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Veteran coming back after a decade... long story

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    Veteran coming back after a decade... long story

    Hey everyone. I've been out of paintball for the better part of a decade. I was very active on the now-defunct A5/X7/98 OG series of forums for quite some time and was a moderator there. I also ran a paintball field (very outlaw but well-organized and popular in the local community) for around 6-7 years. Unfortunately, I had some very tragic personal life circumstances happen surrounding my involvement in the sport which I won't go into, and was struggling financially and professionally. I got burned out on it all, sold or gave away all my markers and gear, ghosted my involvement in the community and turned my focus to surviving. A few years later, I enlisted.

    Fun story. When I went to my rate's aviation "A" school, my class had a morale event at a paintball field near the base. I wasn't enthused, but warmed up to the idea. The thing was, despite being healthy and active I was absolutely terrible at our weekly morale sports like football, ultimate frisbee, volley ball, baseball, etc. I was always one of the last students picked. I resolved to stave off the insecurity of sucking and to be a team player/have fun regardless, but I still got sneers and nasty comments about it on and off the field. I guess I was just that bad... but a lot of students also seemed to be using school as an excuse to relive their high school days. I figured this could finally be my moment to shine. So with the exception of a few buddies, I kept my experience quiet.

    When we showed up at the field, I struck up some conversation with the staff. They gathered I was experienced based on seeing me help other students with their gear, but I asked them to keep it quiet as well. I told them how I was out for surprise redemption after getting my butt handed to me for months, and they agreed not to say anything. I was again one of the last people picked when forming up teams, but I could barely contain myself from grinning and laughing under my mask. The first game I went easy to get reoriented and add to the perception of being a newbie. I was one of the first people out and didn't hit anyone.

    Then every game after, I zoned in and showed no mercy the rest of the day. It looked like I went from a zero to a hero after just one game. By the end of the day, there wasn't one student who hadn't been fairly hit by me at least once, and multiple games where I took out the majority of the opposite team by myself. The staff totally played along until everyone started figuring it out, and were getting the biggest kick out of it. My instructors were laughing hysterically at me wrecking the field and giving me high-fives because they'd all seen first-hand how terrible I was at other sports. Almost all the other students were getting a huge kick out of it too, and I quickly went to being the first person picked. A few students who didn't like me personally were visibly pissed. I was a legend for weeks after, was never picked last again for team sports no matter how badly I sucked, and started getting asked to help pick up teams myself (which I actually hated doing and declined when able). When I saw one of my instructors over a year later, it was the first thing he brought up. It was glorious.

    I served six years of active duty altogether. I did my job well, kept my nose clean, and got to see, learn and do crazy stuff that not many get the chance to. I got out a year ago, and have been using the GI Bill to pursue my dream career since.

    I never thought I'd come back into paintball, and I still have some bad vibes wrapped up in it. At the same time, I've been feeling the urge to find a way to redeem my crappy past around something I truly enjoyed and was confidently good at. My partner has also expressed a desire to play, but I've always turned her down. Something I never got to do though was play pump. After playing with semi-autos for years, I was leaning in the direction of picking up a pump like a CCI Phantom with one of those sick anodizing jobs to make playing more of a challenge. I also thought it would be cool to do pump+pistol only games at my field to change things up and make it more economical since paint was getting expensive. Sadly, I got out altogether before I ever got the chance. So here I am, looking around to see if any of the old online boards from my youth are still up and I find mcarterbrown!

    Anyway, I'll be lurking/researching here to explore my next steps and see all I've missed over the last decade, and see if this is something I want to do again. Also will probably start looking for some used markers/gear. I still really want my dream pump, like a CCI Phantom or something similar... maybe there's even better stuff out there to be had now. My spouse is thrilled and wants one too. I think getting into the sport this way will help me reintegrate in a very new and unfamiliar way that won't be as reminiscent of my past experience. I'm also a disabled vet now... maybe this is my inexperience of the pump world showing, but I'm hoping I'd be able to take it a little easier on my body in games where there aren't walls of paint being slung everywhere.

    Anyways if you read my introduction, thanks. You'll prob see me around!

    #2
    You into or ever go to a scenario/big game? Some really great weekend events if you are willing to travel. Can't always have amazing experiences at open play. The right event and you got life long memories and buddies made both on and off the field.

    My go to pump is an old mid 90s Proline Sterling. Playing Pump will add to the game for sure! .

    Comment


    • eld_catharsis_1968
      eld_catharsis_1968 commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks for the response! I never did get to a scenario/big game, they still have those? My perception was that paintball had fallen off quite a bit and honestly, I have no idea what the sport is like today. Skirmish was a few hours drive from me and I had always wanted to go but never got the chance. I am full-timing in an RV right now and have some travels planned, I could definitely see my spouse and I getting into some scenario/big games.

      I remember seeing a Proline or two come through! I'm still not sure if I'd want to do an open or stock class-style pump. I think I'd like the option to play stock-class games but would want to get some spring-fed mag tubes as well, and maybe an open-class marker down the road if I got back into it. I know painfully little about pumps at this rate... going on decade-old knowledge!

