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| Paintball is basically a game of elimination between two or more parties, each trying to quickly and efficiently dispatch all of the members of the other teams while incurring the least number of casualties as possible. While paintball is not identical to real-world combat, the majority of the basic elements of warfare are highly applicable. This brief manual is intended to help explain some of the most basic military skills in a simple, understandable format. |
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| SHOOT. MOVE. COMMUNICATE. |
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| In modern military doctrine, these are the three most important principles of any successful combat operation; the proverbial ABC's of war. Each requires practice and drilling both collectively as well as individually. Shooting is obviously the most important as one cannot eliminate his or her enemies without taking some form of agressive action against them. Marksmanship skills must be continually honed. Even with regards to paintball guns, which are without a doubt much less accurate than most real firearms, one must know the effective range as well as the strengths and weaknesses of his weapon. Sometimes you may only get one shot. |
| Movement is the second vital aspect of combat operations. With the exception of an ambush or defensive position, you rarely wait for the enemy to come to you; instead, you seek out the enemy. In order to do that, you must move either individually or as a unit to the enemy's position. While it is easier to move alone, there is generally very little strategic value in breaking up an effective combat force into individual units. A cohesive force is much more effective when operating together. In the following section, some of the basic types of movement will be addressed in greater detail. |
| Finally, communication is the last of the vital skills necessary to maintain unit integrity. Although a highly-trained and well-disciplined unit that has worked together for years can often anticipate one another's actions, without good communication their level of coordination will be significantly diminished and the success of the mission may be compromised. Effective communication requires that all members understand ahead of time all of the hand and arm signals that are to be used. |
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| SURPRISE. SPEED. VIOLENCE OF ACTION. |
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The next attributes that need to be addressed deal with actual, offensive combat operations. The most important elements to a successful assault are to:
- Surprise the enemy by striking in the very spot where he seems the weakest and at the exact point in time when he appears to be the least prepared.
- Utilize speed to keep him off--a moving target is much harder to hit than a stationary one.
- Overwhelm him with extreme violence of action; be the most terrifying opponent imaginable.
Even a well-trained soldier will often hesitate at the moment of a surprise offensive. When the attack comes at blinding speed from out of nowhere, more often than not, the defender will fail to react for just long enough to give the assaulting force time to dispatch a large portion of the defending unit. The term violence of action refers to the technique of a unit to use intimidation from the extreme violence of the assault to keep the enemy reeling from the attack even after the initial surprise has passed. Nothing is more intimidating than a fast, efficient, coordinated attack by a band of screaming, blood-thirsty killers.
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