When Mark McKane shipped off to Iraq in 2004, he didn't get to stay long. He was wounded by an enemy rocket-propelled grenade.
"We got hit from the rear. The guy probably poked up, shot, and ducked back down. He got us with an RPG. It went right through the radio and hit me, then exploded," McKane said.
McKane lost his left arm. When he returned home, he bought some land in Manor to share his hobby with others.
For paintball players ready to take it to the next level, McKane is cooking up some action.
"This isn't just a regular day of paintball," he said. "It's a fictitious military experience."
On Saturday, February 23, McKane's 15 acres at Xtreme Paintball will become a war zone.
"There will be two armies, there's going to be commanders for each. There's going to be lieutenants in charge of platoons that go out. He's going to have a tent and a map," McKane said.
It's called Austin Mission Alpha: Apocalyspe. It's a scenario game that follows a story line.
"This is an eight hour, continuous game. We're going to have actual live role players," McKane said. "People who have launch codes, people who have chemical weapons and you need to protect them, to get them from point A to point B."
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Fit for Friday
Amy Hadley's getting a lesson in
war strategy for Fit for Friday. She's part of a platoon that geared up for an all-day scenario game of paintball.
 
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The players draw comparisons to the role playing paintball competition to that of playing army as a young boy.
"It appeals to playing army. Little boys, even if you don't give them a gun, they'll pick up a stick and shoot each other," player Ray Harlan said. "That's what scenario is all about -- having an experience you can't have on a normal day."
A day that, no matter who comes out on top, everyone's had a successful mission of getting Fit for Friday.
Austin Mission Alpha happens next Saturday, February 23.
If you want to play, go to their Web site, or call
(512) 796-9760.
