The Wild World of TB!

Man, I tell you reading these old issues has really made me miss doing Scenario News. It has also made me realize how crappy the magazine world has become with games and articles about Scenario News. If the economy were better, I might even try to re-launch the magazine, but the paintball market is in the toilet, so who the hell would sponsor that much less buy ad space? Well I handed the reigns over to Nudi as editor and I started writing my own column, this would be a column similar to what I do here in my soapbox and you can see that even in July of 2004, I spoke in generalities and I did piss some people off. It is what coined the phrase, "if the shoe fits, then just go on and walk that motherfucker off!".

Editor: This is a new monthly column for Lawrence ‘TB’ Wright so he continue to bring his unique opinions on paintball to scenario players. He has told me he will use the column for education as well as opinion. Anything he may see or feel needs to be discussed will be covered here. Please be aware anything he may say does not refl ect the opinions of Scenario News, Blitzkrieg or anyone else. These opinions are his and his alone. You don’t even have to believe them if you don’t want to, but if you want to argue with him, then by all means him at tb@scenarionews.com. I’ll be sure to print anything you send in so he’ll always have new things to write about.

This article will I am sure, offend some people. So why am I writing it, you ask? Well because there is a disturbing trend in scenario paintball and it is starting to concern me. The trend is commanders being paid in some way to command at games. What do I mean by that? Well, I will detail the trend and then we will talk about what I think we can do or should do about it.

All promoters want good commanders, but good commanders aren’t always easy to come by. This may be because of several reasons: location, time of year, whether they have command experience and if they want to command. The reasons for commanding are different for different people, but it seems have realized it is now a way to get paid. There are some promoters out there paying their commanders money and others getting their commanders prizes and goodies...all of that for people already comped into the game and sometimes given paint. This has lead to motivating people who really shouldn’t command scenario games. Commanding is a serious business and people pay good money to travel and play these games.

When you put some yahoo in the commander’s position because they want a free ride, then you are hurting those players. Now this doesn’t always blow up into the promoter’s face, but when it does you better hold on. There have been games held where a whole side turned on their commander. Others where certain teams performed a coup and changed sides. Some people not fit for command have walked off the field and left the game leaving their side to fend for themselves. I’ve had to sit and watch as game directors ‘helped’ a commander along since they obviously didn’t know what they were doing. This is unacceptable in today’s scenario game, or at least to me it is.

Let’s also mention another disturbing trend: propping up commanders with capable XO’s. Everyone knows commanders should run the show, but what happens when you take a commander and make him a puppet for people to rally behind when in reality another individual is running the show? They are putting together the plan, recruiting the teams, and even leading them on the field while the ‘commander’ sits back and thinks, “Yep, I’m doing a great job.” This has happened as well over the last few years with good and bad things coming from it. The good being the game may have went off without much of a hitch and the bad because it encourages more and more of this nonsense.

When you put someone in command who isn’t there for the right reasons, you cheapen it for those of us who do it because we truly enjoy it. We take the aspect of people’s fun serious and we want to win. But winning is not everything, because for someone to win, someone else has to lose. Getting people to have fun when you are winning is not the mark of a good commander, maintaining their fun while you are losing is. I get told all the time, ‘TB, this is a business and I have to treat it as such.’ My response has become, “Then treat it like a business before we step on the field, because once you cross the line and monkey with the game, then you cease to be objective.” If you will do things to ‘even the game’ then you will do things to even it up for the other guy. And there are some people who need more evening up then others to help them out.

I have a very good idea of what I think makes a great commander. I base this off the leadership schools I attended while in the Marine Corps, practical experience as a platoon leader in the Marines and my experience as a manager of people in the civilian world. I have also commanded a scenario game or two in my time. So whether I am qualified to the opinion of what a good commander is may be debatable, but remember I am known for voicing my opinions. So here it goes: TB’s list of what makes a good commander.

1. Desire: Desire is important, because without it there is nothing to keep you going. You must want to command people, to be in charge of the overall plan and to make people want to play for you. You have to inspire people to go that extra mile and that comes as they see your desire for the game.

2. Knowledge and Judgement: These are both important things because without them you will not be able to form a battle plan, or know when to change it. No plan, no matter how elaborate or intricate survives first contact. The smart commander realizes this and can adjust on the fly or have back up plans in place.

3. Communication: This is a big one! Without this, commander’s intent cannot be conveyed to the people under your command; they in turn will not know what actions to take and when to take them. You have to be able to have people understand what you want from them and bring them to the conclusion you know what is best for them and what the overall plan is. This cannot be done without effective communication.

4. Realistic Expectations: What is meant by this, is you realize you are not in the military and you do not have highly trained, disciplined operators working for you. You have Billy and his dad who just came out to play some paintball...not sign their life away and run all over the field. It is game to more people than not, so you have to keep that in mind. You cannot let the realism get you down. You are role playing and sometimes it only goes so far.

5. Strategical Intelligence: This is not a video game. You do not get a second chance to save the game and start over. Just as in the real world, your actions or inactions have consequences. Those consequences can be of a dire nature and can keep you from winning the game. You need a strategy and then be flexible enough to adapt your strategy as neccesary to the game conditions. You should be knowledgeable in terms such as fields of fire, ambushes and bounding overwatch. These will serve a good commander well in the fact you can discuss with your leaders on the field what needs to be done and where.

6. Tactical Intelligence: This is needed so the commander can talk to his operations people in the field. The commander sets the strategy, his commanders in the field take that intent and implement it with a tactical edge. You have to understand that way of thinking as well (tactical vs. strategical) so you can help plug any gaps you may see in their intent. It is your battle plan after all, with the objectives you set in the beginning. Knowing is one thing; doing is another.

7. Tact: This is another big one. You have to work with everyone in the game, from the newest player to the most experienced. You must let everyone know they are important in the grand scheme of things. Why? Because they are! I have seen one person (no matter their experience level) win games and lose games. Be sure everyone is working for you. This is done with tact and it is a trait lacking in more than a few commanders (myself included).

