USMC Grunt here as well. I am more of the mind to go to the extremes (but maybe not the full extremes here lol).
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1. The player sets his notification on his phone to a mail call for a bugle
Eh, kinda close, my ringtone is the Auburn fight song. War Eagle!
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2. Somehow incorporate actual weather into scenarios you are in.
I am in Florida, so its either hot or it is hot as hell. Strip down to shirtsleeves for me! When I did ACW reenacting as arty, this was quite typical. No way in hell I would be out in the Florida sun in full wool next to a metal tube with fire blasting out of it. Plus, arty are the hardest workers on the field anyways.
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3. Actually limit yourself to a diet of hardtack and salted pork (maybe).
Not by choice, but being a poor grad student (hopefully not much longer), I can upgrade to bacon and whole wheat bread.
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3. Sleep outside in a canvas tent, shave with a straight edge, boil your own water, and live with any modern accoutrements at all...well...except your laptop and phone.
Tents? More like poncho liner under the stars lol...I do use a double sided safety razor, so close enough. I also have a tea kettle, electric though because we have this newfangled electricity here in the swamps, be jealous!