SitRep Magazine Issue 2

irish airsoft magazine

ta events debrief rifle review

support gunner role

Gunny’s assault course

irish airsoft news

The Black ace chronicles episode 2

www.sitrepmagazine.com

Editor’s

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Welcome back to SitRep Magazine Second verse, same as the first... (Actually, we think it’s a bit better) Welcome back to SitRep Magazine, and thank you for checking in on issue number 2 of Ireland’s newest Airsoft mag. The whole SitRep team was stunned and delighted by the great response we got from so many of you to the first issue. So stunned and delighted in fact, that we decided to try it again. So here it is, issue 2, and we’ve tried to go bigger and better this time. We’ve ironed out some of the creases and gotten over some of the growing pains of getting a project like this off the ground. But this is still very much a learning process and we still want to hear from you guys on the sort of topics that you want to be reading about. As we said before, there’s no point in producing a magazine for the Irish Airsoft Community unless we have that community on board with us and deliver exactly what it is looking for.

With that in mind we have put together what I reckon is a pretty good second issue.

In here we have a massive round up of what was possibly the Airsofting event of the year so far for many of those who attended – the Chernarus Conflict 3 in Sennybridge, Wales. We tell the story from both sides so if you weren’t there you can get a feel for what it’s like to participate in a game like this. And if you were there... well, hopefully you’ll enjoy a brief stroll down memory lane. If memory lane was under heavy small arms and artillery fire that is.

Also in this issue we have a bit of a history lesson for you as Stephen Fay brings us part one of a great article on the history of Airsoft in Ireland. It’s a great story that only a few people in the community really know the details of, and if you’re new to Airsofting it will come as a bit of an eye opener to discover just how close our sport was to being squashed before it ever had the chance to grow.

Speaking of history, we have one of the longest playing Airsofters in the country, Paul Richardson, telling us about the most important aspect of Airsoft – playing with honour. Airsoft is unique as a sport in the way that, while we do have marshals, it is mostly up to the individual player to ensure that they play by the rules. Without honourable play, we may as well not bother with the whole thing.

Plus we’ve got more technical advice from Gunny’s AEG Assault Course, a rifle review (we’re hoping to have a lot more of these) with Damian and lots more.

So sit back and enjoy the issue, and remember that we want to hear from you. Send us your news, your ideas and your photos either by email or through the SitRep Magazine Facebook page.

Fabio, Keith & Damian The SitRep Team info@sitrepmagazine.com

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CONTENTS EDITOR:

Issue 2 Airsoft News Dog Tagged The Manor – by Alan Elmes and Jay Martin Sennybridge Debrief – by Damian Dobbyn & Fabio Venturini

The Support Gunner – by Neil Cummins Gunny’s AEG Assault Course – by Sean Cahill The Colt M4A1 CQBR – by Damian Dobbyn & Sean Cahill

A Question of Honour – by Paul Richardson The Operators – by K. Richardson & Fabio Venturini The Black Ace Chronicles Episode II – by K. Richardson & Fabio Venturini

Where we came from & where we are now – by Stephen Fay

Fabio Venturini Fabio@sitrepmagazine.com ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER:

Keith Richardson Keith@sitrepmagaizne.com COMMERCIAL & ACCOUNTS MANAGER:

Damian Dobbyn Damian@sitrepmagazine.com

OFFICIAL SITREP PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Alan Elmes & Jay Martin Sharpshooter Photography

Copyright here and abroad of all material (except where otherwise stated) is held by the publishers and the original copyright holders.

No reproduction is permitted without prior consent.

IMPORTANT: Airsoft is a combat simulation sport and as such involves risk of injury to oneself and others. Great care must be taken carrying out any such activities. Airsoft activities should only ever be carried out under proper supervision on a properly sanctioned Airsoft site with medically trained marshals on hand.

The publishers cannot accept responsibility for any injury, death, loss or damage which may result from undertaking Airsoft activities described in this publication.

DISCLAIMER: The publishers make no representations, endorsements, guarantees or warranties concerning the products and/or services featured within this magazine. We expressly disclaim any and all liability relating to or arising from the sale, manufacture, distribution, use or misuse of such.

Photography By: Cover Photo : Will Merzlak, Design K. Richardson Michael AKA Sexyyoda Sharpshooter Photography Keith Richardson Chris Morris Sector 6

For advertising enquiries or to submit photographs or articles for publication please email us at info@sitrepmagazine.com

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AIRSOFT NEWS Airsoft on Show at Duncannon Members of the Whiskey Delta Airsoft team had a stand at the Duncannon Fort Military Re-enactment and Vehicle Show on the 4th and 5th of June. Although it will be over by the time you are reading this, SitRep did want to bring it to everyone’s attention.

Whiskey Delta Airsoft team was there not only to promote the team and The Manor Airsoft site, but to educate the public on Airsoft and what it’s all about. Their mission was to provide information on the laws regarding Airsoft, and hopefully make more people aware of the sport so that even those who don’t join in will at least understand our sport a little better and perhaps not give in to the scare mongering which we too often see appearing in local and national newspapers and which we frequently hear about on the radio.

They had a marquee tent where visitors could take a closer look at Airsoft equipment and even a firing range for people to try their hand at firing off a few shots.

Ireland to Get a New Indoor Site... ... and it’s massive!

Airsoft reloaded, the guys who brought you the Office Block alo ng with some new partners are set to open what cou ld very well be one of the larges t indoor Airsoft sites yet to open anywhere. At a pro mised 2,400,000 square feet, Vac ant will certainly be the biggest site that we have hea rd of. The site will be made up of warehouses, office buildings and outdoor areas at an as yet undisclosed location.

Th e two or three acres of outdoor gaming areas will be filled with various buildings, tow ers and vehicles and another three acres of outdoor area will be added to the site late r on. With such a huge scale and so many different typ es of playing areas available, the scope and variety of games that are going to be possi ble on this site really is pretty exciting.

A new Facebook group has rec ently been created about the site and people have been joining up fast, indicating that the enthusiasm for a site such as this really is there.

Prices will start at €15 for a hal f day of play with you own gea r.

The full day will cost €30 for non-members and €25 for those who sign up as site me mbers and pay a €10 sign up fee. Especially attractive for beginners will be a full rental package costing €50 which will give you rental of all the equipment needed, a full day of gaming and unlimited BBs. Brian Regan from Airsoft Reloa ded told SitRep: “It’ll be single fire in the office area and short burst fire in the wareh ouse and outdoor areas. We wil l be running night games, weekend long skirmish es and MilSim events along wit h some themed zombie games and what not.”Check ou t www. airsoftreloaded.ie and kee p an eye on the Facebook group for more info as it is made known.

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The Rionegro Mandate As we reported in the last issue, The Rionegro Mandate, is a type of mixed MilSim game which will be held on June 18th and 19th in Bellurgan Park in Dundalk. By mixed MilSim, we mean that the organisers have decided to include a number of different teams which will play with rules for varying levels of MilSim and LARPing involvement. So if you aren’t too sure if MilSim and roleplaying is for you, you can pick one of the less restrictive teams but if you want to dive totally in to the role you can sign up for realistic ammo restrictions and sleeping in game.

At the time of writing, the numbers signed up for the event stand at roughly 100 players, but with room for many more players at the Bellurgan site, the organisers are considering offering some more places in the game. Although we believe that those places will only be offered on a couple of the larger teams with the special forces and PMC teams being limited in size to quite small squads which could make things very interesting for those players.

If you’re interested in the game the best way to encourage the organisers to open up registration for more players is to get in touch with them.

You can contact them via the Rionegro Mandate thread in the Airsoft events forum on Boards.ie or by expressing your interest through the MilSim Dublin forum at http://forum.milsimdublin.net Members of the SitRep team will be in attendance on the day, both taking part in the event and taking photographs for a review of the game in issue three. So if you see us there be sure to make yourself know, let us know what you think of the magazine and get yourself in to a picture or two.