8. Confidence: This is probably the biggest one in the group. Know this: commander eliminations affect morale. Know this: if you aren’t confident in your plan you cannot inspire others to act. Want to destroy the will of the other side to fight? Then destroy their commander’s confidence. On the flip side of that coin: you should never let something get you down. Never let them see you sweat. If something doesn’t work the way you wanted, then you wanted it that way. You get held down, fight your way back out. People in your base and you have to hot insert? Then go after their base. Your people should think you have it all in hand, and you should (at least on the outside).

There have been great commanders over the years. People who really liked taking charge and saw to it their people had fun. There have also been some horrendous commanders who have left their people to their own devices while they fiddled and Rome burned. In the next few issues, I will go more into the art of leading people in a scenario game. And whether you agree or disagree, I am sure you will take a few things from it and make yourself a better commander...or at least decide if you should be one.

So here it is, that day that all Marines love to celebrate, The Marine Corps Birthday! I think this says it best, it isn't mine but I do love to read it!

Those God Damn Marines
By LtCol David W. Szelowski, USMCR (Ret)

I wonder how many times during Operation Iraqi Freedom that the phrase "Damned Marines" was uttered? Even in the best of times, Army and Air Force officers have been heard muttering some epithet about Marines, invoking either heaven or hell. Interestingly enough, we Marines find it all rather reassuring and, at times, amusing.

Most of the time, Marines do not go out of our way to be obnoxious; we are just doing what Marines have done for over 200 years. A good example is the fact that Marines always raise the American flag over mountains or cities they have conquered. From Mt. Suribachi to the City of Hue, to Kuwait City to Baghdad, U.S. Marines have raised the Stars and Stripes -- in the latter examples, much to the chagrin of higher headquarters. You don't get these kinds of problems with the army.

So what is it about the U.S. Marines that they stick U.S. flags on everything and do more with less, a less that is either old or an army hand-me-down? We call it Esprit de Corps, but it goes deeper than that. We learn and maintain myths of the past, which also means living up to those historical examples. Marine Corps boot camp is the longest of the services; it is where we mold young men and women into the mythical image called a Marine. You can be in the Army, you can join the Air Force, but you become a Marine. All of the other uniformed services have songs; the U.S. Marines have a hymn. The basic pattern of Marine Corps uniforms comes from the late nineteenth century; our emblem "the Eagle, Globe and Anchor" has remained largely unchanged since 1868. The buttons on our dress blues, whites and greens date back to the founding of our corps. The Marine Corps is the only service that requires its officers to carry a sword, whose pattern dates back to 1805.

I think that the path of being a Marine was established long ago. On the 10th of November 1775, the Marine Corps was first established...in a tavern. To this day, no matter where in the world, Marines celebrate the founding of our beloved Corps, much to the confusion of the other services.

A few years ago, a congresswoman from Colorado felt that the Marine Corps was radical and extreme. She contended that the Marine Corps was not politically correct, nor did we seem to be part of the Department of Defense's transition to a "kinder and gentler" military. She was correct, and the Marine Corps took it as a compliment.

But the proof is in the doing, and during Iraqi Freedom the Marines demonstrated what Marines could do. I watched with some amusement as a reporter asked a young lance corporal about being in Iraq and under rifle fire. "Love it, sir!" was his response. The reporter was taken aback and asked, "No, really." The Marine then tried to explain that this is what he was trained to do, he looked forward to doing it and was now happy to be doing it. No doubt in boot camp he was told that he was "a minister of death praying for war." Contrast that with the poor U.S. Army Apache pilots who said that if they had to take life, they would do so reluctantly. You are either a warrior or you are not.

Marines are mission oriented. Live or die, the most important thing to a Marine is accomplishing the mission. Whether taking the bridge, river or town, accomplishing the mission is the Holy Grail of being a Marine. How the mission is accomplished is not so important, as it is expected of all Marines to accomplish the mission with the tools available. This is probably why we heard that Marines in one engagement were fighting with knives and bayonets. This was hardly high tech, but it was effective. These Marines now have bragging rights, for they have proven that they talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk. I doubt there is a single Marine who is not envious.

Marines are practical, as well. I enjoyed hearing two reporters interviewing each other, one embedded with the army, the other with the Marines. The reporter with the army noted that the sandstorm had blown down many of the soldiers' cots. The other reporter countered that the Marines did not have this problem because they slept on the ground. The Marine learns to live with what he can carry on his back. He expects to be moved around on the battlefield via his two black Cadillacs (boots). If he is lucky and gets a ride on an amtrack, so much the better -- but it is not expected! . At the end of a mission, the priority for cleaning is weapon, then equipment, and finally, body. When the other services talk about "quality of life," they are referring to housing, clubs and food. Marines are talking about better weapons, equipment and training, winning the battle and coming home alive is considered "quality of life."

All of this translates into combat power. In comparison to the U.S. Army's 3 rd Infantry Division, the Marines of I Marine Expeditionary Force were lightly equipped. Yet, they battled through the heart of Iraq, fought to the center of Baghdad and then moved off to Tikrit, taking that city as well. The press was so enamored with the Marines that in the final days of the war they even credited the Marines with deeds actually accomplished by the army. Little wonder we heard "Damned Marines!" so often.

So we need to give the Marines some slack when they do something politically incorrect, such as raising the flag or appearing insensitive when killing the enemy. In the field, they look sloppy compared to the army, but are aggressive in the attack and generally unhappy in the defense. Marines take pride in their work, even if that work is war. We are just Marines and that is what we do.

Lt.Col. David W. Szelowski, USMCR (Ret)

Happy Birthday Marines both Active, Reserve and Former!

Yes sir it is that time again, that first weekend in December when people make the pilgramage to Ocala to play paintball at the behest of the master of the genre, Wayne Dollack. I will be there, and I have heard that GI Joe has come back out of retirement to take on Dutch. It has been awhile since I've seen Joe so I guess we shall see the end results right?

WAR: RETALIATION

Website

The onslaught began four millennia ago. Brother fought brother in a brutal civil war that raged across the galaxy and the empire of man. This great battle took place on Terra Nova. The forces of the empire, led by the Imperial Guard, were victorious - even though the emperor was mortally wounded.

