We have the day player requirements for East Wind attendees up!
NATO requirements are hereEast Bloc requirements are hereFirst the basics:
What is a day player and how is it different from a full or part time attendee?
Day players arrive on the field in the morning (muster in is at 09:00) and play for the day mustering out at 18:00 (6 pm). In essence, being a day player is much like about any other airsoft game most of us go to. You show up, you play, you leave the field of battle at the end of the day. Cost is minimal for day players since the expenses incurred by the event administration to support day players are fairly minimal. Day players do not need to check out night vision units since they are not here at night; day players do not need to be supported with meals since it is easy for them to just pack along a lunch; day players are generally not burning up $50 worth of illumination flares per night etc etc etc. For the event, day players are a win/win situation since the full time guys really appreciate the extra combat firepower and energy of guys who have not spent the last 4 nights on extended patrols can bring to the table and there is not much infrastructure required to support them. For the players themselves, this is a win/win as well since they get to participate in one of the most in depth Milsim events on the planet without having to get all the gear required to attend as a full or part time soldier nor commit to taking an extended period of time off. Also, for guys who have days off during the week but work weekends, attending as a day player means you can play some serious airsoft on a Tuesday if you want. Being a day player is obviously also a great option if you are curious to see what East Wind has to offer before committing 100% to coming to a future East Wind event as a full time soldier.
What should a day player expect at East Wind?
East Wind is a Milsim event, it is not a speedball match. You will be participating in Milsim missions with very clear and direct goals. You will be fighting shoulder to shoulder with the full time guys as you seek to achieve your mission’s goals. Day players are not going to be stuck guarding the camp all day (the full time guys will be MORE than happy to take a day in garrison and get caught up on some rest). Day players will not be used as cooks in the MKT (although you may want to after you see that thing). Pretty much without exception in East Wind’s past day players have ended up forward on every major daytime offensive push and every time, they have proven to be a valuable and much appreciated asset. In short, do not expect to be sprinting around for 9 hours whizzing bbs like mad, but do expect to be in some of the fiercest, most hard fought airsoft of your life.
What is the cost for attending as a day player?
Cost per day is $20 with the exception of the first Saturday and the last Sunday of the event which are largely moving in and moving out of the field. Day attendees are welcome on both days at no cost. Additional costs to be considered are of course food, transportation and lodging (if attending more than one day). While these costs are not included in your field fee, we have hunted up some very reasonable options to help defer some of those costs a great deal.
Lodging: This year, East Wind is being held at a facility that is used most of the year as a rustic resort for outdoorsmen. As a result, there are cabins on site (outside of the area being used for combat) that can be rented for a very reasonable fee. All of the cabins are bunk house style cabins that sleep quite a few guys comfortably so if you get together with a bunch of guys, renting a cabin to crash in is a very reasonable option. If you are astonishingly cheap (like me) there are a number of Conservation Dept areas very nearby where one could primitive camp for free.
Transportation: For those of you who want to travel from fairly far flung distances take a look at Amtrak as an option. The train station at LaPlata, Mo. is a very reasonable striking distance from the East Wind and if you are coming with a group, we would be happy to arrange to send a
Deuce, UAZ, or
Unimog up there to pick you up and drop you off if you would prefer not to make the drive. The train servicing the LaPlata station is the Southwest Chief. It is a very comfortable train and has service from Southern California up to Chicago with many stops in between as well as obviously connection options. Likewise, flights into Chicago followed up by connections to Amtrak are a good option as well. What could be more Milsim for the European theater of operations than taking a train somewhere then riding the rest of the way to your unit in the back of a military truck?
Food is obviously not as big of a trick. Most of us know how to buy and transport food. If you are staying at the cabins, this is a snap to manage since all of the cabins have kitchens in them and cooking meals/packing lunches is no tougher than it is at home. None the less, we recognize the value of a good meal after running around all day and it just so happens that we have the capacity to provide it. The NATO camp MKT (Mobile Kitchen Trailer) will offer dinner meals (not lunch or breakfast) to day players for a flat fee of $7 per person per meal. If you have not heard about our cook; let’s just say that you will be eating at the best restaurant for 100 miles around, the food is top notch. MKT meals are available to day players on both sides of the event so East Bloc or NATO alike, you have a good dinner meal option on hand. I know that I for one would eat dinner at the MKT every day for the rest of my life at $7 per meal.
Where is East Wind III being held?
We do not announce the exact location or post driving directions until the first of March. East Wind events are not held at airsoft fields and we do not want people tempted to trespass on property to look the place over before the event. We can tell you in general terms that East Wind III is being held at a field appox 30 miles north of Columbia, Missouri on a very scenic 400 acre private field.
What are the age requirements for day players?
The minimum age for attending East Wind as a day player is 16 years old. Ages 16-17 will need a waiver signed by a parent to attend. 18+ obviously can sign their own waivers.
How do I attend as a day player?
We prefer if at all possible to know a little before hand who is coming on what days. If possible, try to post in this thread and let us know what days you plan to attend:
Optional Day Player sign up post If your schedule is variable or you simply will not know till later that is fine, you can simply show up on site at 09:00 and muster in. Please note that the muster in time is 09:00 sharp so do try not to be late since we will be getting everyone processed in and into the game as quickly as possible. Everyone hates having to stand around and wait… Field fee payment is due when you muster in.
Are rental weapons available?
While on the face of it, this may seem like an odd question for an event like this, there are a number of people who are outside of the usual airsoft community who have expressed interest in checking out East Wind. Reenactors, veterans from that time frame, ROTC cadets, militaria collectors or just history buffs. We understand that buying an airoft weapon for just one event is not always that practical. As long as you let us know in advance we can most likely hunt you up a rental weapon system, the rest of the gear required is cheap enough to just pick up so you are on your own for the balance of the gear required.
Who do I talk to if I have further questions?
Feel free to PM me directly if you have any questions or hop over to the East Wind forums
http://www.operationeastwind.com/forum/index.php and ask there. Keep in mind that during the week of East Wind, all of the admin staff will be AT East Wind so late questions will not likely get answered since we don’t have a reliable internet connection out in the field and even if we did we wouldn’t have time to be on it.