A Brand New Site to Find Airsoft Ne ws

Airsoft2day.com is a brand new website wh ich has been online fo little over a month no ra w. Moritz of Airsoft2Da y got in touch with us share some informat to ion on his new projec t. Rather than focuss on more local issues ing Airsoft2Day has set itself the mammoth of connecting Airsof ta sk t players around the world by delivering on what is going on news in the Airsoft scenes all around the world. news, reviews and fe With atures on events go ing on wherever Airs being played, Airsoft2 of t is Day gives you a grea t feel for how our spor t is getting on globally.

The site is updated re gularly and looks se t to become of great mation resource for inforplayers all around th e world. Check it out at http://www.airsoft2da y.com/

If you have any news items that you think the Irish Airsoft Community should be hearing about please sent it to us at info@sitrepmagazine.com and we will make sure it gets a place in our next issue. Remember to send us all relevant information, links and photographs that you might have.

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Dog Tagged is a place where you can share your best airsoft Photographs with the rest of the Irish Airsoft Community. If it’s you or your team in action, posing, funny or even chillin’ in the safezone, send them in to us with your name and get yourself tagged.

The Manor

Built In 1877 The Manor Is Located In Tramore Co. Waterford On 20 Acres Of Various Types Of Terrain From Dense Woodland To Old Stone Walls And Buildings, Giving A Wide Variety To Gaming.

Site Review by Alan Elmes and Jay Martin

site is operated on an invite only basis through their facebook group page.

A full day’s gaming will cost you €20 and a half day will cost you €15. All money raised goes directly back into the site for development purposes. All AEG’s are chronoed before games commence and any waiver forms and fees for the days gaming are handed to the marshals at the chrono station. Some of the existing buildings are not in play, though they are currently under repair for future use and should add a different dimension to the site. The main building, the manor itself, however will not be repaired for the forseable future due to it’s current condition as of course, safety must always take priority on any site. On site there is fresh running water, two functional toilets and cabins to change and store your equipment. There are no facilities for food onsite so it is advisable to bring food and refreshments with you.

The site has extremly dense woodland areas, which play exceptionally well for the airsofter who enjoys a covert game. Located within the woodland are numerous bases which are used in game and as respawn points.

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The Site has only been open since april and is run by the Whiskey Delta team who have been together for 18 months.

Whiskey Delta also run Whiskey Delta radio on www.whiskeydelta.caster. fm on wednesday nights from 8:30. All info is on the team can be found at www.whiskeydelta.net

Whiskey Delta have some geat plans for the future of this site, making it well worth a visit for any airsofter.

Our journey down to the manor began a 9am with a new motorway the whole way to waterford the journey takes just over two hours to complete from dublin. From waterford town the manor itself is pretty easy to find - just ouside tramore, and not to far from waterford airport.

We found the whiskey delta team to be a very approachable and friendly bunch of guys and girls who seem to be doing a lot of work promotimg airsoft in the area.

The game on the day was a milsim type game, called taking the bins out. Based around the us operation into pakistan to get osama bin laden.

With two teams; one with shemags as taliban, and the us without. The game was objective based with many different criteria to be completed for both sides. The whole site was open for play and each team had maps of the play area.

Team leaders split up the team into sererate squads and sent them out to complete different objectives, like obtaining c4 and detonators. All objectives had to be completed before they could go after bin laden himself. It was impressive to watch both teams get right into their role playing parts and everyone seemed to really enjoy the days gaming. Even bin laden had a great time.

Unfortunately we can’t publish his photo.

Keep it Stowed

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Reported by Damian Dobbyn and Fabio Venturini Time: 11:30hrs approx., Saturday 23 April Location: Sennybridge FIBUA village, Wales

Approximately 170 players are standing in the rising heat on an unexpectedly sunny day in the Welsh Brecon Beacons. Kitted out in full tactical gear, rifles at the ready, there is a wide variety of equipment on display but most are separated into either green or tan camouflage gear for the Chedaki and CDF sides respectively. They’re come from Europe, the UK and a huge proportion of them have come from Ireland to be here. It’s just a few minutes to game on in the latest of the TA Events organised 24 BattleSim events in the Chernarus Conflict series of games. The next 24 hours will be punctuated by moments of excitement, exhaustion and elation in equal measure. This will be some of the toughest and most enjoyable Airsofting that many of them will have ever played. The SitRep team was there with members playing on both sides of the game. Here is how they saw it...

T h e CDF P e rspective Upon arrival in Sennybridge, we pitched our tents and went to the church, not for prayers, but for sign in and pyro collection. After having a burger and chips at the friendly and tasty Ryan and Rory’s tuck van, we had a few beers. We chatted and had the craic with all the other players who were there. Just after midnight, people started to hit the sack to get some rest in before the big event. Saturday morning arrived and at just after

six o’clock bodies were starting to arise and get ready. It was a beautiful morning as the sun came up over the Welsh mountains. I couldn’t believe that it was so warm and dry – it certainly beat last year with the rain teaming down at CC1.

As everybody was getting their gear and guns ready, there was a fantastic sense of camaraderie. It wasn’t long before we were called down to the central square for our safety brief, which Bret deliv-

ered very well, with the odd interjection from Ian to clarify a few small points. After the brief, the Chedaki (greens) force moved out to the church area for David ‘Paps’ Ellis (the Chedaki commander) to give his own game brief and we the CDF (tans) and NAPA stayed in the square to let Ian Wermerling (TA Events director and CDF Commander for the weekend) see and address his platoons. It was great to see four platoons lined up in the

square, but due to the change of venue and date for the event, the numbers ‘booked’ didn’t actually match the numbers of boots on the ground. After a bit of re-jigging our battle commander knew where we were at. Our platoon should have consisted of four squads but ended up being only two nine man units. We didn’t mind, more action for us.

A few minutes later we were walking down to the south of the village just behind the woodland, to our start point.

Ian then gave us our first set of objectives and gave us a minute or so for squad instructions and then it was game on. Our assault started up through the woodland toward building 17.

Looking around as all the battle units moved out, you could see the adrenaline was high as were the expectations. Slowly at first we moved through the small young woodland. Our squad leader instructed us to move out of the woodland into

building 17 and then progress toward the next building, when we had secured 17. During our hold on this building, our squad sniper had probably one of the best single shots I have ever seen. The poor guy never knew what hit him.

At this point 20 minutes into the game, we had not yet en-

countered any major force of Chedaki but this wasn’t to last too long. As we moved towards the next building, shots were heard and within seconds two of our squad members were down. I was medic for the first 2 /3 hours, so now was the time for me to get into the action. Under suppressing fire I ran over to the adjacent building and managed to drag one of the injured to cover where I applied his bandage.

Unfortunately the second injured squad member was too far in the open for me to get to him safely, so he bled out.

We breached the basement level of building 5 with four of us entering. As we proceeded to clear the basement we were attacked by the Chedaki. As the last player alive in the basement I had my pistol trained on one of the doors. Just as one of the opposition breached I pulled the trigger and much to my dismay, nothing happened - the gas had leaked. I was hit.

After waiting out our bleed time we went back to regen at the CP where we got further instructions from command and re entered the battle. The first few hours, with the sun at its highest were extremely fast paced. We would push up and gain ground and a building or two and then we would be pushed back. For the most part of the day our platoon attacked from the west (woodland) side of the village. There was a constant ebb and flow to the battle. Once the Chedaki had obtained their mortar and rounds things changed a fair bit for us.

We would have managed to have a stronghold in certain buildings for quite some time, only to be under attack by mortar fire and eventually pushed out. Only at one point in the day did our platoon see the east side of the village. Our command had called in an air-strike on building 11. Once it hit we were told to attack and hold the building. We moved as quickly as possible in force and kept the push on right up to the church and graveyard, where there was a prolonged stand-off battle between the two sides.

Fire fights were all around the village throughout the day and the battle shifted on many turns. Earlier when we held one of the buildings we had a NAPA villager enter, and as he had no visible sign of guns on him we were not permitted to engage.