A former force commander, known as “The Unmerciful One”, led a division of space marines into the maelstrom of a worm hole known as the “Eye of Terror” - and chaos was to follow. Inside the worm hole, warp space mixed with real space and the effects would transform the marines into an army of berserk troops known as the “Death Dealers from Hell.”

Now the stability of the known galaxy is in jeopardy and unrest.

Unrepentant of the choices that they made, these Chaos Marines have waged war against the empire without end.

Do you have what it takes to repel their onslaught? Your life will be the currency of the empire… spend it well.

When: Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7, 2008
Where: Wayne's World of Paintball, Ocala, Florida
Cost: $55 for both days Pre-Registered ($65 After the November 10th deadline)
Includes: Arm Patch, I. D. Tag, Prizes & Awards at Game's End
Time: Noon Saturday until 2 p.m. Sunday
Registration begins at 8 a.m. Saturday

For more information contact: Wayne Dollack at 352-401-1801 or e-mail us.

Register Online
Register By Mail Now
Game Rules
Waivers

See you guys there!

So I have been getting some awesome love mail the last few days, I mean just when you think that the email I got when the MXS debacle hit or the PB Nation shit, I mean this is some prize winning material. Did you know I was a disgrace to my race and to the Marine Corps? That according to some, I must be a race traitor and I should check my heritage. That I was the kind of person that when the Race War hits, that will be at the top of the list even faster than minorities, because I am the worse kind of traitor. Yeah? Well you fuckers can bite me!

However, I will tell you this much. I speak from experience, both from my upbringing in the South from a prestigious Southern Family and some redneck and as a LE officer, along with the many people I met while I was in the Marines, and you guys are your typical white supremicists jack-offs. You work great in groups and in the shadows, but one on one, you aren't much to see. So I tell you what, save you threats of what you will do to me and send it on the jews, blacks and other people you like to intimidate, as I am not the one.

So with that said, it is time to bring more to the front of SS Brigadefuhrer Adam Deckmann and a few others who seem to relish in the same tripe that he does. Now some people have asked what the big deal is? That they are simply playing the bad guy in a WWII game, in fact some have said that there is no difference in them dressing up in their Nazi uniforms and an actor doing the same for a movie. However there is a difference, see an actor reads from a script and for the most part follow the trends of history and such. There have been very few actors show up in their off time dressed in full head to toe Nazi regalia. However some of these guys do indeed do that. And to them the most important thing is that they wear that infantry assault badge, gold class because they are hard chargers, right?

Let's list SS Brigadefuhrer's Deckmann's 'paintball' decorations and what they mean to real Germans both dead and alive, shall we?

Let's start small, or the lesser known awards shall we?

First and foremost he claims the Infantrie Assault Badge Silver. Sounds spiffy doesn't it? What was it for real?

The silver class was instituted on December 20, 1939 by the commander of the OKH, Walther von Brauchitsch, it was awarded to infantry soldiers, after following one of those criteria:

* To have taken part in three or more infantry assaults.

* To have taken part in three or more infantry counter-attacks.

* To have taken part in three or more armed reconnaissance operations.

* To have engaged in hand to hand combat in an assault position.

* To have participated on three separate days in the restitution of combat positions.

What is for the paintball nazi's?

The Infantry Assault badge in silver will be awarded to those who have taken place in 3 ground assaults on 3 different days just as it was in real.
Anyone who went to Ion 06 as a member of this unit (SS Mann and above)Will rate it when they play at Berlin. I will get a bunch of them and those that rate it can have them at cost.I think i saw them for $10.

So this badge that was given out to thousands of men for being in real combat has been converted to equal the same amount of time in the paintball trenches? Think about this example, how would you like a Russian scenario team pretending to be Army Rangers and strapping on the Combat Infantryman's Badge? I mean we didn't have anything like that in the Marines, but my dad earned his and I don't think he would be too fucking happy about someone who didn't strapping it on because they played paintball 3 fucking days. But that's just me.

So let's move on to the next one shall we?

The next award he claims is the Close Combat Clasp Bronze class. What was it in real life?

Close Combat Clasp (German: Nahkampfspange) is a German military award instituted on November 25, 1942 for achievement in hand to hand fighting in close quarters. The Close Combat Clasp was worn above the upper left uniform pocket. The clasp was die-cast and made of either Tombac or later Zinc, with a slightly curved and hand centerpiece consisting of the national emblem (a German Eagle clutching the swastika) surmounting a crossed bayonet and hand grenade.

The award was bestowed in three classes.

* For 15 days of combat a Bronze Class was awarded.
* For 30 days of combat a Silver Class was awarded.
* For 50 days of combat a Gold Class was awarded.

And for the pretenders:

The Close combat bar will be awarded to Soldats who during sustained close combat operations,during a single day, Inflicted 5 or more close combat kills on the enemy(barrel taps).The Kompanie Commander will issue these to recipeints.Squad leaders must recomend the Soldat in his squad that meets the criteria.Or inform the Kompanie Commander of his own actions that fit the criteria

Award Criteria-Close Combat Bar

Bronze 5 Close combat kills in a single action/10 kills in a single day

Silver 10 close combat kills in a single action/15 kills in a single day

Gold 15 close combat kills in a single action/20 kills in a single day

In fact, SS Hauptsturmführer (at the time he was just a lowly captain) A.Deckmann's award by the 'German High Command' reads:

The German High Command hearby awards the Bronze Close Combat Bar to

SS Hauptsturmführer A.Deckmann 1.K. Leibstandarte SS

5+ Close combat kills in a single action

For Close Combat Action At Invasion of Normandy 2006.On sunday 7/16/06 Hauptstrumfürer Deckmann lead 1 and 2.Gruppe on a mission to bring fuel drums to the fuel depot.During this mission heavy enemy resistence was met. While the Leibstandarte squads heroicly held their ground and provided cover fire,Hauptsturmfürer Deckmann skillfully infiltrated the enemy lines.Then proceded to kill 8 enemy Soldiers. On the 8th kill he was shot and withdrew.After reaching a medic he then proceded to slow the advance of the enemy forces even more with the few remaining Leibstandarte and Wehrmacht Soldats.

