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[Hoffman Grink]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... &q=airsoft

Shows how easy it is to"fake" footage.....
Didn't see any fat walts on this one.....

[Gott Mit Uns]

I got halfway through before turning it off. IF you want to run around in modern combat kit shooting people, join your local regiment or TA center. What we do is represent an army of an historical time period and body of men who no longer 'function' as a military force, but never-the-less are represented by us at historical events, museums etc etc. What they are doing is jerking off and just degrading what the modern forces do IMHO.

[dieter]

i've got agree with tom on this one. i just show'd my step dad (who is ex army. and know dose PMC work in iraq) and he just laughed. "who do they think there kidding" he said. i'v asked him a couple of times what he think of our hobby. he dosn't mind at all, as long as it is done properly. but he thinks, and i tend to agree. that anything past vietnam shouldn't be done. at least not yet. and as for doing modern day iraq that just wrong IMHO

[les hearn]

guys think

there are a few hundred of em there

and out of that you can probably gurantee there are some gulf vets


is that one of the many "just built" military training camps that have sprung up in the last ten years?

we all like to let loose steam and why not them

to be honest tho
it really is up to the vets t decide if they want to do thier very own period

many left the army through no choice of their own but still like the buzz

[Gott Mit Uns]

guys think

there are a few hundred of em there

and out of that you can probably gurantee there are some gulf vets


is that one of the many "just built" military training camps that have sprung up in the last ten years?

we all like to let loose steam and why not them

to be honest tho
it really is up to the vets t decide if they want to do thier very own period

many left the army through no choice of their own but still like the buzz

Les, despite what these American chaps are doing in this video, generally airsofters get a bad rep from serving personel over here, even serving personel who do airsoft get ribbed about it. The main hook up is with those who do airsoft and walt it up as the "elite paras" or "SBS/SAS".

Guaranteed people should have a hobby, but generally I feel airsoft is just stupid. Kids, you wanna run round with guns and modern camo? Join when your old enough and see the real effects of war, not just some plastic pellet bouncing off someone. Sorry Les but I come from a very military orientated family and friends background, they support what I do (they still rib me like fook though ) but even they agree that this airsoft is just wrong.

Even the way some people are taking this paintballing thing is wrong, its gone from a bunch of lads having a laugh and a piss around in the woods firring paint pellets at each-other on the weekend; to "lets dress up ala SAS or SS with skii masks". Theres fun and then theres walt. Which is why I sympathise with some of the comments made on ArRSe.

Surely what we do has more credance than either airsoft or paintball?

[daveydachs]

I only watched the first one. I thought it looked F***ing good. Some of those blokes were in better shape and had more of a clue than some of the "real" personnel I did a PTT program with not too long ago. It looked a damn sight better than many of the events I've seen. I didn't see them dissin' anyone, did you?

[les hearn]

tom go into the mob and then go to iraq because we will still be out there.

then retire after your twnty years
then just sit around the house .


i WILL garuantee you will get fed up
if there are vets in there they are trained killers as you well know

they cannot just switch off after twenty years
and if airsofting is good for em to let off steam then why not

[Gott Mit Uns]

tom go into the mob and then go to iraq because we will still be out there.

then retire after your twnty years
then just sit around the house .


i WILL garuantee you will get fed up
if there are vets in there they are trained killers as you well know

they cannot just switch off after twenty years
and if airsofting is good for em to let off steam then why not

Les, whatever your opinion is mate I'm certainly not trying to change it. But you have yours and I have mine. Personally I can see more downsides to airsoft than up. If these guys are 'blowing off steam' then thats great for them but not for others....As a side note, you know my old man, he did around 34 years in the mob, I dont see him running around shooting people with placky pellets. As for joining the mob myself, I am seriously considering it, Im having to choose a direction in life at the moment and if I dont go to uni then the regs will most likely be where I end up.

The thing is Les, you talk about trained killers not being able to shut off, but then have you not considered mate that (bearing in-mind each to their own) most might be a little more than sick of death and destruction?

Dave, I can only talk from my own experiences of having seen the posts on ArRSe and having spoken to family members and friends in the forces.

[abc123]

up periscope! Right I am gonna have a go with this thread.

