Suggestions for Team Room
 

Did a bit of searching (skimmed the redneck engineering post which was pretty entertaining) in regards to this and came up dry.

I've been tasked with coming up with some ideas and then appropriating some stuff for a platoon planning room. First thing I thought was "Who better to ask than the QPs!".

This room is strictly for planning We've already got an platoon office for the PL cmdr and sgt, and a common room with a fridge, big screen tv, couches, etc.. so this might not parallel the 'team room' idea exactly.

I've come up with the following so far:

- large stockpile of topo and aeronautical maps (our teams don't necessrily have a specific area of interest yet)
- general purpose internet hook-up stations x 2
- secure mil net hook-up stations x 2
- large white boards x 2
- large white board calendar for long-term planning
- satellite tv for new updates
- mutiple time zone clocks

I'm really just fleshing out the basics right now. I recalled a few things from when I read The Company They Keep a while ago, but other than that I'd appreciate any help!

Thanks in advance guys,

Charlie

What do we do and what are we looking for?
 

What do we do and what are we looking for?

Sit down and think on that a bit. What are you doing now? What materials do you need? What do you borrow all the time? What can you get, keep and stockpile? Then - what room do you have? Were will it all fit.

Come up with a plan just as if you were redoing your kitchen. Maybe even do a floor plan.

Take time at the start so you don't screw up in the middle - IE run out of room.

Some things to consider, too:

-Are there any ergonomic planning services online?
-How many people will be in the room?
-Ventilation/heating/lighting needed
-Areas for strategic planning sep from tactical planning
-PC work stations sep from discussion areas
-Communications (secure and clear)
-Status boards for listing logistics reqmts/ordered/recvd/locale, etc
-Threat status board (probable locations and capacity)
-Pers assignment status board (who/where/current loc/emerg phone numbers, etc.)
-Is this going to be a room for think-tank discussions consistent with making recommendations to command, or other purposes (training, meetings, etc)?

The recommendation for a floor plan is a good one. Make it to scale, too.

BEST I ever saw......
 

The best I ever saw was 1:1. Guys made a room out of 2x4 frame and plastic sheets out in the yard. Used packing boxes for cabinets, lockers & such with real tables and chairs. Everybody could come inside. Was funny how fast the room filled up.

A sand table with lots of string and chalk and little armymen, legos, trees and bushes from the train model store (or just go out to the Robin Sage area and gather some of that cool moss and make your own. (I'm not pulling your leg or kidding)
And a frig (for the batteries;))

Dozer,the guys from Canada....... :rolleyes: It's a long walk from there to Robin Sage....;)

Big Teddy :munchin

Canada Aye? then the hoser should just get em from the hobby shop. Pick up some LaBats while your out, aye. ( I can tease cuz I'm a wetback from Spokane --south of BC, aye?) I'm still recommending the sand table.

Excellent ideas, thanks guys.

The intent is that this will be an isolation planning room. I'm not taking the sand table (we call it a 'map model' here) idea as a joke at all. I'm definatley taking it to heart.

The secure/clear comms is a neccesseity I neglected to mention, thanks for bringing it up.

Good ideas to all.

Multiple electrical outlets and data drops, (flexibility). A cell phone jammer, or a bucket of water... A coffee bar and fridge, ceiling mounted Proxima or two with the ability to shine on the white boards. Smart boards are nice too. Plotter printers are nice to have, could be in another room or hall. Ceiling lights should allow multiple lighting schemes.

Sounds like you are trying to build a TSCIF, which could be problematic given that it also sounds like you'd like it to be a general-purpose planning room. ;)

I don't know how it is in Canada, but in the US there are very strict rules about controlling access to such a site. I.e., specific locks, windows and doors, manned entry points, etc. No need to say more here, but if classified materials are going to be handled there it is probably not a good location for your sand table. Sand tables are great for briefing missions, especially for the guys who may have lower level clearances.

Consider putting the sensitive materials in a separate room and keep an outer space for all the other activities. Also, you might get a buddy in MI to help you understand what can and cannot be done.

My how times have changed - just an FOG observation - the items in green above might have been in our "plannin" area, probably not back in the day - definitely none of the red. Would have had better use for the items in Blue :p

I always thought the first thing to do was to build the bar. The rest will fall into place...

The number of "Bars" setup in the team house was in direct proportion to the distance from Bragg.

Ahh but we were rough and unsophisticated men back then. Our boards were all black and we didn't know satellites from stalactites.:D

Clearly a guy from Bad Toelz:D didn't the Team Room door have a sign that read "Dew Drop Inn"?:p