The Gold Close Combat Clasp was often regarded in higher esteem than the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by the German infantry. Of the roughly 18 – 20 Million soldiers of the German Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS 36,400 received the Bronze Class, 9,500 the Silver Class and 633 the Gold Class. Do I really have to do the math to show you how rare getting this medal was in the real war? Yet for some barrel tagging in one game SS Hauptsturmführer A.Deckmann managed to do that same. Is there even a medal in the US that I can associate with this?

And now on to the next one: ahhh yes, the Ostfront Medal (Eastern Front).

What was it in real life?

The Eastern Front Medal, (Winterschlacht Im Osten), more commonly known as the Ostmedaille was instituted on May 26, 1942 to mark service on the German Eastern Front (World War II) during the period November 15th, 1941 to April 15th, 1942. It was commissioned to recognise the hardship endured by German and Axis Powers personnel, combatant or non-combatant, during the especially bitter Russian winter of '41/'42.

Qualification for the award
* 14 days served in active combat within the specified area between November 15th, 1941 - April 15th, 1942
* 60 days served in specified area between November 15th, 1941 - April 15th, 1942, non-combat
* Wounded in action
* Killed in action (posthumous award)
* Injury caused by frostbite (or another injury related to the climate) severe enough to warrant the issue of a Wound Badge

Unique in that its designer was a contemporary serving soldier, SS-Unterscharführer Ernst Krause, the medal was held in high regard by all branches of the Wehrmacht.

And for the closet 88's?

The Eastern Front medal will be awarded to Leibstandarte Soldaten who attend 2 Eastern Front Battles. For example operation mars which took place outside Moscow or Stalingrad both of which where obviously in Russia on the "Eastern Front"

Which breaks down to a few games at Skirmish and Strategy plus and you too can front the medal that represents the huge sacrifices of the German army in the battle on the Eastern front (that's the Russians for those of you who don't speak German.). Wow is that honoring or defiling again? What would you think of someone sporting the Global War on Terrorism Medal or the Southwest Asia Medal while they are pretending to search for Bin Laden or rescue Mike Durant in his downed Blackhawk?

oooooooh goody my favorite medals I saved for last. So what's next? The Iron Cross 1st Class, not 2nd Class mind you, but 1st Class. What was it in real life?

Iron Cross
The standard 1939 Iron Cross was issued in the following two grades:

* Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse)
* Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse)

The Iron Cross was awarded for bravery in battle as well as other military contributions in a battlefield environment.

And for the paper nazis?

Well they don't really list how you get that one, however here are a few 'examples' of winners of the the said Iron Cross, so you decide.

The German high Command hearby awards

SS Scharführer Gerry Weiss 1 SS Panzer Division Liebstandarte

The Iron Cross 1st Class for outstanding Leadership,Recruitment efforts, for going above and Beyond your own responsibilities in equipping Your Gruppe,And for Exellent Combat Performance in the Battle for Berlin.

Seig Hiel!

and

The German high Command hearby awards

SS Mann Lucas Ettle 1 SS Panzer Division Liebstandarte

The Iron Cross 1st Class for Armored Combat Operations in the Battle For Berlin 10/28/06. SS Mann Ettle Skillfully and couragously Drove the Leibstandarte Hetzer into American and Soviet lines.only leaving Battle to rearm or Reinsert for most of the day. On Numerous occasions Repelled the Attacking enemy forces. In doing so kept up the highest level
of German Military Tradition. He is an Excellent example of What all Schutzstaffel Soldats should aspire to.

Seig Hiel!

and of course not to be left out is SS Brigadefuhrer Deckmann

Die Oberkommando Der Wehrmacht Hearby Awards

SS HauptsturmFührer Adam Deckmann 1.SS Panzerdivision Leibstandarte

The Iron Cross First Class for Armored combat operations And Unit Leadership During the Battle for Berlin 10/28/2006. These Actions helped defend the German Base throughout the battle and helped secure a win for the Reich

Zieg Heil!
Alles Für Deutschland!
Meine Ehre Heisst Treue!

So for driving a paintball tank in a paintball game, they awarded the Iron Cross First Class, and for 'leading' (if you want to call it that) his paintball team on the field and making sure that they are well dressed he got the Iron Cross, First Class. I mean come the fuck on guys, give me a fucking break. Now this would be the same as someone running around with a Navy Acheivement Medal with a combat V on it. Want to see that? If they didn't earn it in the real world, then no the fuck I wouldn't.

And now, we move on to the creme dela creme so to speak for SS Brigadefuhrer Adam Deckmann, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

In real life:

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, often simply Ritterkreuz) recognized extreme battlefield bravery or successful leadership. The Knight's Cross was divided into five degrees:

* Knight's Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes)
* Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves (mit Eichenlaub)
* Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern)
* Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten)
* Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (mit Goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten)

In total, 7,313 awards of the Knight's Cross were made. Only 883 received the Oak Leaves; 160 both the Oak Leaves and Swords (including Japanese admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (posthumously)); 27 with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds; and one with the Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel).

Well Gen Mark Pastore also wears the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds so I guess he is an even better general on the paintball field then Rudel was a pilot in WWII. I mean Rudel was the most decorated soldier in WWII for the Nazi's. Think if someone wanted to wear several CMOH or better yet, put on Audie Murphy's medals, right?

