By CHRIS CHANCELLOR
There is a familiarity with combat — the mask resting against his face and weapon in hand —that appeals to Army Sgt. Christopher Mooney. But as he and others heard their boats crush against the frosty surface in rural Pierce County earlier this month during Operation Paintball Field, there was a significant difference between this activity and real-life combat.
Behind their protective gear, many of the active duty, veteran and non-military participants were smiling during the event, where proceeds were donated to Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s Fisher House. Fisher House Foundations constructs comfort homes to provide free, temporary housing to families of service members receiving medical care at Veterans Affairs and military hospitals throughout the world. The organization is funded through donations.
Mooney is hopeful this is just the first charity paintball event.
“We’re going to do some charity tournaments with beginning levels,” he said. “It’s all in the beginning stages, but that’s what we’re planning for 2014.”
The initial fundraiser brought 64 players of varying skill sets to Graham. It was hosted by Carlos Rodriguez and the Seattle Ninjas professional paintball team. The event also was part of the state’s premier pinball series: Ninjaball.
Mooney said the U.S. Army AllStars paintball team he competes on was organized by Jeff Munoz, who was stationed in Korea at the time. The US Army AllStars played local Korean teams and against other active-duty military. Along with that team, Mooney also serves as captain of JBLM Phoenix Paintball Team, which he started in 2009 after serving in Iraq. That team, which primarily is comprised of veterans, won Nelson Paintball’s regional award in 2011-12.
He said his interest in paintball stemmed from a visit to Walmart in 2005, where his wife purchased a paint gun for Mooney.
“I’ve been hooked ever since,” said Mooney, laughing.
Colin Richard, 21, who serves as a squad leader on JBLM, said that is a familiar sentiment among paintball participants. He has competed in paintball tournaments since 2003 and started in the professional ranks in ‘07.
“People picture it as (participants) running around with their faces painted trying to play army,” said Richard, adding that he has competed in paintball events in front of Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and on beaches in California.
Richard, who first learned about paintball when he picked up a magazine as a 7-year-old in Eugene, Ore., said the activity reached its pinnacle about five years ago when it regularly was shown on TV. While interest has decreased since then — Richard compares it to the novelty skateboarding experience a decade ago — as well he remains fully vested. Richard, who competes for JBLM Phoenix, said being able to paintball regularly has helped him balance his professional career.
“It’s definitely action-packed,” he said. “It’s intense. It really helped me coming back from deployment. It’s a great way to blow off steam. That’s one of the huge things that helped me cope with coming back from deployment.”
Mooney also sees similarities between his the activity and his career.
“I’ve always been addicted to and really good at tactical things,” he said. “I like the adrenaline rush. It’s motivating. That’s probably why I am in the infantry.”
There are several difference between paintball and real life combat, though. While both skill sets require precision, the spherical gelatin capsules used in paintball do not place participants at risk of lethal wounds. According to a 2003 study by the National Injury Information Clearinghouse of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington, D.C., which was published by the Minnesota Paintball Association, participants were more likely to report injuries sustained in the field, such as tripping, than suffering an eye trauma from a capsule.
“You’ve got to be a little smarter in real combat,” Mooney said.
In tournament play, teams consisting of three to seven players usually compete in a field with inflatable bunkers tethered to the ground in a compact space. Mooney said the youngest participants are 10 years old.
“Some of those kids are just as vicious as adults,” he said, laughing. “You have to be careful.”
The game, which first was played June 27, 1981, in New Hampshire when Charles Gaines and some friends went into the woods and shot paintballs to settle an argument, had more than 7 million people play as of 2010. The activity has grown to a point where its most dedicated players, such as Mooney, report they spend more than $1,000 each year on equipment and about $200 per event.
“The hardcore guys like me play almost every week,” Mooney said. “They get really addicted to it and start buying new gear.”
And selling it.
Mooney said Munoz approached Forgotten Muse Media and HK Army about wanting to help military families by selling player jerseys during the Paintball World Cup in October. Forgotten Muse Media handled the design of the uniforms, while HK Army printed, sewed and produced them. Seventy-five jerseys were produced for the event — each cost $125 — and Mooney said only 22 went unsold. Mooney said he was not allowed to discuss production costs for the uniforms.
“The best thing about our team is that we are all soldiers and a soldier’s instinctive nature is to help people in need,” he said. “Most every soldier on our team knows what it’s like to go through a deployment, and even more true, we all know a fellow soldier that has been wounded in the line of duty and what their families have to go through. It’s funny to think that paintball can be used as a vessel to help people, but because we have been able to be recognized as a respectable team from fans and players all over the world, Jeff Munoz saw it as an opportunity to reach a totally new dynamic of people.”
JBLM Phoenix plans to hold a Fisher House Fundraiser tournament in February to benefit the local Fisher House on JBLM.