But needless to say we had one of our guns trained on him the whole time until he left, after giving us ‘abuse’ about killing his cattle and sheep. There was at that point four or five NAPA outside, which distracted us from the enemy. These were a few tense moments indeed. This all took place up until the game was stopped to attend to an incident with one player, at about 6.30pm. We took this opportunity to take a well deserved break for some food and refreshments. Back up at the campsite, there were players taking a rest and chatting. About an hour later the game had resumed and the battle started fast and furious, as it had done that morning - a great testament to the determination of all the players that were there. As the sun went down the gaming became more intense and the stealthier aspect of the battle came into play. Unit movements were much more covert and there were fewer sounds of engagement. The marshals lit the tank hulls and launched a few para flares to add to the effect, casting shadows and making players second guess their own eyes.

When we moved in on building 16 under cover of the night, we had a rather slow and long belly crawl, to avoid the random torches that were panning around from the defenders. One highlight of this was our squad leader throwing a grenade into the second floor window from a nearly prone position from about 60 feet away. Two kills were achieved with this and gave us the distraction to breach the building. Once inside the building, the two of us moved through the dark ground floor rooms and

cleared them without any contact. We knew we had multiple Chedaki upstairs. There was an amazing firelight for over 20 minutes, with grenades being thrown from ourselves and the defenders. Tracer units on guns led to the intensity with colour glow in the dark BBs pinging around everywhere. We were reinforced by another few lads from a different squad. And I think it was another 20 minutes before we had eliminated the enemy and secured the building.

Later on, while back at the C.P., numbers of the active Tans had diminished. Quite a few guys had decided they needed their sleep and off they went.

Our numbers in our unit had fallen too and we only numbered about 5 players. Problems with comms also affected us, my own trusted headset decided not to work, so I had to operate without a headset, not the best thing in the world. We pushed out toward building 15, slowly moving through the nearer buildings. We had entered building 14 and got to the second floor which meant we had an over watch on 15. But when its pitch dark it is hard to have much of an over watch. We had friendlies outside down below us making their way to the building. Tangos were spotted in the upstairs windows across from us so we engaged and took them out only to find out later that they were indeed CDF. But with no squad comms between the two units it was impossible to know.

As another squad made their way to breach the

downstairs of the building they encountered resistance. So we had Chedaki downstairs and CDF upstairs. It must have lasted an hour and before we knew how it panned out we were shot by a Chedaki posing as a friendly. After bleeding out I found myself back at the CP and the action had gone very quiet. It was about 02.30am and we had no commander at the CP and we could find no one with a 4 watt radio. Much to my disappointment it seemed that CDF control no longer existed. We went on a few little sorties but without a Command on comms it was impossible for us to know the locations of friendlies and enemies.

We could not find any other tans in our search and to be honest at this stage we decided to hit the hay ourselves as we felt there was not much point in continuing. So it was off to the burger van with us for some hot food and a coffee and then to bed. Sunday morning arrived and after five hours sleep we were ready for action again.

Thankfully we were lucky to have another dry warm sunny day and when we rejoined the battle

it still had the intensity of Saturday. For a long time our unit held a building north west of the village, so long in fact that nearly all of us were down to our last few BBs. Eventually the game drew to a close, to the sound of the large explosions which signified not only endex (end of game) but also the Chedaki blowing up the communications building.

There were a good few highlights from the weekend and I would like to share two of them with you.

I was on the second floor of building 24 on my own with just a pistol and a ball grenade when a tan CDF player came up the stairs to join me.

Within a few minutes he got shot and was calling for a medic. He was standing in the hall with his hand in the air when he shouted down to some players that he was dead. At this point I knew I had bodies downstairs. I could hear them starting to come up the stairs so I took up position at the doorway, pistol and grenade in hand. I looked at my comrade who was still standing in the landing area and the tension mounted. As I chanced a sneaky look around the door risking getting shot I suddenly saw that they were tan coming up the stairs. Crisis averted, but why mention something as trivial as this, well I was hugely impressed with the fact that the tan guy on the landing (who I did not know) could have easily said to all of us that we were tan. But as you all know ‘dead men don’t talk’ so with no way of any marshal seeing or knowing this it would have been very easy just to say it’s ok lads we are all on the same side.

But he didn’t which was really refreshing. And secondly, when I had called up a sniper from another squad to take a shot that I had not got the range for, he obliged and took the shot and got the kill. When suddenly he said there was a Chedaki running down the road heading our way. I asked him had he got the shot, he said he had but it was inside his minimum engagement distance, so he wouldn’t take it. Thankfully I managed to pick him off. So to sum up a great weekend gaming with great players on both sides and lots of new friends made.

T h e CHEDAKI P e rspective My weekend started in much the same way as Damian’s.

Having arrived a bit late at Sennybridge (due to a technical malfunction in our GPS!) we had a bit of a rush to get our tents up and our gear stowed.

We managed the job in record time though and were soon settling in for a couple of beers and some curry ships from the tuck van. It was early to bed for me as I was determined to be fit and ready for the game ahead in the morning. Unfortunately my portion of the tent ended up being right on top of a dried in tank track which made it feel like I was trying to sleep across two steel poles. I spent most of the night sitting up reading a book on the Vietnam War to get myself in the mood.

Following the overall pre-game brief we headed off for the Chedaki briefing from Paps.

The mood of the weekend was to be one of hitting objectives hard and fast. We had far fewer bodies than had been expected so things were not going to be easy and everyone psyched themselves up for a hard slog – but reminded themselves that at a site like Sennybridge, fewer numbers will often make

for a much better game. Midday brought game on and myself and my squad (made up of the Tigers and one unnamed Contractor) moved off in to the woods behind building 22. It would be a tough hike through thick vegetation and some pretty sticky mud to meet the enemy. I didn’t know it at the time, but we were heading for a direct clash with Damian and his squad.

Our first contact with the enemy occurred in a line just behind building 5. We took one or two casualties who were quickly patched up by our medic and settled in to a defensive position behind a long berm running the length of the wooded area. It was the perfect spot and we were

ordered to hold the line there until further notice. Meanwhile our team mates were pushing through the village to bring the rest of the Chedaki front in line with our position.

As the sun got higher in the sky we were thankfully hunkered down in the shade of the trees holding the line. This was to be instrumental in how the rest of the day played out as while most of the players were running hard and baking in the sun we were able to take things relatively easy, conserving our energy for later in the day. It wasn’t all easy going in the woods though. The CDF forces hit our line repeatedly in the woods and when they weren’t all out attacking us we were under constant sniper

fire. Much of the afternoon was spent hugging the ground and sending runners back to the CP with bags full of our empty magazines to keep us reloaded. As the day wore on we would leave the woodland though and get a look around the rest of the village. In fact I don’t think there was a single building that we weren’t inside at one point or another.

The break in the game when one of the tan players got hurt saw our squad hunkered down in the garden of building 6 taking heavy fire and the occasional incoming grenade.

We took the break in play as the perfect opportunity to get some dinner eaten back at the CP. We got back in to the game with our strength renewed and our hunger for more action all the greater. Probably the most enjoyable part of the later part of the day was a mad rush through the woodland from our CP to a meeting point with a Russian arms dealer where we got our hands on some mortars in exchange for a case of money our side had captured earlier in the day.

Avoiding contacts we moved as quickly as possible to get to the rendezvous and then pull back to our CP again. All the while keeping a close eye on the NAPA players whose intentions we still didn’t know.

The mortars came as a great advantage to us but we weren’t the only ones dishing out a punishment. A lighting attack on building 11 brought us within very close range of the enemy CP at one point in the day, but it also kicked the hornet’s nest as what looked like the entire CDF side came screaming like bloody lunatics back at us and kicked us out of the strategically important location.

By this point in the day my squad had been broken up on a number of occasions to

allow us to take and hold as many buildings as possible while players began to leave the game for a well earned rest. These moments were some of the best in the game as darkness fell and I held a building with just a couple of team mates and watched in silence as a huge force of tans first started towards our position, and then for some reason decided not to attack and withdrew again.

At about ten o’clock we went to get some rest and a bit of grub in to ourselves. At 2am our squad leader was scheduled to take over command of the Chedaki side to give Paps a rest and we would be giving him all the support we could.