For SS Brigadefuhrer Adam Deckmann however there is no mention of how he won his Knight's cross, save for this entry:

Knights Cross - A. Deckman Skirmish Battle of Stalingrad 07. Unit leadership and Panzer combat operations. Personally Awarded by Gen Mark Pastore GWM

Now I ask you, just by breaking down just his awards that he and his friends have altered to be able to wear these emblems, what do you think? Does having this things make you a better scenario paintball player? Does the guy you are facing wearing a black tunic with an eagle and swastika on it make you aim better? Does seeing the badges sporting the swastikas in them, make you feel like you are in the game or on the Eastern Front or really spilling onto the beaches of Omaha? Does it really? Or is it simply a sublime way for SS Brigadefuhrer Adam Deckmann to award his team with real nazi emblems to further instill his brainwashing into their heads? Just for some of you, if you have read the sporting the swastika thread on PB Nation, this is what he is pissed about. Not flying the swastika or even wearing the party armband, but that his pretend medals will not be allowed on West Point. He didn't like the fact that the swastika is so small that no one would see it, and he can't leave them at home, I mean he would be out of uniform without them. He might not be able to drive his 'tank' or shoot out the allies without his Knights Cross, right? I mean look left, doesnt someone dressed up like that on the paintball field make it a better game for you?

There comes a time, when playing make believe needs to be seen for what it is, either make believe or something else. To me, this is something else, but that's just me. So SS Brigadefuhrer Adam Deckmann get pissed off about that, come on back on here and call me all kinds of other names. I mean I never heard a Neo-nazi use the word faggot before, have you? And Adam who is pretending to be something that you aren't now? I mean you called me an admin pogue and I couldn't have been an infantryman because I called you to the carpet on your nazi uniform wear? If I wasn't an infantryman then why would that be an insult? However I was never a fake Marine, I went to boot camp and I earned my eagle, globe and anchor. Where did you go and what did you do to get your SS runes?

And here is a question for you Adam, do you have one of these? And what will you make the qualifications to get it to be on your little squad? But more on that one another time. And next time we will go more into his unit and why he chose who he did to emulate out of all 39 of the Waffen-SS units.

So since I am banned from PB Nation, it isn't like I can get on their and take them to task. Considering that I am sure that the mods are watching here as well as there, I can only say this. To allow those kind of people to post that kind of tripe and use those types of Avatars and signatures is really paramount to supporting neo-nazism at it's lowest. What do I mean by that? Well this pisses me off because some of this knuckles head's supporters have emailed me to throw their support behind SS Brigadefuhrer Deckmann because he was a former Marine and he 'faithfully' served his country according to them. They are also shouting down others in other forums claiming that people who don't support them don't support the US Military. And that my friends is some damn bullshit.

All of these fuckers swore oaths to protect this country, and that means following the orders of their superiors. They want to question the shit now, fine, but don't try to cloak yourself and your skinhead friends up as honest 'patriots' who served their country. What proof do I offer? Well I cannot ascertain if any of SS Brigadefuhrer Deckmann's cadre have racists tattoo's but I can assure you that all of the logo's that they are sporting are indeed racist as are the standard lines that they are using right up to comparing the swatika and it's use to the cross and christians. I mean if there were all kinds of crimes comitted under the cross and under the swastika then they should both be banned right? And very few people are going to ban the cross so then they HAVE to accept the swastika. Yeah, fuck that.

I have been doing some reading, as I am prone to do, and I have uncovered quite a bit of shit about how Neo-Nazi's have infiltrated the US Military. Now before you get your panties all in a bunch, let me again say I am not accusing any of SS Brigadefuhrer Deckmann's cadre, simply making comparisons. And as I am famous for saying, if the shoe fits, then you need to walk that motherfucker off. So let's get started shall we?

First and foremost there is a long history of extremism in the military, at all levels of rank and in all the branches. Here are just a few that some of you might remember, if not google is your friend:

1961
President Kennedy reprimands U.S. Army General Edwin A. Walker, commander of the 24th Infantry Division in Europe, for indoctrinating his troops with extreme-right literature. Walker resigns in protest and later serves five days in jail for illegally organizing anti-civil rights demonstrations. Walker becomes the model for the right-wing military demagogue in Fletcher Knebel's 1962 book Seven Days in May, a fictional story of U.S. military leaders plotting to overthrow the president.

A US Army General of all people, and yes I have read that book. It wasn't that great a book, but then again neither were the Turner Diaries, but you would think that these fucker penned a masterpiece the way skinheads hang onto every word.

1968
Crommelin and del Valle sponsor the Washington, D.C.-based Youth for Wallace to back the presidential campaign of Alabama's segregationist Gov. George Wallace. After Wallace loses, Youth for Wallace becomes the National Youth Alliance, which will eventually morph into the infamous neo-Nazi organization National Alliance.

Why is the National Alliance important? Well we will get into why in a few more paragraphs but realize that these are 're-enactors' and more who indoc youths and tell them that they are simply respecting their heritage as white men and christians and that there is nothing wrong with Nazi symbolism. Some have even gone so far as to say the wrong side won the war.

1976
A local "klavern" of David Duke's Knights of the Ku Klux Klan is publicly exposed at Camp Pendleton, Calif., after a group of black Marines attack white Marines they mistakenly believe are members. The ensuing investigation leads to the brief jailing and transfer of 16 Marines who are Klansmen, but none are court-martialed because associating with hate groups will not be prohibited until 1986.

Ahh yes, the infamous David Duke, you guys remember him right? And here we have Marines who attack other Marines who have attacked other Marines. Nothing is more disruptive to good order and military discipline then some hate mongering of any color.

1979
Members of a Knights of the Ku Klux Klan chapter made up of soldiers at the U.S. Army base in Fort Hood, Texas, act as security guards at a Klan rally featuring Knights' boss David Duke and Texas leader Louis Beam. A violently inclined former Vietnam War helicopter gunner, Beam is one of the first hate group ideologues to heavily promote recruiting on military bases.

A KKK cell of 20 Navy shipmen is uncovered on a supply ship based in Norfolk, Va., and a cross burning is reported on the deck of an aircraft carrier.

David Duke again and more people getting recruited at military bases. I cannot even begin to imagine a cross burning on the deck of a US aircraft carrier.

1986
Active duty military personnel illegally provide guerrilla training and weapons stolen from the military to the White Patriot Party, a paramilitary Klan offshoot set up in 1980 by Frazier Glenn Miller, a Green Beret, and Stephen Samuel Miller. One Marine admits selling the group 13 anti-tank rockets, 10 Claymore mines and almost 200 pounds of C-4 explosives. A government investigation finds 32,000 rounds of ammunition, 1,500 grenades and 3,600 pounds of explosives missing.

