Camp La Guardia to host paintball battle

BLOOMING GROVE — A band of military enthusiasts looking to recreate the conditions of modern warfare are hoping to rent the Camp La Guardia site to stage the exercise, according to an announcement from the Blooming Grove Police.

The abandoned outbuildings of the former shelter for homeless New Yorkers will be cast as the sprawling compound of a radical terrorist during the game, which its organizers have titled "Operation Shahrazad."

The game was scheduled to begin Friday, July 26, and continue through the weekend. The Blooming Grove Police said they wanted to inform the public "to avoid public confusion in regards to the expected large presence of military style vehicles and uniforms."

The police said the participants will be using Airsoft weapons that look like real military style weapons. "They produce almost no noise and use a bio degradable BB that will not harm the environment," the police said.

They said they expected about 200 participants, who will dress like United States military and special forces units and like Al-Qaeda operatives. They might also be using military style vehicles, like Humvees.

The company will also be filming these events and will provide their own security at the gate leading to the former homeless shelter, police said. Any complaints should be directed to the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Goshen at 291-4033.

Chester Supervisor Steve Neuhaus said he was aware of the plans to stage the paintball battle, and that he was waiting for more information about the event after a meeting with the county Friday afternoon.

The virtual assault is part of the Operation Lion Claws Military Simulation Series, which casts enactors in roles as real-life first-person shooters in a non-lethal war.

There is even an elaborate backstory created for the participants.

Here it is, according to the website:

With the American war on terror pushing various groups into hiding, the most well trained and hardcore terrorists came to the protective umbrella of a charismatic leader known only as Sayfullah.

Sayfullah formed hidden base camps all over the world where they all continued training in tactics and warfare. To meet the enemy they must be as good and twice as ruthless. These men now train groups like Al-Qaeda, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and others; all taking the training to levels never seen before.

In the Spring of 2013 DEVGRU located and took out a small cell camp. The intelligence gained has led to information on one of Sayfullah's major training camps: Shahrazad.

Due to Shahrazad's location air strikes have been ruled out and the ISA has decided to send a joint task force to capture these complexes. Sayfullah's forces are as well trained as any force the US has ever faced, and they have the home field advantage.

Each side will be well prepared. You will decide the outcome.