Night time is when a game at Sennybridge really comes in to its own. Moving silently and in almost pitch darkness we roamed through the entire village and occupied the enemy CP at around 4am. It would seem it wasn’t the first time the Chedaki got in there though as when I was signing their intel board to let them know we had been there, I noticed that our comrades had been in there already and had even partaken of some of the jelly based treats which Ian had left behind for himself there.

Next, a mixed force of our squad, some Hawks and another few lads hit building six like a bunch of crazed lunatics.

We must have thrown at least twenty grenades through the windows and we screamed ourselves hoarse as we breached the front door. We held most of the building but two plucky CDF fighters managed to stay stuck in like ticks on the top

floor. We left them to it thoughthere was no way for them to get downstairs and an assault on the final floor would cost more than it would achieve.

The reason for our night time foray behind enemy lines was to find a piece of intel which was proving a mite frustrating to locate. After about 20 minutes in building six though, myself and another three lads headed back out in to the night

and by an amazing stroke of luck found the package right outside at the ruins of building 26. As the bulk of our force headed back to the CP with the package, myself and two others decided to hold building six to give the impression that our side was still in there in force. With just three of us downstairs and two enemy still upstairs we kept as silent as possible, listening for move-

ment. At times we came under fire from both the enemy CP and building 11. In fact the tracer fire from building 11 was one of the coolest things I have ever seen in an Airsoft game.

I was almost hit as I became mesmerised by the snaking stream of glowing rounds zipping through the darkness in to my position. As light broke it was time to give up this untenable position and head back

to friendly lines. Of course our team couldn’t be in the thick of the action at all times although it wasn’t for want of trying.

Elsewhere on the battlefield other stories were unfolding for the Chedaki fighters...

Vintz Wright and two of our French comrades acted as the liaison with the Russian arms dealer and was instrumental in getting mortars for our side.

Once our quick reaction force had the mortar in their hands they would begin to rain hell on the enemy wherever they were dug in.

Shane Lorigan hooked up with the Operators and some comrades from Cork to knock the CDF out of building 15 – an important strategic location and site of the radio relay station.

The CDF only managed to hold this important building for a couple of hours throughout the entire course of the game.

For Chris Morris and Maria O’Connor, some highlights involved the brilliant role playing performed by the NAPA side, who kept in character all through the game and in one case came begging for first aid at our CP when one of their men was hit.

There are really too many stories to tell here though. For the

official TA Events debrief and a roundup of the objectives achieved you can visit http:// www.ta-events.co.uk/events/ battlesim/cc3/ The Chedaki victory was hard earned and my respect for players on both sides could not be higher.

My overriding impression of the game as a whole was one of great team work, great gamesmanship from both sides, and an excellently organised event. I was delighted to hear that CC4,

originally postponed until 2012, will now take place in September due to the great success of CC3.

We’ll keep you posted as concrete details on this game are made known to us.

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The Support

Gunner By Neil Cummins

Who is the support gunner ? He’s the guy with the biggest stick so keep him alive!

What does a Support gunner do?

The objective of the support gunner is to suppress the enemy, defend an area, or to take out a large group of enemies. Support gunners usually hang back behind team-mates to give indirect, suppressive fire to drive back opponents. Support gunners are also useful in defence situations because of the rate of fire that they can lay down on an enemy. The most important job of a gunner is to force the enemy into a position of defence that benefits their team-mates. The importance of the gunner is not to be fast and manageable, like snipers and infantry, but to hold key areas of the battlefield.

The support role is under utilised when it comes to airsoft with everyone and their hi cap mags spraying everywhere. However in large events where there is a limit as to the number of support weapons on the field (typically one per section of 9). The support role is vital to a team’s success. In these events the support gunner should be able to out range the average AEG and do a number of things for a squad. In a recent trip to Sennybridge the first thing I noticed amongst my team mates was the over whelming amount of support gunners as apposed to recent years, this certainly was instrumental in the team’s success.

So what do support gunners bring to a section?

Suppressive fire! This is the most pivotal role as a support gunner, particularly when assaulting a fixed position. At one point during an assault members of the manoeuvre group will be crossing open ground. It is very important that the support gunner take up a well covered position and not allow enemy infantry to get good looks at the assaulting force. When assaulting buildings, a section’s support gunners will typically target upper story windows. These windows will pose the largest threat to an advancing team. Typically the manoeuvre group will be targeting ground floor windows and doors since explosives/pyro will also assist the breaching team in getting a foothold in the building. When laying down suppressive fire, the support gunner should target openings where people may pop their head out. You do not necessarily have to put down fire in the opening, but it is equally effective to target material that will strike fear into your enemy and force them to not poke their head where you do not want it. This can be used to ensure people are not sitting pretty targeting your assaulting team. In a more

defensive position the support gunners typically are the ones to thwart any aggressive flanking manoeuvres. The idea is that the gunner goes prone and will lay down a cone of fire 1-2 feet off the ground. Basically they are drawing a line in the field and dictating to the opposing force they will not flank past this point.

Role in “Section in Attack” With regards to a section in attack, the fire support group or (FSG) plays a pivotal role in the team’s success. Here the flanking manoeuvre offers the best balance of fire and movement capabilities. Again, from the point of view of the section’s configuration on the ground, the flanking tactic involves a static fire support group and a mobile assault element which, ideally, closes with the target enemy under cover. The flanking tactic is best employed when the section can readily deploy fire support and assault elements. This division of the section’s strength is not necessarily dependent on a specific organisational structure and may be based on balanced fire groups, a fire support/assault, or heavy/light group configurations.

The section commander, following a recce/combat estimate will place a fire support element in a location where it can suppress the enemy throughout the assault element’s approach march (or crawl). Initial employment of a mutually supporting linear formation (the frontal) may be necessary before a flanking manoeuvre can be executed in order to achieve a better supporting fire position or location from which to initiate the flanking manoeuvre. The section commander can employ each element of the section to support the movement of the other until the FSG has achieved the best possible fire position, and/or until the assault group can begin its approach movement. The strength of the flanking tactic lies in the stable and continuous fire support provided by the firebase, as well as in the relative strength of the assault element.

When necessary, the section commander can detach one or more riflemen to guard an exposed flank (flank security) on the approach to protect the execution of the original task. If this secondary target is the section’s next objective, then this detachment then forms the initial foot-on-the-ground for the next assault.

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Importance in contact drills: A contact to the front is met by the scout who lays down a brief burst of suppressive fire, while the other team members cover arcs of fire on the flanks. After firing, the scout withdraws to the rear of the team and team leader (IC of the section) opens fire to the front. The sequence is repeated as the men move to the rear in successive bounds, either individually or in pairs. Eventually the flank scouts (FSG) bring their machine-guns and light-support weapons into play, as the assistant team leader (2IC) and rear scout delay any pursuit. This backwards ‘rippling’ movement is continued until contact is finally broken. The reverse technique is used in the event of a contact to the rear.

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The Lead Scout bears the brunt of a surprise contact to the front. He who shoots first usually survives the fire-fight. At first burst of gunfire, the rest of the team move into defensive positions to protect their flanks.

This creates a corridor along the centre of the team (A1). The Lead Scout ‘shoots and scoots’ to the rear of the patrol (LS2).

The Team Leader then opens fire before moving back to the rear of the patrol (TL2). This rippling ‘fire and movement’ continues until all the team fall back behind the 2IC and the Rear Scout who, by this time, have laid out a screen of protective fire.

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A surprise contact on the flank is met by the Flank Scouts who carry the support weapons such as machine-guns and grenade-launchers.

The rest of the team move to the opposite flank and lay down suppressive fire. In a full-blown ambush, with enemy on both sides of the trail or the other flank blocked by obstacles, the team attempt to fight their way through the enemy positions and reform behind them.

The best example of this “Centre Peel” can be seen here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFTu6OaYYAU

Remember

Look after your support gunner, he will keep you alive or drag you back kicking and screaming.

WARNING Restricted Area

Authorised personnel ONLY

Please be aware no liability will be accepted for any damage done to AEGs or injury caused to life or limb.