The Department of Defense, responding to the White Patriot Party scandal, orders military personnel to "reject active participation in white supremacy, neo-Nazi and other such groups." Many military commanders interpret the September directive to still allow "passive support" and "mere membership" in extremist groups.

So here is actually the start as to why West Point not only shouldn't allow swatikas and other symbols but probably why they can't. This has nothing to do with the freedom of speech or the US Constitution. These shit heads should know better.

1990
Five military policemen at Carswell Air Force Base in Texas are discharged for participating in Klan activity. One of them, Sgt. Timothy Hall, is identified as the KKK's chief recruiter in Texas and is also fired from his part-time job as Tarrant County deputy sheriff, along with two fellow deputies he'd recruited.

More than 300 rifles, 200 handguns, a mortar, a rocket launcher and neo-Nazi literature are found in the Cambridge, Mass., home of Air National Guard Technical Sergeant Henry A. Stram. Police value Stram's arsenal, with more firepower than the city's entire police force, at $150,000 and $200,000.

1990, the year I was in the fleet. I remember going to classes about integration and hearing the term Green Marines. That all marines are green, some are 'light' green and others 'dark' green, but a fucking Marine is a Marine. Hmmmmmm..... I guess others had different ideas.

1991
Army Sgt. Michael Tubbs, a Green Beret demolitions expert who fought in the first Gulf War, is arrested along with another officer on charges that they stole a vast arsenal of military weapons and explosives for Tubbs' Knights of the New Order. Authorities say Tubbs had a list of black and Jewish targets. He later pleads to theft and conspiracy charges and serves four years in prison. In 2004, Tubbs will become active in the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the League of the South.

As much as I am proud of my southern heritage, the fact that groups in the south associate with Nazi's just goes to show that they aren't the most intelligent people in the world.

1992
While stationed at Ft. Bragg, N.C., Green Beret Sgt. Steven Barry forms Special Forces Underground, a white supremacist organization for active duty and veteran Special Forces soldiers, and publishes a magazine, The Resister. Barry is later reprimanded but leaves the military without further sanctions. He will briefly join the neo-Nazi National Alliance as its "military coordinator" in the late 1990s.

And I remember this in the news as some of the others that are coming up. Anyone over the age of 30 should remember most of this and how they felt to find out that the young men and women that they think is serving to protect them are just getting in 'gun' time in preperation for the race war.

1994
Five soldiers at Ft. Benning, Ga., are charged with stealing machine guns, hand grenades, military explosives and booby trap components to give to the Aryan National Front, a white supremacist group based in Alabama, and the Confederate Hammerskins, the Georgia-based chapter of a national neo-Nazi skinhead syndicate.

I had just got back from Bosnia when I saw this and couldn't believe that US soldiers after seeing the kind of ethnic cleansing that took place in the former soviet republic could even begin to think of something like that taking place here. I just got pissed all over again.

1995
On April 19, Army veteran Timothy McVeigh, an antigovernment extremist who won a Bronze Star as a Bradley Fighting Vehicle gunner in Operation Desert Storm, ignites a bomb in Oklahoma City that leaves 168 people dead. Also convicted in the attack will be fellow veteran Terry Nichols, who McVeigh met at Fort Benning, Ga. While in the Army, McVeigh encouraged fellow soldiers to read The Turner Diaries, a neo-Nazi novel that serves as a blueprint for the Oklahoma bombing.

In December, three white Army paratroopers at Fort Bragg, N.C., are arrested in the random murder of a black couple carried out to earn their spider web tattoos, a racist badge of honor for killing non-whites. In the end, Randy Meadows testifies against James Burmeister and Malcolm Wright, who are sentenced to life in prison. Another 19 Fort Bragg paratroopers are discharged for participating in neo-Nazi activities.

The big one, right? The largest terrorist attack on American soil before 9-11. Committed by a combat decorated veteran and his military friends. People can blame the government and whatever else they fucking want to, but I am sorry, no matter how much I hate something, you took an oath. And killing innocent americans and children is not called for.

1996
Prompted by outrage over the Oklahoma City bombing and the Fort Bragg murders, Congress holds hearings and the Army forms a task force on extremism. As a result, the Department of Defense amends its regulations to strengthen the prohibition on extremist activity. Defense Secretary William Perry says the rules are meant to leave "no room for racist and extremist activities within the military."

In July, antigovernment extremist Eric Rudolph, who was trained at the Air Assault School while in the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., sets off a bomb at the Atlanta Summer Olympics, killing one person and wounding 111. Rudolph will go on to bomb a lesbian nightclub and two abortion clinics, killing a police officer, before leading authorities on a five-year manhunt that only ends in 2003.

I bet most people remember the scare of the Olympics in Atlanta right? I know I do, I lived less then 1.5 hours away and remember being shocked that shit like that could happen here. Even more so that it was done by someone who had ties to the US Military. Anyone remember how long Eric Rudolph evaded capture by using his military training? If you don't know, again google is your friend.

2002
U.S. Army Gulf War veteran John Allen Muhammad masterminds the Beltway sniper attacks as part of a scheme to extort $10 million dollars Muhammad planned to use to establish a black separatist nation somewhere in Canada. Muhammad had joined the black separatist Nation of Islam in 1999 and later was connected with Jamaat Al-Fuqra, a Pakistan- and U.S.-based Muslim extremist group.

Since people love to say I am betraying my race and southern heritage. Here is a black man, same same, hate seems to know no bounds or race or creed right?

2003
FBI agents arrest Maj. Rafael Davila, a retired Washington Army National Guard intelligence officer, and his ex-wife, Deborah Cummings, on espionage charges. Prosecutors allege that in 1999, Davila and Cummings conspired to illegally transfer documents classified as "top secret" to the Aryan Nations, a neo-Nazi group based in Idaho, that outlined plans for U.S. troop deployments during a domestic crisis.

Didn't know much about this one, however we are back to officers betraying their oaths and their creeds to assist hate groups. And people wonder why the US Military should be so sensitive to these misdeeds, right?

