MilSim Blog
Community Spotlight: 101st AB
MilSim Spotlight: 101st Airborne Division
Welcome to the first edition of MilSim.io’s Community Spotlight. Today, we’re looking at 101st Airborne Division, an Arma 3 community, and speaking with their leader, Mitchell.
The 101st has been a long time supporter of MilSim.io (previously Unit Commander), and we’re happy to do a quick Q&A with their leader.
📊 Community Overview
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Game | Arma 3 |
| Region | Global |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Members | 100~ |
| Playstyle | Semi-Realism/Serious |
| Operation Style | Campaigns - Weekly Ops |
| Recruitment | Open |
| Apply | Their MilSim Page |
🧠 Overview
101st Airborne Division is a Vietnam themed, US Army MilSim unit, who has a strong focus on historically accurate operations - often heavily researching real missions carried out by the 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War.
Having joined some of their operations over the years, I can say that realism is a top priority - everything is thought of, no radios for riflemen (at least when I last played), dedicated specialisations (leading to a great air wing, dedicated engineer slots, and more), and the immersion provided by this (and much more), is among some of the best I’ve experienced in 10 years of Arma MilSim.
101st cater to every type of player, from brand new players, through to seasoned veterans, their training pipeline and onboarding process is fantastic (powered by some great tools of course 😉).
Q&A With Mitchell
🎯 What Makes 101st Different?
Within the 101st we try and make it as accessible as possible for those who work, study or have other responsibilities in their life as a result we do only one event a week which incorporates both a training segment and our weekly operation. We are the largest Vietnam War Milsim on Arma 3 supporting 50+ player operations showing the Vietnam war on a scale not seen before on Arma 3 and to a level of historical accuracy which few achieve - from our equipment we use, tactics we train and enemy we fight; the level of research which goes in behind the scenes is remarkable.
The unit is structured off of a US Airborne/Air Mobile Company, our namesake being “Cobra” C Co, 1/327 Inf, 101st AB who fought in country from 1965 through to 1972. Our GCE breaks down into a Co HQ, two Infantry Platoons & a Mortar Platoon with a Air Cavalry Troop supporting. This allows us the unique opportunity of having openings in most sought after roles; from Pilots to Leadership.
🎮 Operations & Playstyle
101st runs weekly operations, as part of a larger, on going, historically accurate campaign, often spanning multiple months.
- Operation Frequency: Weekly
- Typical Session: Plenty of variety, from Air Assaults to Combat Patrols
- Structure: Strict set squads and platoons, flexible roles.
Their current operation is the Tet Counteroffensive (1968): During the 1968 Tet Lunar New Year ceasefire, in the early hours of 30 January, nearly 80,000 North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong troops launched coordinated attacks on more than 100 towns and cities across South Vietnam—marking the largest military operation of the Vietnam War to date.
❓ What’s been the hardest part of running your unit as you’ve grown?
Turn over is always a challenge; once our group reached the size it has we naturally had people come and go over the years and ensuring the knowledge, skills and passion remains consistent with the unit ethos is something which is always a challenge.
❓ What’s one mistake you see new MilSim units make?
The biggest mistake I see new units make is getting hung up on the inter unit politics. I think something most need to understand is people will come and go, for every 10 people you recruit you might keep 2 possibly 3 in the long term so accepting that statistic and moving on when you lose someone is extremely important and something I have seen many newer groups struggle todo.
❓ What’s helped you stay active and consistent over 7 years?
Stability, consistent and dependable leadership has helped keep the 101st driving over the years, combined with a strong unit objective which too has remained consistent helps all members know what they are getting each and every time they attend our events.
❓ How do you approach recruitment and onboarding?
Casting a wide net is critical, we advertise about everywhere you can as each bit will help. Combine that with a large team of recruiters and that brings all the pieces together.
❓ What does the next year look like for your unit?
Over the next 12 months our aim is to continue to maintain the unit strength and size as well as continuing to host large scale special events for the wider community.
❓ Give us a fun fact about your community
101st Airborne actually has 2 or 3 active couples who play in the community together!
📈 Key Takeaways for Other Units
- Consistency beats intensity — reliable weekly events build long-term retention.
- Strong unit identity and historical focus help communities stand out.
- Recruitment is a numbers game; retention matters more than raw joins.
🚀 Interested in Joining 101st Airborne?
As the owner of MilSim.io, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing 101st go from strength to strength for the last several years, and I can’t recommend them enough to anyone who has an itch for a bit of Vietnam themed gameplay, they’re one of the longest running Arma 3 units for a good reason - something that can only be explained by experiencing it for yourself.
👉 Learn more: 101st’s Page
📣 Want Your Community Featured?
We’re highlighting MilSim communities across all our supported games. If you’d like to be featured, open a ticket on our Discord to get started!
Thanks for reading, Flinty