Splattering the competition

Published July 21, 2006
By Senior Airman John Gordinier
20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- A paintball team called Fluid, heads to a tournament around 6:30 a.m., even though they don’t have to arrive until 8:30 a.m. They arrive early to walk the 125- by 150-foot fields and check the angles in order to develop a good game plan. Once 8:30 a.m. arrives, they check in and make sure their player rosters are legal and change into their gear. The gear covers the player from head to toe, which makes sure they are heavily protected. Thirty minutes later, the competition begins. Each team must play eight preliminary games. After that, the top four teams advance to the finals where they battle it out for first place.

Team Fluid is comprised of six Shaw members, including three dependents, and two civilians.

Staff Sgt. Chris Watkins, 20th Civil Engineer Squadron utilities systems craftsman has been playing paintball for 10 years and formed team Fluid in October last year.

“We practice at least twice a week making our team like a family,” Sgt. Watkins said. “We have our arguments but always come together for one common goal -- winning.”

“This team has been playing long enough to know what each other is going to do before they do it,” said Ben, team Fluid member and son of Carmen and Senior Master Sgt. Gary DeVault, Airman Leadership School flight chief. “That understanding allows us to go out there and play off one another.”

Some might wonder why people play paintball.

“I like paintball because it is extremely competitive and it gives me a huge adrenaline rush,” Sgt. Watkins said.

“Paintball is a sport like no other,” Mr. DeVault said. “I have been playing for about five years and I like it because most matches are filled with action. In one two-minute match, both teams can shoot off more than 2,000 paintballs.”

Team Fluid is in second place out of 19 teams in the South Carolina Paintball Field Owners Association series.

“SCPFOA tournaments take place the first Saturday of every month,” Mr. DeVault said. “We travel all over the state to compete and we are heading to Greenville, S.C., in August to clinch second place overall.”

Team Fluid’s next tournament is the Carolina Field Owners Association event in Myrtle Beach, S.C., where they will compete against more than 70 teams from all over the east and south coast, said Sgt. Watkins. Prizes for the top teams include trophies, cash, gear and gift certificates.

“Our ultimate goal is to go to the World Cup of paintball in Orlando, Fla. this November,” he said.