Sailors from USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) spent President’s Day playing out combat scenarios with paintballs during a Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR Department)-sanctioned recreational event.

Nearly 20 Stennis Sailors along with other active-duty military members and a handful of civilians spent their holiday playing paintball games outside Silverdale, Wash.

ìI had an absolute blast,î said Lithographer’s Mate Seaman Joseph Vincent, who works in Admin Department. ìWe had a great ship-wide representation and the perfect amount of people playing to make it a great time.î

The games usually pit one team against another and include a wide variety of different combat type situations on a few different courses.

ìWe played elimination, a straight team versus team combat, capture the flag, where opposing teams try to capture each other’s flag, and gone in 60 seconds, where both teams are forced to maneuver positions every minute,î said Vincent, who enjoys playing paintball regularly and even owns an extensive list of paintball equipment.

ìOne of the games we played was divided up into active-duty military versus civilians, by chance, and that was fun. We won of course,î Vincent added. ìThe camaraderie between us was apparent from the start because if one of us was in trouble, the rest would swarm down to help him out.î

ìI met a lot of people I didn’t even know were on board Stennis and probably would never would have if not for paintball,î said Photographer’s Mate Airman Ronald Reeves. ìIt was a blast for me, and a lot of us are even talking about going again this weekend.î Reeves, a first timer, eventually plans on buying his own equipment and making paintball a regular hobby he said. The paintball facility rents all the equipment needed to play paintball safely. 

Players are provided with a facemask, air-powered paintball gun, paintballs and ammunition containers by the facility but personal equipment is allowed. The facility includes three separate outdoor courses: a smaller 50-yard course and another larger man-made course with many obstacles as well as an even bigger course in the woods.

ìI think it’s a great thing to get Stennis Sailors together doing something new,î said Vincent. ìMany of them have never played the game before and now they have a bunch of new friends to share their new hobby with, and they’re even stationed at the same place! It doesn’t get any better than that.î