Army Gear in Airsoft?

     Military gear is bound to explore the Airsoft market. It may seem like just a game, but it's actually how the US Army trains. Airsoft gets the job done, working on accuracy and awareness, yet without the lethal impact of a real gun.

     With a rare opportunity awaiting, an Airsoft team of locals known as the "Blood Corps" (including newspaper staff member Isaiah Addair) went down to Bristol, TN, to play around on the 14th of September. Soon after arrival, a man named Robert Bonin, working for Potomac Fields in Abingdon, VA, showed up needing a group of people to test an army-used jacket with mesh padding for the game of Airsoft.

     In the typical army scenario, the jacket would go under a bullet-proof vest to help absorb impact. In Airsoft, the jacket takes the impact, while the person wearing it feels as little as a poke from close range. This experiment could potentially expand the market for protective gear, while also leaving room for other forms of gear such as pants.

-Isaiah Addair