Well we had our first game at the newly discovered “bunker”.  We were sitting around deciding what to do when some one suggested that we head up for some quick games.  Having taken several trips up to the area in previous incursions I had no problem finding it.  On the trip up noise discipline was paramount.  As point man I insisted that no one use flashlights until we arrived at the site.  Fortunately a light November rain masked any noise we made making our way throughout the brush.  There was no moon and only a vague outline of the path could be seen.

Arriving at the remains of some long forgotten car wreck, we deployed any gear we would need for entry.  Flashlights being key for navigation within the tunnel.  Once again we proceeded with caution as not to disturb any unidentified occupants of the bunker.  Entry was slow and further hampered by a large piece of sheet metal at the entrance.  Despite the abandoned nature of the bunker many dangers are still present.  Sections of the ventilation system have collapsed and now present obstacles that must be overcome.  The drainage system has since lost its metal gratings, leaving precarious foot deep trenches running along the walls.  These we found to be particularly hazardous during skirmishes.  Probably the biggest hazard involved was the complete lack of lighting of any kind.  The fuse system predates any modern system by at least twenty years.  IM no electrician but I can clearly see that the power wont be restored anytime soon.  The only light we had came from handheld flashlights.  Seeing the dust and debris strewn floors congers up questions as to the original purpose of the bunker

After clearing and securing the bunker we got to work rearranging what debris we could find.  Pickings were scarce and what we could find was put in place as bunkers.  Some bookshelves and cabinets were left when the former occupants abandoned the facility.  Those were brought into the main hall.  One of the steel doors were used as a cover for a section of trench, of which I thought was too close to the stairs for safety.  We broke cabinet doors off to be used as additional cover.  When we finished cover was still sparse and proved to yield many tactical problems.  But hey what’s life without a few challenges.

We broke out the gear and decided teams.  Everyone opted have pistols as their primary loadout for the nights fighting.  I personally opted to give my Glock26 some combat experience.  I had yet to buy a back up to this weapon or any spare mags.  So I would have to make my shots count, or be reduced to using my knife and harsh language.  For the first game a Beretta and I were on the assault against two of the opposing team.  As I said cover was very sparse so movement was slow going.  Maybe this would be a good time to re-affirm the fact that it is DARK.  Until now all of the combat I have experienced have been either in-close house fighting or midday open terrain fighting.  Moving as two man teams in subterranean caves is a new experience to say the least.  Fortunately this has brought to light several new and interesting tactical situations which I will illustrate further.

Low light is probably the sharpest double-edged sword possible.  For one simply using a flashlight is enough to drive most people to cover.  However this also lights up the user like a Christmas Tree and leaves him open to attack.  Target confirmation is next to impossible, as most people won’t stand upright and square for you like they do in training.  Fortunately you know that your opponent is experiencing the same problem.  Unless your gun is equipped with illuminated sights of some sort you will find that seeing your sight picture is IMPOSSIBLE.  All the time Ive spent memorizing the sight picture on my weapon comes to bear in these tense moments.  The theory goes as follows: if you can visualize your sight picture and can associate it with a proper grip.  You can point you gun on target even with your eyes closed.  Heres what you do;

1) Making sure your weapon is unloaded prep your weapon in whatever way you carry it.

2) Keep the gun in the low ready position, with the muzzle in a safe direction.  I prefer position “Zulu” for its natural pointing characteristics.

3) With your finger off the trigger bring the weapon up to bear with whatever grip you train with.

4) Acquire a good steady sight picture while shifting your finger to the trigger.  Take your time because speed isn’t what’s important right now.

5) Maintain your sight picture as apply pressure in a slow deliberate trigger pull.

6) Repeat the process many times alternating between dry fire and live fire.

7) Now repeat the process while bringing the weapon with your eyes closed.

8) If you’ve done it enough the sights should align whether you’re looking or not.

This I practice every chance I get.  It should get to the point where tired, blind, hung over, or injured you should be able to sight and acquire quickly and accurately.  Even when you don’t have your gun you should still have the image of your sights clear in your mind.   This became essential in a dark location such as the bunker.  In fact most of the time I couldn’t get a clean sight picture but because of training I knew where the rounds would land.  One shouldn’t disregard the importance of self-luminous sights such as those by Trijicon.  I think ill save the description of night sights for latter.  There are some situations where I wouldn’t have confidence in blind shots.

Another interesting development was the fact that when the shit hit the fan all concepts of proper shooting stance went out the window.  Spending hours shooting from an upright Weaver two-handed method became useless when I was up against a wall or prone behind a bookshelf.  No amount of training can prepare you for the chaos of combat (yet in this case still training).  You wont always have room or time to accurately fire your weapon.  In many cases you’ll be shooting while moving.  Yet another advantage of airsoft is the ability to train in tactics such as running and shooting, something that might not be allowed at all but the most training oriented shooting ranges.  One handed, left handed, sideways, even upside down; they all come into play in a combat situation.  One should be comfortable with all positions and all stances.  Limiting your training to one grip and one position could very well sign your death warrant.  Training is a lot like sex, experiment.  I even found myself, a self proclaimed professional when it comes to tactics, blind shooting out a window trying catch a tango just out of sight.  Admittedly this is bad form and a waste of ammo, but what can I say I did what I had to do.

Probably the most troubling realization of the night’s skirmish was the fact that I ran out of ammo… a lot.  This is new for me, and quite frightening.  In training I count my shots and manage to catch myself before I lose trigger discipline.  Even in previous skirmishes ive never had my slide lock back or a hammer fall on an empty chamber.  I found my self crouching behind a wall and switching to a knife more times than id like to admit.  My Glock26 holds 15 rounds in the magazine (10 realsteel) and I didn’t have any spares nor a back up gun.  I kept to double taps (out of habit) and very rarely shot just for the hell of it.  However ill admit to firing half a dozen rounds in one burst.  Either way 15 rounds is more than I would have in real life and five burst of two is all it takes to deplete my ammo.  I think a spare mag or two is in order.  Ive also decide to purchase a backup gun to supplement my loadout..

Enough about me, lets talk about the arena.  As described before the interior is full of hazards both environmentally and tactically.  I found that because of the layout of the bunkers, the advantage was given to the campers.  In most cases the entry team would dig in and refuse to go any further.  I can’t say I blame them, not many people will willingly walk into an ambush.  We plan to remedy the cover problem on future Ops.  I found the bunker to be spacious and unique.  CQB has often been described as hell, if that’s the case then that is the coolest looking hell ive ever seen.  Did I mention the lack of lighting?  Most times the lights themselves became the weapons.  When the beam of light from an opponent’s light catches you the immediate response is to duck.  So truthfully portions of the game degraded into a form of flashlight tag.  We hope to remedy this with the introduction of a form of lighting.  I suggested glow sticks.  Further play is necessary to develop a fair and exciting play environment.

All in all this was our first incursion in this area and our first skirmish in complete darkness.  I think I performed well enough with a handgun.  The lessons I learned were invaluable and I left with a new firmer understanding of “real” situations.  Everyone else seemed to enjoy the new experience.  However I have a feeling that next time they’ll be coming with assault rifles and night vision.  Im sure in time we will adjust to the new environment and its challenges.  I personally have renewed my search for a reliable back up gun.  Numba Wan lesson for the night: MORE MAGAZINES!!!