I am not so sure we are that far away from airsoft really. There are many 1980's era warsaw alliance airsoft groups out there, who take the collecting of kit really seriously. They do the same research as living history buffs, so I think there is room for both in this hobby. And the hobby we do is right up there on the geek scale!

We are no better or worse than any other hobby. If these guys want to do it then thats cool. I'm not sure what the big problem is with doing "modern", be it re-enactment, airsoft or whatever. Many of us on the happy side of the fence do post victory of great comrade Stalins mighty armies, Soviet, NVA, Bulgarian socialist army or whatever. Its just skipping round with another bunch of cammo on. The bottom line is that its no more realistic than whats on the video link. I can actually understand why some veterans want to continue it (being one myself). But I cannot tell you why we do it. Because its a bit sad as hobbies go really.

[les hearn]

The thing is Les, you talk about trained killers not being able to shut off, but then have you not considered mate that (bearing in-mind each to their own) most might be a little more than sick of death and destruction?

no
simple answer that

look at the guys out in iraq now

only they are paid "bodyguards"
many ex regs who simply wont "shut off"

[David]

Tom, not a dig at you but I have to disagree on a few points:

I got halfway through before turning it off. IF you want to run around in modern combat kit shooting people, join your local regiment or TA center. What we do is represent an army of an historical time period and body of men who no longer 'function' as a military force, but never-the-less are represented by us at historical events, museums etc etc. What they are doing is jerking off and just degrading what the modern forces do IMHO.

Well, they were recreating the Black Hawk Down incident (albeit rather inacuratly). Is that any different from when you go out and do a re-enactment battle? It's still history at the end of the day.

Guaranteed people should have a hobby, but generally I feel airsoft is just stupid. Kids, you wanna run round with guns and modern camo? Join when your old enough and see the real effects of war, not just some plastic pellet bouncing off someone.

But what if you couldn't join the real armed forces because of, say, some illness (like epilepsy... *cough* ). For them this is the closest they would be able to get to the military. I know that with re-enacting that will be the case for me, but WWI/WWII/anything historic is not everyones cup of tea.

[Gott Mit Uns]

The thing is Les, you talk about trained killers not being able to shut off, but then have you not considered mate that (bearing in-mind each to their own) most might be a little more than sick of death and destruction?

no
simple answer that

look at the guys out in iraq now

only they are paid "bodyguards"
many ex regs who simply wont "shut off"

Sorry Les but b*llox to that mate...
What you were reffering to earlier I guessed was institutionalism...guys go and have a military hobby because it brings them closer to their old way of life because its all theyve known....but now I understand it as you mean they cant "shut off" killing people....

Getting back to actual airsofting, the forum that I help to run along with David, is full of airsofting kids (a big market for a games company), I'm sorry but if you read half these peoples posts, then you can blatantly see its nothing like our hobby. The magority dont do it for the authenticity and historical representation, they wear modern kit because they think they look cool as modern soldiers....at the end of the day what is it teaching a generation? That if you shoot someone its ok cos theyre gonna get back up again?
How many of you have done National Herritage gigs? Or gigs at an historical location/museum? I seriously doupt you will find airsoft groups being invited because they managed to source the right kit and look vaguely "authentic". And if they start to get invited to the same events as us, well, itl be time I left the hobby. Nope sorry, you cant convince me that what they do is, is what we do. Granted we may "dress up" as another time period, but what we do is portray a body of men who no longer officially exist as a fighting force, we have fun in our hobby naturally, but we also offer an educational aspect and pass on our collective knowledge (whatever country or army you portray) to the public. What the fark do airsofters do? How many airsoft related crimes do you hear about? And how many re-enactor related crimes do you hear about?

Like I said, I can only answer from my point of view and emmulate the points of view from both serving and ex-serving friends and family.

[les hearn]

im not on about going out and killing anyone.
im talking about "shutting off from the mob life.

why do you think many come out and join the police force or any other job with some discipline

its because they have grown up with it

ps. i did not see many "kids" in the video fella.

[Gunter]

One of them is wearing a Stargate SG-1 arm patch.

[bilko]

I sighned the line and did the time...so please check how you word stuff.

And i was in the TA.

D...