    #3
    Welcome to MCB. Take a look around and enjoy your stay. I'm guessing Navy? I promise, I won't hold it against you.😋
    Carp 's Feedback
    Carp 's WTB/WTT

    Comment


    • eld_catharsis_1968
      eld_catharsis_1968 commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks for the welcome! Can't believe this board is still around, I was never active here but I lurked a lot. Nope not a squid; I was shallow-water navy (USCG). You? I was primarily on MH-60Ts, fixers & flyers. Before getting rated (AET) I did SAR/LE on 47ft MLBs and 29ft RBS IIs at a heavy wx station.

    • Carp

      Carp

      commented
      Editing a comment
      MCB had a ransomware hack in 2020 and the boss gave them the finger(and rightly so). We've been rebuilding ever since. Still plenty of knowledgeable folks on the forum these days. Let me be the 1st to say, the phantom is a great choice and platform for all your pump playing styles. Stock class, open class, spring feed or mag-fed...It can do them all. 😉
      Signal Corps(31R) in the Army for me. There's a few sub guys hanging around and at least one former chopper pilot(although he seems to be MIA for a little while).

    #4
    Greetings, and welcome back to the fold. MCB is a very friendly place, pretty much the perfect forum to get reintegrated into paintball again. Oh, and to buy a whole lot more markers than you initially though, once you get lulled into a brass-craving haze.

    Quite the inspiring story. Please feel free to share more about yourself and you experiences on of off the paintball field. Personally, I used to be a lurker, but stepped up my presence on the forum when the above mentioned hack occurred, and we needed to rebuild.

    Also, not only do we have members from across the globe, we also have veterans from around the globe. Originally I served as a Ranger - Swedish Army obviously - and I have since served overseas in several continents.
    Got Bork?

    Olsson's WTB - Shut up and take my money!

    Comment


    • eld_catharsis_1968
      eld_catharsis_1968 commented
      Editing a comment
      Thank you! Unfortunately the only other military I got to work with was the Canucks when serving in AK. Yeah, mcarterbrown was always pretty chill back in the day. Glad to hear it's still the same way. I am full-timing in an RV right now, and my storage unit is already pretty full of real pews since I also hunt and shoot recreationally, so I don't think I'll be amassing a new marker arsenal any time soon. I definitely want at least two Phantoms, so I'll definitely be frequenting the B/S/T sub. Later I'd like to add some pistols. A brass one might end up in the mix.

      I have always been obsessed with brass. Brass and bronze are my favorite alloys and copper is my favorite pure metal. I'm planning on getting into blackpowder when I am done with this RV living phase and buy a house. The first gun I'm getting is a brass Queen Anne's pistol.

    #5
    Originally posted by eld_catharsis_1968 View Post
    I was very active on the now-defunct A5/X7/98 OG series of forums
    good times back then, what was your tag?

    Comment


    • eld_catharsis_1968
      eld_catharsis_1968 commented
      Editing a comment
      They really were! I enjoyed those boards and learned a lot. And I'd say, but I'm trying to move on from that phase of my life and start completely fresh if that makes sense. I was very young when I was tapped for a mod position, all the mods thought I was in my 30's by my posts. In retrospect I wasn't the worst mod but I was not great either, and I'm almost the mirror opposite of what I was back then in a lot of my views, ideas and attitude. If I decide to jump back into paintball, it's going to be really wild for me to do it a wiser and more mature person than I was the first time around.

    #6
    What area are you in? Lots of us go to Big games, id bet you can tag along with someone just depends on where you are

    Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk

    I use Tapatalk which does NOT display comments. If you want me to see it, make it a post not a comment.

    Feedback
    https://www.mcarterbrown.com/forum/b...323-s-feedback

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    • eld_catharsis_1968
      eld_catharsis_1968 commented
      Editing a comment
      I'm nearest to Portland, OR but occasionally travel up to the Seattle area to visit my spouse's relatives and metal detect with some friends I have there. She's originally from WA

    #7
    I realize that this is a older post , but I had very simaler experience during my Army basic. Although it caused me not to be allowed to go through ""shoot house"" with the other trainees, I was on the ""aggressor side"" . Ooooh did I light some my fellow trainees up for stupidity things they did , oh BTW I was 37 when I enlisted....
    Anyhoooo.... I also have gotten back into the sport as well after nearly a 14 year break , im so greatful to one of the guys that i played with back years ago that handed me a new DSR and goodies to go with at World Cup in 2022 and said "" now you got no reason ot to play !!!"" And its been great ever since !! Along with that my ""collection"" has gotten to be a bit much , but I'm now able to get the markers I always wanted years ago that I could not afford.
    I'm able to outfit a 5 man team with everything but cleats !!
    Paintball is a great sport/hobby for just about anyone to get into , and those of us that got out of the game for a while and now are playing again have great time ,as well as great knowledge to pass on.
    I recently got a AGD E MAG , my local store owners jaw dropped when i walked in the other day ( Kele at Tikis in Seffner Florida) . I cant wait to get out to the field and see the looks it's going to get as well as the questions ....
    So for guys like me and others that got out of paintball and have now gotten back into the game ,,, GET OUT AND PLAY !!! We loved it back in the day and can still have a great time .....
    Shooting ropes and full breaks !!

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