, informed by, but not dictated by, real-world examples.

Purpose: This philosophy and the core principles which follow below clarifies UNITAF's approach to realism, emphasising that we selectively adopt and adapt real-world military principles for gameplay enhancement, rather than blindly imitating real-world procedures for the sake of imitation alone. It establishes that "just because" it's real doesn't automatically make it right for UNITAF.

Realism Where It Matters (RWIM) is therefore a mindset of informed adaptation and inspiration, never blind imitation. We draw upon real-world military knowledge as a valuable resource, but we are ultimately guided by the principles of gameplay enhancement, community enjoyment, and practical effectiveness within our operations.

Real-world military doctrine, tactics, and procedures serve as a valuable source of inspiration for UNITAF. We study real-world examples to understand effective military principles and identify concepts that can enhance our gameplay. However, we explicitly reject the notion of simply imitating real-world practices without critical evaluation or adaptation. We never adopt a procedure or doctrine "just because" that's how it's done in real life. This is not sufficient justification for UNITAF.

UNITAF recognises that our chosen games have unique limitations and possibilities. We actively adapt real-world principles to fit the game engine, our player base, and the specific context of virtual operations. This adaptation is crucial. What works in a real military context may not translate directly or effectively to enjoyable gameplay. Our focus is always on what works best for UNITAF within our virtual world.

The ultimate metric for adopting or adapting any element of realism is its positive impact on gameplay. Does it make operations more immersive? More effective? More team-oriented? More enjoyable? If realism does not demonstrably improve one or more of these core aspects of the UNITAF experience, then it is not aligned with FM/G168 - Part 2: Philosophy of Realism and should be reconsidered or rejected, regardless of its real-world counterpart.

UNITAF is not and never has been afraid to forge its own path. While inspired by the real-world, we are not bound by it. We will develop our own unique doctrines, procedures, and methods that best serve our community and gameplay goals. This means sometimes deviating from real-world practices entirely, or creating hybrid approaches that blend real-world inspiration with our own solutions. We are not trying to be the military; we are building something unique for UNITAF.

Any suggestion to incorporate a "realistic" element into UNITAF is subject to critical evaluation. We must ask why we are adopting it, what benefits it brings to our gameplay, and how it will be adapted to our virtual environment. Automatic adoption based solely on real-world precedent is actively discouraged. Every procedure must justify its place within UNITAF on its own merits.

Rigid schedules and inflexible commitments are often barriers to participation and sustained engagement in Milsim communities. Therefore, FM/G169 - Part 3: Philosophy of Participation is designed to empower members to participate fully while respecting their real-world obligations. 

Purpose: This philosophy articulates UNITAF's commitment to maintaining a highly structured yet flexible environment. It explains why flexibility is essential to UNITAF's ethos, how it benefits members, and how it enhances the overall strength of the unit. It empowers members, maximises engagement and allows us to offer a high-quality experience that is both immersive but also sustainably integrated into the lives of members. 

We believe that this approach is a key differentiator for UNITAF, attracting and retaining dedicated members. Flexibility therefore should not be a weakness - it is a core strength and a deliberate choice that should underpin our long-term success.

UNITAF operates on a flexible schedule and members choose deployments that fit their individual availability. We believe that participation should be driven by genuine enthusiasm and personal capacity, not by obligations that feel burdensome. This autonomy allows members to integrate UNITAF into their lives on their own terms, maximising their ability to participate consistently and with commitment when they are able. We trust our members to manage their engagement responsibly.

To maintain unit cohesion and activity we have a minimum activity requirement for all active members. This low bar aims to ensure a baseline level of engagement across the unit, while remaining exceptionally flexible and accommodating to varying member schedules. This balance is key, enough structure for unit activity, but abundant flexibility for individual members.

Activity Requirements are codified in: FM/G49 - Activity, Discharge & Participation

UNITAF deliberately employs a non-fixed ORBAT for all deployments, abstaining from traditional predetermined teams and static roles. Members are empowered to select different roles and teams for each deployment, leading to increased interaction across the unit and building stronger bonds by encouraging mixing with a wide range of individuals. This approach prevents cliques and isolation and the dynamic structure ensures each deployment is a fresh, engaging experience, combating routine and preventing burnout by allowing members to avoid being locked into specific roles. Ultimately, experiencing diverse roles cultivates a broader skill set and a deeper understanding of combined arms warfare among all members.

As part of our approach to participation, UNITAF prioritises the inclusion of experienced members first in key deployment roles to maximise mission success, aligning with FM/BP-856 - Principle 13: No fixed roles, no fixed teams. FM/G177 - Part 6: Philosophy of Training helps us recognise this experience.

Crucially, this prioritisation is balanced with our commitment to fairness and the progression of all members.Therefore we also ensure ample opportunity for less experienced members to learn and grow through training, mentorship and deployment opportunities. 

Ultimately, we aim to ensure UNITAF's operational success while also being a supportive community where all members can develop and progress to contribute meaningfully over time.

We design our systems to support this flexibility. We aim to provide a clear, user-friendly process for signing up for deployments, choosing roles, and accessing mission information in advance. This transparency enables members to make informed decisions about their participation in unit deployments and plan accordingly. This approach ensures efficiency and coordination despite the fluid nature of member availability.