The information that follows is offered as a guide to maintain your AEG. Remember, if in doubt always seek out some help! Don’t be afraid to ask, if there’s one thing about the Airsoft community (family), Airsofters will always recommend someone they trust to help with your beloved AEG. Now, that said,

FOLLOW ME...

G E A s ’ y n n u G o t e m o c l e W e s r u o c t l u a s as Where we will teach you skills and knowledge to help you overcome the assault course that is AEG repairs.

G&G M4 Blowback On this month’s assault course we have a G&G M4 blow back. As always, safety first. Take your AEG to a safe place and with the magazine removed, fire two or three shots on single fire to clear the barrel. This also puts the piston in the most forward position making it easier to take down the mechbox.

Next, remove the stock. Inside the stock tube, remove the Philips-head screw and carefully draw back the stock tube to reveal the loom connections. Disconnect red and the black wires and remove the tube.

Locate the forward most body pin and push through from left to right. Be aware that this pin cannot be removed fully.

Holding down the charging handle and making sure your dust cover door is closed, slide forward the upper receiver.

Locate and remove the two Alan screws and motor plate.

Carefully disconnect the red and black wires from the motor. Now remove the motor.

Inside the pistol grip, locate and remove the two Philips screws.

Remove the charging handle by disconnecting the small spring on the front of the blow back device.

Remove the small screw from the magazine realise button.

Lift up the button and the spring from below.

The magazine realise catch will now drop through.

From the left side, press through the centre body pin. This is found above the trigger.

Now push through the second main body pin at the rear and remove both.

Now with a forward motion remove mechbox from the lower receiver.

To the rear of the blow back you will find a long black locking tab; this needs to be slid backwards to be removed.

To the rear of the blow back device you will find a small sear clip or horse shoe clip.

Remove this carefully.

The black tube is also a locking tab and likewise needs to be slid to the rear to remove. Now with your finger and thumb use rocking motion from left to right to lift up the brass cylinder.

Now remove the dust cover.

Now, paying close attention to the correct positioning, remove the blow back seal.

Note that this part has a top and bottom.

Don’t mix up the top and bottom of this seal.

Holding down the cylinder, insert a screwdriver into the rear of the mechbox.

On the right side of the mechbox you’ll find the piston realise button. Pushing this forward releases any tension on the piston allowing it to move to its further most position.

Now remove the top of the mechbox.

Remove the mechbox Alan screws and make a map to record their correct positions.

Carefully lift the spring and the spring guide to release tension and remove.

Now remove the piston.

This is your anti-reverse latch and spring.

Insert your screwdriver into the spring under the tappet plate. Lift it up to release.

Hear is the correct position for your spring.

Now lift out the cylinder tappet plate and air nozzle. It is now possible to check your piston for any wear or your spring for any breaks. You can now also check your gears.

Watch out for the anti-reverse latch which is located beneath the bevel gear. This gear is located just above your pistol grip.

Replace the cylinder air nozzle and tappet plate. Reconnect the tappet plate spring making sure your piston gear teeth are all below the tappet plate. With the spring in position on the latch insert the latch into its hole.

Twist the latch against the tension of the spring (to the right) and now re-insert the bevel gear. Slowly release the pressure on the latch spring until it rests against the bevel gear.

Inset the piston into the cylinder, making sure the piston is on its tracks. Now fit the spring and with the aid of a screw driver reposition the spring guide while holding down the cylinder.

Make sure the cylinder blow back hole is realigned.

Re fit the mechbox lid.

Now fit the blow back seal.

Before fitting the Alan screws, gently push the air nozzle in. There should be some tension from the tappet spring but it should move smoothly in and out. Now refit screws.

Next, fit the brass blow back cylinder.

Now slide on the black locking cylinder and replace the black locking tab.

Refit the dust cover, replacing the sear clip/ horse shoe clips, but be careful as this clip has a tendency to fly off.

Refit pistol grip, fitting both screws. Root the red wire as in the picture. Both wires should be to the rear of the pistol grip.

Now fit the motor, paying attention to the plus symbol (+) on the bottom of the motor. Fit the black connector first as the red crosses over it to gain position.

Now connect the red wire.

Reinsert mechbox into lower receiver. Press home the rear body pin and the small centre body pin.

Pay attention not to trap your motor wires when replacing the motor plate.

Refit the charging handle by replacing the small spring, and slide on the upper receiver while securing the charging handle with your left hand. Now push home the forward body pin and replace your stock tube, taking care of your loom connections. You can now fit your stock and the job is done!

Remember, this information is meant as a guide only, so if in doubt seek out some professional help.

No responsibility will be taken for damage to life, limb or AEG .

Colt M4A1

by D. Dobbyn & Sean Cahill

What you notice first about this gun is its size and weight. When I first picked it up I was pleasantly surprised with how heavy it is. For such a small M4 it certainly is one of the heavier CQB guns around. It certainly felt every bit as heavy as my old Classic Army Seal CQB M4. It is full metal with the exception of the pistol grip and the crane stock. It has a very nice matt black paint job with trade marks on the receiver and looks the part.

The front hand guard is in two parts and secured with a delta ring. This had some slight wobble but nothing that you wouldn’t find and any other 2 part hand guard.

It has a one piece outer barrel finished with a nice flash hider. It also has iron sights, with the rear one being removable from the rail. It

has a very handy ambidextrous sling mount on the stock tube, one found usually on more expensive guns. It is rear wired so your battery goes in the crane stock. The gun comes with a charger and nun chuck style battery (8.4volts) - the charger is the bog standard charger that you would expect. It also comes with a 350 round high capacity magazine and a cleaning rod. There is a handy manual in English with the usual diagrams, which covers everything you need to know about operating and maintaining your gun.

After charging up the battery it was a bit of a nuisance to fit. You must first remove the rubber butt plate and then get a screw driver to a single screw. Undo this and press in on the two tabs on the inner side of the stock.

Second time around both of these tabs broke

and the fact a screw driver is needed makes battery change out in the field a little bit more cumbersome. Once in however, there were no problems at all.

Before gaming with the gun I ran it through the chronograph and it was shooting at a respectable 292FPS / .8 joule (approximately) with .20g BBs. So I set about adjusting the hop and had loaded .23g BBs into the magazine. Well I have to say for a stock gun it was very impressive indeed. It was ranging up to 140 feet without any problem and the shots were fairly consistent in accuracy. At this point I noticed the mag release catch was very light to release the magazine - a bit too light in fact. So, after having a look at it a bit more closely, I saw that it had not been threaded in fully. Nothing too major to fix in a few seconds if you have the rights tools.

The gun performed flawlessly both on semi and full auto. The range for such a small gun was perfect and could be used in both indoor close quarter and outdoor woodland or field games. The rate of fire from the 8.4V battery was ample and battery life was no problem for the half day of continuous gaming. I didn’t get to test it for the whole day but there was still plenty of power left after a half day. I gave the gun to one or two other gamers to try it out and see what they thought of it and they both had nothing but good things to say.

So to sum up, as either a first gun or an addition to your collection, for the money you spend on this you get a very well built and good all round performer out of the box. With no upgrades or even hop up rubber change this gun shoots and handles extremely well.

We gave this AEG to our resident techie to take a look a closer look at things...

This is a nice little AEG. It’s all metal like many other M4s on the market, but when you pick it up it is heavy, very heavy. That said, with battery and magazine loaded, it is lovely to handle with a really nice sense of balance.

Firing this AEG results in a very nice sound and you get a good rate of fire even when using the stock battery. Out of the box, this AEG gives you some of the best range this techie has seen.

We needed very little hop to achieve good range while using King Arms .20 gram BB’s. Good grouping too.

We went into the mechbox for a quick look: this is a well made heavy mechbox with re-enforced sections. It has a generic piston cylinder and gear set, well made trigger set. But for me, the most noticeable thing is the way in which it has been downgraded. The stock spring was carefully removed and replaced with an irregular pitch M85 spring. FPS is 250 to 300.