2006
Evidence compiled by the Southern Poverty Law Center and presented to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld shows that large numbers of neo-Nazis and other extremists are still finding their way into the armed forces, in large part because of intense pressure to keep force levels high during the Iraq war.

And this is the big one, I will admit that the SPLC is a lobby group and sometimes they tend to find bad guys in shadows where when the light hits there is no one there. However I read the article that is quoted here and you can too. It is long, but trust me, you might look at things a little differently after you read it: http://www.splcenter.org/intel/news/item.jsp?aid=66

Let me pull some quotes just for those who don't want to read:

Before the U.S. military made Matt Buschbacher a Navy SEAL, he made himself a soldier of the Fourth Reich.

Before Forrest Fogarty attended Military Police counter-insurgency training school, he attended Nazi skinhead festivals as lead singer for the hate rock band Attack.

And before Army engineer Jon Fain joined the invasion of Iraq to fight the War on Terror, the neo-Nazi National Alliance member fantasized about fighting a war on Jews.

"Ever since my youth -- when I watched WWII footage and saw how well-disciplined and sharply dressed the German forces were -- I have wanted to be a soldier," Fain said in a Winter 2004 interview with the National Alliance magazine Resistance. "Joining the American military was as close as I could get."

Neo-Nazis "stretch across all branches of service, they are linking up across the branches once they're inside, and they are hard-core," Department of Defense gang detective Scott Barfield told the Intelligence Report. "We've got Aryan Nations graffiti in Baghdad," he added. "That's a problem."

The armed forces are supposed to be a model of racial equality. American soldiers are supposed to be defenders of democracy. Neo-Nazis represent the opposite of these ideals. They dream of race war and revolution, and their motivations for enlisting are often quite different than serving their country.

"Join only for the training, and to better defend yourself, our people, and our culture," Fain said. "We must have people to open doors from the inside when the time comes."

Last July, the white supremacist website Stormfront hosted a discussion on "Joining the Military."

"There are others among you in the forces," wrote one neo-Nazi in the Army. "You are never alone."

Any of that sounds familiar there SS Brigadefuhrer Deckmann or for you paintball players who have listened to him crow for 2 years now about his military history or why he plays the bad guy. here are a few current quotes by him:

also im in no way anti military im actually very pro military . im just pro constitition more

and

The deaths head was not used only by SS Units. It was also on the collar of every German army tanker. And it didnt symbolize exterminate people regardless of how people use it now. it simply meant "loyalty untill death"
the deaths head and black uniform was actually first used by Fredrik the Great in 1808. long before any Nazi or his parents where ever born

the SS Runes where taken from the ancient nordic runes. Of course these same symbol got used by all the SS units. 900,000 of them where combat soldiers from all over europe.

Besause something is illegal in Germany should mean nothing here. heck they arent allowed to own most firearms eather.

the allied govts in charge of overseeing the rebuilding of Germany wants to denazify and "Break the krauts of wanting to play war"

Also as i said before i never advocated flying a Swastika flag on a military base. i just thought banning German combat soldiers uniforms was a bit too pc. Im happy to abide by the rules.

and of course these:

Its not even true they asked people to take down any Nazi Flags.which is silly at a WW2 game if you ask me. Does anyone make you take down the Soviet flag at any game?

Its a WW2 game theres going to be people playing the part in a "Scenario game" . No ones going to cover a huge game like that 100% accuratley but the smear for a Uniform is uncool.

Regardless of peoples opinions on a symbol or collar tab he was there to promote the sport of paintball and report the game. The peoples opinions come from the media mostly. Again why wouldnt he say anything about a soviet flag? Doesnt he care about the millions and millions they killed? Or is he just biased because of his heritage?

So at NJ nam you think its wrong to wear a straw hat and black pajamas to play as a VC? We did fight against them. I Am German by Heritage aside from the racial crap im pretty proud of there combat achievments in both World Wars and if it was up to me We wouldnt have got involved. Id have just let them slug it out with the Russians It wasnt our fight imo
shouldnt the Media be all for free Expresion? Im pretty sure they are when it makes them a buck The SS runes and Swastika are banned in Germany and France not england

yeah um my response to this is ITS A WW2 SCENARIO GAME IDIOT, BASED ON EVENTS IN EUROPE! HAVING AN INTEREST IN COMBAT/MILITARY HISTORY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RACISM. IM GLAD MR SILVERMAN AND WHOEVER DOESNT LIKE IT! ITS A FREE COUNTRY WE WILL DO WHAT WE WANT.IF YOU DONT LIKE IT DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.IM DONE WITH THIS THREAD

So I guess people can sell themselves on anything right? Sound like anyone else you know? I mean c'mon guys take a hard look at what this guy and his friends really are. I have also read where some his supporters decided to be VC and will be the best damn VC out there because you need to have the 'scene' set for you to play NJ Nam, right? Or Al-Queda if you do a search for Bin-laden game? Where are the machetes and body parts for Tears of the Sun? I mean come on guys, give me a fucking break. I am about as un-PC as they come but even I can see the fucking line on this.

In August 2002, while an active duty SEAL but not yet stationed in Baghdad, Buschbacher attended the National Alliance's invitation-only "leadership conference" at the neo-Nazi group's West Virginia compound. The conference was held just weeks after the death of National Alliance founder William Pierce, author of The Turner Diaries, the fantasy novel about revolution and race war that inspired Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. Pierce also wrote the seminal pamphlet, "What is the National Alliance?" It was in that tract that Pierce explained that a National Alliance member in the military "[u]ses his daily interactions with career personnel to select exceptional individuals who are receptive, and he then gives them the opportunity to serve their race while carrying out their military functions."

And here is part of my issue, and this is relevant to the paintball topic. People look up to people for right or fucking wrong. People like SS Brigadefuhrer Deckman and his cadre make people feel ok around these symbols and uniforms. That you are just honoring warriors right? That they are just honoring the Germans who fought. Well who the fuck did they fight? That's right, shit tards, America and Americans. They were our fucking enemy, why the fuck are we honoring them? You want to honor them, then do so in your basement with your Neo-Nazi flag and leave the paintball to the paintball players. I dont need you wearing a fucking accurate uniform to understand you are a fucking german player. Just some freaking ABT would be nice or flectarn not the god damn dress uniform or a nazi general.