UNITAF recognises a hierarchy of authority when clear direction is needed:

• Written Doctrine: The Force Manual, which you are reading is the primary source of established doctrine. It contains written policies, procedures, guides, skills and standards that have been formally approved by FM/BG-611 - Central Command (CC).
• Verbal or Written Instruction: 
  • When the Force Manual is silent on a specific issue, direction from Officers (whether verbal or written) constitutes de facto doctrine. 
  • While best practice encourages incorporating these instructions into the Force Manual, this is not always feasible or necessary. 
  • Officer instruction should generally not contradict written doctrine, but exceptions can be made by FM/BG-611 - Central Command (CC). In such cases, Officers should clarify written doctrine as soon as practical.
• Precedent: If neither written doctrine nor Officer instruction provide clear guidance, precedent may be considered. If a specific action or behaviour has been consistently permitted or prohibited in the past, this may serve as a guideline. The more recent and the more consistently a specific action or behaviour has been treated as precedent, the stronger its indication. However, members should always seek clarification rather than assuming precedent is binding. Precedent is a good starting point but not always a definitive answer.

For more information about Officers within Unit Command, see: FM/G58 - Unit Structure

Doctrine exists to standardise actions, behaviours, or tasks only when there is a genuine need. We avoid unnecessary or overly complex rules. If doctrine becomes burdensome, pedantic, or detracts from the gameplay experience, it is counterproductive and should be revised or removed.

Real-world military doctrine, tactics, and procedures serve as a valuable source of inspiration for UNITAF. We study real-world examples to understand effective military principles and identify concepts that can enhance our gameplay. However, we explicitly reject the notion of simply imitating real-world practices without critical evaluation or adaptation. We never adopt a procedure or doctrine "just because" that's how it's done in real life. This is not sufficient justification for UNITAF.

The benefits of any given piece of doctrine must clearly outweigh the effort required to write, teach, and enforce it.

This threshold is significantly higher when:

• Replacing Existing Doctrine: Changing established procedures is more burdensome as members must unlearn old habits and adopt new ones, especially when the existing doctrine is deeply ingrained.
• Impacting the Majority: Broad, unit-wide changes receive greater scrutiny than those affecting small, specialised groups due to the interconnected nature of our doctrine and the potential impact on other areas.

Doctrine is evaluated primarily from the perspective of the average, casual member, not from the viewpoint of specialists or subject matter experts. Doctrine must be accessible, understandable, and beneficial to the majority of the unit.

Whenever possible, UNITAF prefers to enforce rules and procedures through system limitations or inherent game mechanics, rather than relying solely on written doctrine. Implementing controls through system design, such as permissions, access restrictions, scripting, or even by agreement of persons with permissions, not only reduces the need for explicit written rules and simplifies enforcement in the present, but it also lays the groundwork for a more scalable future. Therefore, when we design systems, we should always adopt a 10x mindset, ensuring they will remain robust and effective in enforcing rules even with a tenfold increase in membership.

To ensure clarity and consistency, any piece of doctrine should exist in a single, authoritative location and be linked to when referenced elsewhere.

Ultimate Authority: FM/BG-611 - Central Command (CC) holds the ultimate authority to approve, modify, or reject changes to UNITAF doctrine. They assess whether proposed changes align with FM/G170 - Part 4: Philosophy of Doctrine and the overall goals of the unit.

Delegated Authority: Central Command delegates the practical application and interpretation of doctrine principles to FM/BG-615 - Training Command (TC) and it's staff and contributors. These groups are expected to develop a deep understanding of UNITAF doctrine, guiding the change process and ensuring proposals align with FM/G170 - Part 4: Philosophy of Doctrine. Central Command's final approval is intended to be a confirmation of this process working effectively.

All UNITAF members are encouraged to suggest changes, additions, or removals to doctrine. The primary channel for these suggestions is the UNITAF Roadmap. This ensures transparency and allows for broader input to be considered.

Central Command may have final authority but they are not experts in all areas. Therefore, the relevant FM/G92 - Training Teams, members of FM/BG-615 - Training Command (TC) and all unit members play a crucial role in change management.

Training Command:

• Assist members in formulating doctrine proposals, ensuring they are well-reasoned, clearly articulated, and aligned with FM/G170 - Part 4: Philosophy of Doctrine.
• Help evaluate the potential impact of proposed changes on their respective areas of expertise.
• Assess the practicality and enforceability of proposed changes.
• Work with the relevant Training Teams
• Maintain the totality of unit doctrine and ensure that approved changes are implemented accordingly.

No individual or group, other than Central Command, has the authority to unilaterally deny, enforce, or implement a doctrine change. All ideas, regardless of their source, should be considered and evaluated through the established process.

Any doctrine change must have clearly delineated what is changing, the impact this will have and why this change is justified. Systems must be in place to clearly communicate changes to all relevant members.

1. Suggest: A member proposes a change via the Roadmap.
2. Review: Policy Staff review the suggestion for clarity and completeness.
3. Consult: Relevant Training Teams and Training Command provide feedback and guidance.
4. Refine: The proposer refines the suggestion based on feedback.
5. Ratify: Central Command along with Unit Command and Training Command reviews the refined proposal and makes a final decision (approve, modify, reject, or request further information).
6. Implement: The change is documented in the Force Manual by Training Command and the J6 Policy Staff and relevant training materials are updated.
7. Communicate: The change is communicated to the unit.

Our training approach commences with an initial qualification stage, akin to receiving a provisional driving licence. This stage, the requirements for which may vary, unlocks initial access to a combat area – a set of related roles – allowing members to begin gaining practical experience.

UNITAF believes that actively participating in operations and practices within roles is key to unlocking more advanced roles in the same area. As members “rack up miles”, they gain experience for further progression. This increased activity also naturally exposes members to our instructor teams, making it easier to identify areas for improvement where members may fall short of standards.

Our instructor teams serve not only to uphold the standards of UNITAF for the benefit of all members but also act as advisors, trainers, and mentors. They step in to provide guidance and support, ultimately aiming to help every member meet the required standards for effective operation.

Instructors can issue notices highlighting areas where skills need development. While we trust members to address these areas, repeated instances of falling standards can lead to temporary restrictions on role access. Conversely, consistent positive performance and continued experience will be taken into account.