MODEL AND MAKE: Colt M4A1 CQBR (Metal) with Retractable Stock by Cyma PRICE: €250 WHERE YOU CAN BUY NOW: Hobby Airsoft

Airsoft is unique as a sport for a number of reasons; the emphasis on gear and equipment, the fact that we can arrive to a site as individuals but play as part of a team which is formed there and then, and perhaps most of all, the fact that it relies almost entirely on the players involved to make it work. Yes, every site has marshals to keep an eye on things, but the nature of the game means that it is very much up to the individual to make sure that they are playing the game properly and fairly.

Paul Richardson was among the first Airsoft players in Ireland and in the years that he has been playing has become one of the community’s most respected members. Here he gives us his thoughts on the importance of honour in the game of Airsoft...

Why do we take our hits? Is it a complex question of honour and fair play?

No, it’s simply because it is the most basic rule that we have all agreed to play by.

So how come we seem to have a growing number of players who feel that they are invulnerable and never get hit?

Having played as a sniper, a rifleman and a support gunner in countless games over the years, I can tell you that there is nothing so sweet as being able to play as a sniper with a 1 joule rifle (firing at the same power as all the full-auto AEGs out there) and seeing an honest player putting up his

or her hand and taking their hit from a single BB. On the other side of the coin, I have played with a support gun, spitting out hundreds of BBs and seen people run through sheets of fire without taking one hit. The question I have here is: who has gained the most respect from their fellow players? The one who admits to that single hit or the one making the incredible runs through a hail of fire?

A player who takes their hits never has to hang their head in shame. Even veteran players get hit all the time. More than we might like to admit. I can’t even count the number of times I have been the first back to the safe zone to sit out the rest of a single life game.

There’s no shame in it.

But how often do we see players, who we might already know to have issues with hit taking, swagger back in to the safe zone towards the end of the game accompanied by some very unconvinced gazes? The fact is that you will gain the respect of your fellow players much faster by being honest in every game.

And that respect will pay off in requests that you come and play with a particular team or invitations to play at special events.

And that honesty is something that you need to take with you to every game you play. Of course it happens that we will sometimes take a hit and not notice it – maybe it hit your

webbing or backpack and you didn’t hear the bounce. Remember though that it is far easier to lose a good name than it is to recover from the stigma of being branded a cheat or poor player.

I’m definitely not saying that I have never been mistaken about a hit in the heat of battle. But a quiet word from a marshal or a team mate should be all that is required to make an honest player admit to the error and head back to respawn.

Players who time after time refuse to take their hits are tearing this game that we play apart with their constant need to ignore blatant hits just to prove how good they are as Airsofters. They are only fooling themselves, and unfortunately, the newer, less expe-

rienced players around them.

But to the experienced player, all they achieve is a loss of respect and in reality all they accomplish is the disheartening of the same honest players who go home after a day’s gaming feeling like they would be better served doing something else with their time.

So it falls to us, the honest players, to help heal the sport with a more diligent approach to the game we play. A quiet word with any marshal asking that a player be observed in future is all we can ask of anyone.

But remember that real conflict is not something that should ever take place in any Airsoft venue. Some people might become aggressive if approached or accused of non hit taking and the fact is

you might be mistaken and therefore it is always better to approach a marshal regarding these matters than the individual.

But I suppose the most important thing to remember is to have fun, if it is not fun and you find yourself annoyed or frustrated to the point of anger, it’s time to take a moment for yourself to reflect on the fact that it’s just a game which we are all privileged to enjoy.

Play hard, be honest, and remember you’re not invincible.

By doing this you are helping yourself and others to enjoy their days gaming. It’s what Airsoft is all about.

What a day

Live life on the trigger play Airsoft

The

Operators Team Interview The Operators have been playing as a team for about four years now and recently earned themselves a lot of respect and a name for determined, skilled and honourable play at CC3 in Sennybridge. Their home turf is Bellurgan Park near Dundalk, where a massive national event will be held in June when the Rionegro Mandate takes place.

SitRep took a few minutes of their time to find out a bit about the team and how they play.

(SR) When was the team started and who were the original members ?

(Operators) The Team was started (as in a group of friends decided we were going to get into this sport together) in 2007. Our first big event under the Operators’ name was Dark Rising in Beeston Training Village in 2008.

(SR) How many team members do you have right now? Are you looking to recruit new players ?

(Operators) We have seven core

society there.

members at the minute. We don’t look to recruit new players as such but we do invite players to join us for some events that we attend (the team has been over to three UK events so far and is hoping to hit Berget next year).

(SR) What prompted you to form a team together ?

(SR) Who are the team members and what Airsoft backgrounds/experience do

(SR) What command structure do you promote within

they have ?

(Operators) The team members are Gary, Mark, Steve, Paul, JB, Dan and Beano. We have all been playing the sport for at least 4 years each if not more. Paul trains the DKIT college club and helped set up the Airsoft

(Operators) We just decided on a name to play under at events really.

the team structure ?

(Operators) At recent events Mark has taken command with Paul usually taking up the role of 2.I.C.

(SR) What real world impres-

sions, if any, does the team choose to emulate or influence your loadout ?

somewhat seriously while still enjoying the sport to the fullest.

(Operators) We use what works really. We have all gone though enough Airsoft gear at this stage! We like a loose kind of western special forces look though, mixing different camo from different countries and units.

(SR) What is the most important aspect of Airsoft for you ?

(SR) What are the core principals of your team ?

(Operators) Immersion, escape from reality and helping other players enjoy the game.

(Operators) Well our mantra has (SR) Which are your always been ‘out for the laugh’. This favourite AEGs and is constantly repeated. We like to joke why ? and take the piss a good bit but at the same time take the bigger events

(Operators) We prefer anything that uses Stanags for practicality. All of us primarily use Stanag AEG’s so we like to be able to grab mags off each other if the proverbial hits the fan.

(SR) What other teams both here and abroad impress you the most and what are the qualities you as a team look for when inviting teams to your site to play with/against ?

(Operators) We like honest teams and players committed to immersing themselves in the scenario. We must get around to actually inviting some teams... maybe we could use this as an official invite to every team! That was far easier than sending emails...

gear to be honest.

(SR) Where is your home site ?

tate. We typically use 20 - 50 acres for our regular weekend skirmish games.

(SR) What sort of cover/obsta-

(Operators) Bellurgan Park “Border- cles/features does it have? lands” which was set up and is run by Mark and Paul.

(Operators) Very old natural woodland with high and low ground, streams, (SR) How many events has the foot bridges, trails, a road, some team been to and which was man-made structures etc. It’s a very dynamic site that has to be seen to be your favourite ? appreciated really. I could go on and (Operators) A lot. Ones that stand out on like a broken record about it. were the Chernarus Conflict Part 2, Dark Rising and the more recent Full (SR) Do you allow walk-ons?

Brazilian.

(Operators) Yes we allow walk-ons (SR) What are the plans for the every Saturday and Sunday.

team in the future ?

(SR) What is the team’s preferred type of gameplay and why?

(Operators) Milsim / Battlesim style games. We are all interested in real world operations (as most Airsofters are) and for us, the closer we can get to that the better we find the experience.

(SR) What type of camo does the team wear and why did you pick this ?

(SR) We notice that you re(Operators) Get more dedicated driv- strict the use of the Non ers so we can attend more events Bio BB. Was that a personal and sites for a start. Get to Berget. choice?

See can we rope in any more players/ friends who are as interested in the sport as ourselves.

(SR) Tell us about Bellurgan Park...What type of game play does it lend itself to ?

(Operators) Everything from the humble Sunday skirmish to military simulation style games. At the minute we are trying our best to introduce milsim style games to the north east where it is not as popular as in other parts of the country yet.

(Operators) We mix and match PCU gear. We like Cadpat and have started getting some Russian camo patterns as well. We just really liked the look of (SR) What size is the site?

(Operators) The site is set in 200 Cadpat and the PCU acres of woodland on a 400 acre es-

(Operators) The woodland we use is extremely old and has a lot of history behind it. We want to do everything we can to preserve it. It was a personal choice as we are of a ‘leave no trace’ mindset.