Buschbacher hasn't been the only neo-Nazi to fight in Iraq. Forrest Mackley Fogarty, a member of the Tampa, Fla., unit of the National Alliance, was deployed for 18 months during Operation Iraqi Freedom with his Army National Guard unit. "There are some dirty Arabs enjoying their 70 virgins because of my actions and that of my fire team," Fogarty boasted in the Winter 2005 issue of Resistance. (Fogarty was identified in the article only as "Forrest of Attack.")

Jon Fain, a neo-Nazi who currently lives on the National Alliance compound, was part of the original Iraq invasion force in 2003, as a U.S. Army engineer. Shawn Stuart, the Montana state leader of the National Socialist Movement, another neo-Nazi group, served two combat tours in Iraq as a U.S. Marine before he was discharged in 2005. Stuart told the Missoula News that he joined the NSM in 2004, while he was still a Marine, because he "came to believe the United States is fighting the war on Israel's behalf."

None of these men, it appears, were ever disciplined for neo-Nazi activities. All were honorably discharged.

So yes this is pretty damn current and if you think that all these fuckers in scenario paintball are all good guys and no one will hurt well you got another fucking think coming. I know for a fact that the FBI and other LE agents were infiltrating Oklahoma D-Day, and that is part of the reason that Dewayne cleaned that place up. Is it spotless? Fuck no, but it is better then it was. Trust me I was there for several D-Days and I know what the fuck a Klan rally and Skinhead rally fucking look like. So just because you served some time in my Marine Corps or in the US Military doesn't mean shit to me, bub. Nor the fact that you got out with an honorable discharge. Roll up your sleeves and let me see if you have 88 in roman numerals, or spider-webs, or black suns or celtic crosses. I mean give me a fucking break.

And let's just compare these former 'vets' and how they can impact the youth in scenario paitnball right? I mean right now, mil-sim is the in fucking thing and WWII games are a dime a fucking dozen. Why? What's the driving force?

Training for Race War: According to a 1998 study commissioned by the Departmentof Defense, "Young civilian extremists are encouraged by adult leaders to enlist in the military to gain access to weapons, training, and other military personnel."

The reasons are obvious: Soldiers are trained to be proficient with weapons, combat tactics, and explosives, to train others in their use, and to operate in a highly disciplined culture that is focused on the organized violence of war. This is why military extremists present an elevated threat to public safety, and why extremists groups both recruit active duty personnel -- especially those with access to classified information or sophisticated weaponry -- and influence their members to join the armed forces.

"The threats posed by extremism to the military are simultaneously blatant and subtle," the Defense Department study said. "On the one hand, high-profile terrorist acts and hate crimes committed by active and former military personnel can have seriously detrimental effects on the civil-military relationship as well as on the morale and security of military personnel. On the other hand, even the non-violent activities of military personnel with extremist tendencies (e.g., possessing literature and/or artifacts from the extremist 'movement'; dabbling in extremism through computerized telecommunications activities; proselytizing extremist ideologies, etc.) can have deleterious consequences for the good order, discipline, readiness, and cohesion of military units."

Special Forces soldiers who double as extremist operatives present a special danger, since they have commando skills gained at huge taxpayer expense -- often including urban warfare, long-range reconnaissance, and combat demolitions.

"Hate groups send their guys into the U.S. military because the U.S. military has the best weapons and training," said T.J. Leyden, a former racist skinhead and Marine who recruited inside the Marine Corps for the Hammerskins, a nationwide skinhead gang. He later renounced the neo-Nazi movement and now conducts anti-extremism training seminars on military bases.

"Right now, any white supremacist in Iraq is getting live fire, guerilla warfare experience," Leyden said. "But any white supremacist in Iraq who's a Green Beret or a Navy SEAL or Marine Recon, he's doing covert stuff that's far above and beyond convoy protection and roadblocks. And if he comes back and decides at some point down the road that it's race war time, all that training and combat experience he's received could easily turn around and bite this country in the ass."

Department of Defense investigator Barfield confirmed that threat assessment. "Today's white supremacists in the military become tomorrow's domestic terrorists once they're out," he said. "There needs to be a tighter focus on intercepting the next Timothy McVeigh before he becomes the next Timothy McVeigh."

Just imagine this guy playing paintball with your little johnnie and telling him that it is ok to wear SS runes, and to really look at the history of the Waffen SS and their units and they sell him on all that shit. Angry, Emo kids who other gangs prey on. And then they tell them that there is a paintball game where you can live the glory days of the Reich and you can revel in being the 'bad guy' and wearing the uniform. And the next thing you know they are reading mein kampf and the Turner diaries and then they are shooting up schools or what the fuck ever. All because some people were too fucking weak or didn't want to be PC enough to say fuck you, you aren't wearing that shit around me.

And here is the final thing, this is why West Point told you to leave your little badges home Adam:

Then-Defense Secretary William Perry used even stronger language to describe the intent of the updated regulation. "Department of Defense policy leaves no room for racist and extremist activities in the military," Perry stated. "We must -- and we shall -- make every effort to erase bigotry, racism, and extremism from the military. Extremist activity compromises fairness, good order, and discipline. The armed forces, which defend the nation and its values, must exemplify those values beyond question."

You want to stop this? Then it needs to stop now! I won't say I am surprised that this is back to rearing it's ugly ass head. I mean there was a paintball field where Neo-Nazi's had a blast playing, it is since been reformed but it was shut down because of all kinds of violations that tend to follow this hate groups. Weapons, propoganda and such. To bad you weren't around then Adam, you could have goose stepped with the rest of them. However there are already people wanting to shut down this sport, all they need to do is convince the rest of the world and you fuckers are giving them that ammunition just as sure as the 14 year old punk kids who shoot up stores, cars and kids on the street. So let me see you tell me how fucked up this is, there Adam. Tell me the real history of all this. Better yet, just STFU and get out of my paintball.