War games: Playing with fire

War games: Playing with fire: "War games: Playing with fire
Adults get a taste of what it's like to be in a war zone. The catch -- if you want to call it that? They can go home at the end of the day.
Aline Mendelsohn
Sentinel Staff Writer

January 24, 2006

The battle has begun, and insurgents in headdresses swarm the field while American soldiers in camouflage run across the tops of trailers. An explosion rattles in the distance, and in the village, an Iraqi civilian crouches over an injured man and pleads, 'Breathe, my friend.'

This is not a war thousands of miles away. This is a game of war, set in the safety of an Orlando industrial field and tractor-trailer storage yard near Silver Star Road.

This particular game is called Airsoft, a military simulation employing guns that shoot plastic pellets. A pastime that appeals primarily to twenty- to thirtysomething men, Airsoft offers elements of war re-enactment, paintball and live-action role-playing.

On Saturday, 200 participants, some from out of state, came together for Operation Sandstorm, hosted by Airsoft groups Mindgame Productions and Demo Airsoft. Players took the roles of Americans and insurgents, while actors posed as civilians.

Ultimately, the Americans won, as they outnumbered the insurgents 3-1."