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The Black Ace Chronicles episode 2 “The Golden Buddha”

By Keith Richardson

“By ignorance the wheel of birth and death turns” - Kasyapa Buddha “I wanted a mission, and for my sins, they gave me one.” – Captain Benjamin Willard.

0800, 28th May, 1968

Notebook entry of Sean Flecher: Situation report confirmed by Black Jack, the Village which had been previously confirmed friendly turned out to be a major ambush and we encountered both well trained VC and Vietnamese regulars. We lost good men that day.

We regrouped and began work on a designated forward operations base and started patrols around the village and branching out through the jungle. Our patrols have been hit practically every time they go out. The VC are using hit and run tactics and they’ve been concentrating their efforts on eliminating or capturing our officers and medics.

Black Jack then issued the order to strike back when information from an informant confirmed that the VC where mobilising and had located long range mortar components which meant the security of our FOB would be compromised.

I wouldn’t have believe it only that I saw it with my own eyes when, through all this mayhem, Colonel Dobbney walked in from the jungle, while mortars where going off inside the perimeter along with two fly boys as if he was having a stroll through Central Park in a light shower.

Looks like we’ll be heading out soon to locate this mortar team it’s like they’re invisible in this place.

Set in South Vietnam in 1968, a company of Marines has been dropped in to a valley and ordered to scale a hill, nicknamed ‘The Garrison’, where they must build and man a firebase. The Marines, mostly teenagers, are sick, exhausted and scared. They are saddled with a lot of FNGs who are so green that their uniforms still have the tags on.

The boot lieutenant graduated at the top of his class in school, but his Ivy League education and un-tested military training don’t foster confidence among the battle-weary leathernecks.

Flecher quickly realises that he must walk a fine line between the officer and enlisted ranks to successfully lead his cynical charges in a war they can’t morally comprehend.

Soon his company is ordered to embark on a dangerous patrol mission to sever a crucial North Vietnamese supply line and extract a high ranking VC officer code named Black Ace. As the Marines navigate the bewildering jungle valleys under the command of Colonel Dobbyn; an officer who believes in commanding from the front with a great amount of liquor and guts.

They endure a series of deadly tests that include firefights, mortar assaults and sniper attacks.

Flecher and his Marines soon find themselves facing a well trained enemy regiment and quickly become embroiled in a noxious battle in which each man fights not only for his life but for the lives of his brothers-in-arms.

They now move quietly out on patrol in to an unknown part of the jungle filled with fanatical VC and whispered rumours of a rogue US SOG team...

Player’s perspective

by Fabio Venturini (SOG Team) I was out of the country when the first part of the Black Ace Chronicles was played out in Tigerland in Sligo last year, but I had heard great things about it. I knew that the storyline and set up had been carefully thought out and developed as I had seen the great comic strip which Keith had put together to illustrate the story. After the game, I had been told that the players

had gone all out with getting the right outfits together to suit the theme of the game and the thick vegetation of the Tigerland site had really gone a long way towards giving the game the right jungle atmosphere. So, when I heard that part two would be played out in Red Barn I was straight on to Facebook to grab a place for myself.

I played on the SOG (Studies and Observations Group) team which was made up of just eight players (one of whom we lost to the real world half way through the

day), while both the VC and Marine teams had roughly 20 to 25 players each – although I believe the VC were a little outnumbered. The game for the SOG team was somewhat different than it was for the other two teams in that it was focused more on subterfuge and intelligence gathering than on out and out firefights (though we had our fair share of those too), so it gave me a rather unique perspective on the day’s gaming. Being on the SOG team did however give me a chance to really appreciate the care and attention to detail that had gone in to the planning of the game. The first sign of this was a detailed secret briefing sheet given to us at the start of the game. It told us that our SOG team had been operating alone in the jungle for some time and had gone rogue. While we were on the

surface still on the side of the other US forces, our real loyalty was to the team and the riches to be had should we find a great treasure hidden somewhere in the jungle. As a rogue element we were free to work with both teams as we saw fit, and were given the names of contacts on either side who might be able to help us with our goal. We eagerly kitted up in the safe zone while Creedence Clearwater Revival and Rolling Stones songs belted out of the speakers in the background, setting the mood for the day.

Our day started in the woods, in a no man’s land between the VC and Marine bases. We immediately came in to contact with the VC force and a brief skirmish ensued. It wasn’t long though before the Marine’s arrived and pushed further in to the woods – their much larger numbers meaning that they could fully engage with the VC while SOG went about doing what we do best – sneaking around and being underhanded. The first bit of sneakiness we got to enjoy was the theft of a notebook from the clutches of the Marines.

The notebook had been found in the pocket of the corpse of a pilot which was hanging from a tree (in fact it was a flight suit stuffed with rags but I don’t think any of us were expecting someone to sacrifice themselves for a plot device). Inside the book was the diary of a pilot who had heard a tale about a Golden Buddha which might be worth a fortune. Mixed in with the diary entries were a number of Vietnamese words and phrases with English translations. Recognising the importance of this piece of intel we were quick to make it our own, while assuring the Marines that, as fellow Americans, we were well and truly on their side. The level of detail put in to the notebook was really impressive and I’m betting it took

quite a while to get done. But the work really paid off as it pulled everyone who saw it right in to the storyline of the game.

We saw more evidence of this hard work later on in the temple which had been put together with silk hangings and a large Buddha statue, and the scrolls written entirely in Vietnamese which held the clues we would need to find the treasure.

For the SOG team, the next few hours revolved around getting our hands on those scrolls without the Marine’s knowing, and seeing how much information we could glean from them. The first part of that task was made a little easier for us when the Marine’s valiantly assaulted the heavily guarded area surrounding the temple and managed to steal the Buddha statue which was there along with some scrolls. It was a great assault and some top class play on the part of the Marine force commanders and players. It was unfortunately let down somewhat by the dropping of those scrolls on the way back to base. One of our SOG team quickly grabbed the scrolls and secreted them inside his gear. Things were going well for us. We had two scrolls and the notebook with the information we needed to translate them. But it turned out that two more scrolls were sitting with the Buddha statue

up in the Marine base. Before we could settle down to translate we would need to get our hands on these.

Two SOG members strolled nonchalantly in to the Marine base and swiped the remaining scrolls without too much hassle – our friendly demeanour had once again played in our favour and we now had all the intel we would need to figure out just what we needed to do.

While some of the team went to get stuck in to the

translations I headed for the front lines along with some more SOG team members to lend a hand to our Marine buddies. This was when another piece of the puzzle which makes a great game fell in to place for me. Trying to pick out the VC players in their black outfits moving from cover to cover in the darkness of the tree line while I hunkered in a ditch with a load of Marines, I found myself completely immersed in the Vietnam

theme of the game. To a man, every player had gone all out on putting together the best Vietnam era appropriate kit that they could. Some had the full Marine Corps outfit, while others had made a damn good attempt at it with what pieces of gear they could put together. Some of the VC players deserve a special mention for really going all out – with Vietnamese style hats, which on closer inspection tuned out to be carefully modified lamp

shades! The overall impression really was just excellent and proved that it takes more than great organising to give a great game of Airsoft – it takes a dedicated community of players who are willing to go all out to ensure not just their own enjoyment, but the enjoyment of everyone else in the game.

The SOG team now had all of the scrolls translated and was assisting the Marines in repelling a huge assault on their base by the VC. The clock was ticking and we still had not found the Golden Buddha. A discussion was had during the firefight with our team leader dashing from one team member to another to get their opinion on what to do next. We had

been approached by the VC commander – in a dramatic no man’s land meeting – to defect to their side. We had been fighting beside the Marines all day though and this betrayal just didn’t sit right with any of us. We decided to stick it out with our Marine brothers and try to make a break through the enemy lines when we could to continue our search for the treasure. Marine team command had different ideas though and while some of our team were restocking their ammo, they decided to take us all prisoner and interrogate us about our plans. Game rules stated that we could each be asked three Yes or No type questions, and that we must answer truthfully. The

Marines hadn’t counted on the fact that we had no intention of betraying them however so their questions about our plans to turn our guns on them gave them nothing. This unfortunate incident of betrayal gave us the opportunity to make the break we so badly needed to make though. Walking from the Marine base, shouting curses at our onetime allies, we walked towards the VC lines, declaring our intentions to help their side in the assault on the US firebase.

Now behind enemy lines we were free to move with impunity. We quickly located the final piece of the puzzle – a map which would lead us directly to the Golden Buddha. While the VC and the Marines kept each other busy we were free to collect the treasure and call for our evac. A tense few minutes hunkered down in the LZ, expecting an attack on both sides from the combined forces of the Marines and the VC passed without incident and we were soon on our way out of the area with the treasure in our hands.

My name is already down to play on the SOG team again at The Black Ace Chronicles Part 3 which will return to Tigerland in Sligo for what is sure to be another epic day of gaming.

WHERE

M O R F E M A C E W

1 t r a P W O N E R A E W E R E H W AND written by Stephen Fay

Where did Airsoft come from in Ireland?

So we go out every week, dressed as soldiers and do our best to try to shoot each other with our very realistic looking toy guns and we have a ball doing it, but how did we get here in this country that has a serious dislike for anything that looks like a firearm? In short... by accident!

As disconcerting as it sounds Airsoft in Ireland is an accident of the legal system; combine a requirement to actually define “What is a firearm” and no laws or regulations about replicas or imitation firearms, bake for a matter of seconds and bingo you have Airsoft in Ireland. It actually didn’t even take seconds, long before the bill (Criminal Justice Bill 2006) was passed by the Dáil people knew it was coming, knew what it meant and were already planning skirmishes, businesses and their personal stock piles of equipment.

Before the Bill was passed the legal definition of a firearm in Ireland was typically “Irish”; everything that fired something was a firearm and could have you locked up, yes EVERYTHING, Nerf gun, potato gun, toy gun with those plastic stick on darts, Magnum 45 with hollow points, all firearms under the law and

carrying the same punishment. This was not an unusual situation in the wider world, but most other countries had resolved it long before we did. So you have this issue of describing in law what a gun is, but not making every kid in the estate a felon how do you do it, S.26 of the CJA 2006 is how and something we are all very familiar with “an air gun (including an air rifle and air pistol) with a muzzle energy greater than one joule or any other weapon incorporating a barrel from which any projectile can be discharged with such a muzzle energy”, those 37 words heralded the birth of Airsoft in Ireland, and a new headache for the Government.

So you’ve spent your next 10 years wages on guns and camo and just discovered that your sport is only here because of a combination of oversight and fluke. Feeling a little insecure? If you’re not playing more than two years you have no idea what insecure is! Combine the legal knife edge the sport was resting on along with the sitting minister for Justice making public statements on radio that he is “banning” these guns and community nerves begin to break. Airsoft first came to large scale public attention in 2007; a few incidents put the sport in the spotlight for both the media and subsequently the Government. I use the word incident loosely, no banks were robbed or lives lost, simply uninformed hysteria and some not very well thought through plans. Go Tactical had opened a high street shop in Bray Co. Dublin, this did not go down well with the local

concerned mothers against everything group, and an immediate ban on these evil guns was called for along with the burning at the stake of the purveyors of death that sell them. The popular cause was jumped on by Liz McManus of the Labour party and the publicity grew. Before long, phone in radio shows were carrying stories of kids in hospital and vets taking pellets out of dogs and cats. There was cross party support in the Dáil for “down with this sort of thing” but we’re still here.

We’re still here because we managed to do something remarkable, something very few other sports have been able to do and something that was terrifying to the masses that were opposed to us. No, it wasn’t an armed assault on Government buildings (although this was suggested by more excitable elements). We organised into an intelligent group and met the challenge head on with cool heads and logical, reasoned statements. Soon after the offical birth of the sport, some of the wiser minds on the skirmish field reasoned that we were only here by fluke, not a direct intention of the Government, and this situation was not the best one to be in given the nature of our sporting equipment; so they had the forsight to take preemptive action. Oisin McGovern, Ronan Lowe, Sean O’Callaghan, Stephane Ambrosini BL and David Doyle came together and laid the foundations for the Irish Airsoft Association. Before writing this article I spoke to Sean to get some insights on where it all began

and how they did what they did. The main thing he told me they did was give the sport a voice that was logical, well informed, not insane, and reasonable, a lethal weapon in PR terms. After the initial, very heated, public meeting to breathe life into the Association, the guys got to work building the arsenal with which to fight our cause. They were like these people burrying large stockpiles of guns in the backgarden wating for the end of the world, but they were not burrying guns, they were compiling large abounts of legal documents, sciencetific information and political contacts.

Airsoft now had a voice (one you can actually listen to in the archives of irishairsoft.ie as recordings of some of the radio shows are there), the initial work of the association went on very unnoticed in the background but good structures were being built on a foundation of red bull and no sleep. The big bang for Airsoft, and the time when its fate was very much put in the balance was October / November 2007.

The political hype was building; the chat shows had Airsoft as a semi regular topic and then came the Toys for Big Boys show, TFBB-Gate.

Several retailers were at the show selling kit, IAA connected shops were operating under strict guidelines but others where selling guns to anyone with no follow-up, as in telling the shopper “by the way, don’t take this out on the bus, or in the chipper on the way home”, guess what happened… The local Garda station began receiving reports of multiple people bran-

dishing guns on the street, in the shop, and on a bus, enough people saw the incidents that Joe Duffy carried the story the next day.

The IAA Public relations people were on the show and defended the sport well but this did not stop follow-up media reports, including a headline form the Evening herald “Ban these so-called “Toy” guns before tragedy happens”.

The political class responded and Airsoft now faced a dark future with laws being drafted to deal with this menace to society.

Christmas 2007: Airsoft was now facing a very uncertain future; we were the new whipping boy of the “think of the children brigade” and the government was making statements that they were going to deal with “this issue” (us).

Contact was made with the Department of Justice, and the IAA was provided an official go-to person, they were informed that a new Bill was being drafted and it would contain aspects in relation to Airsoft, but no specifics were given about what those aspects might be. The association immediately reacted and began compiling educational material for politicians and members of the department. Lobbying went into full swing. Soon after, a face to face meeting was held in Government buildings between, the department representatives, the Garda and the IAA. This went well, but it was clear straight away that no one in the political or executive had an issue with what the guns fired, it was what they looked like that was at issue. Ireland had no laws for replica firearms,

and this was causing the most headaches for sections concerned with Justice and policing. With the introductions made and the Government reps now seeing that these guns were not just for idiots that wanted to cause issues on the street, but for people interested in the sport that came along with them, a semi stay of execution was granted.

The Association was vetting retailers (affiliation) and setting out guidelines for the sale of equipment, these regulations impressed the Department and they offered a “selfregulation” situation for the interim. Closet contact continued, but the negative spotlight continued to fall on the sport, fuelled mainly buy the juicy stories that the tabloid hacks could dream up and the scary images they could put along with them.

Airsoft’s breakthrough came in December 2008 with a very positive meeting between Charles Flanagan TD who at the time sat on the Justice committee of the Dáil and a delegation from the IAA. In that delegation, of which I was a part in my role as the IAA’s legal adviser, was Tony Geraghty, owner of Eirsoft, who conveyed the financial and employment aspect of the sport. The meeting opened with Deputy Flanagan telling us he had played paintball several times with his family and enjoyed it. If I could have cried with joy as this point I would have.

The meeting proceeded to inform about the game itself and then the science of the equipment and how it could not cause harm if at the 1 Joule limit. Then the main topic arose and a draft copy of the forthcoming bill was produced. We only saw parts of it, but the section being referred to was about brandishing Airsoft guns in public places which main issue for Government. And this is where we produced our Ace in the hole. The government proposal was, in a word, messy.

It would be illegal to produce an Airsoft gun in public if you were doing something nasty, with the intent to actually do something nasty, while having nasty thoughts and standing on one leg, so a nightmare for anyone to be actually convicted. The IAA proposal responded with a simpler approach, the lovely part being that to Government and people in suits it looked much stricter than the Government proposal. To any Airsofter it was simply what we already did.

Be sure to read part two in the next issue of SitRep