The PLI Paintball Warrior is a concept whose time has come. It isn't a crazed paintball maniac wielding the newest and best weapon on the market. The Paintball warrior (PW) is a player whose mind is his (or her) most essential piece of equipment. They are players who live for the scenario recreation game. They study tactics not just before an event, but any time they can. They pour through paintball magazines (skipping the articles on who won what tournament and who came to it) and pull out the essential new elements of the sport. As they walk through the isles of Wal-Mart, they see ordinary household items that can be used as the perfect "something". Their spouses (if any) have given up on them.
The Paintball Warrior concept is based on a combination of the USMC's Urban Warrior and US Army's Airland 2000 Battle Doctrines. For the Marines, Urban Warrior is a way of fighting in urban terrain that emphasizes effective use of self-supporting squad and platoon tactics. Airland 2000 stresses the strategic principles which led to victory in the Persian Gulf. For Paintballers, they are combined into a system of playing recreational scenario games. Under Urban Warrior, the individual member must be able to carry the weapons and supplies that will allow him to combat every potential threat and survive. Under Paintball Warrior, the "player" carries those paintball devices that will allow them to respond to any paintball threat. This means more than the current "hot" paintball gun. It means an effective primary and secondary weapon, paint grenades, a CO2 powered paintball assault weapon, mines, and other equipment necessary for winning the engagement. Paintball Warriors also live for the fantasy of the game. They don't care if they are portraying the Colonial Marines, Starship Troopers, Imperial Stormtroopers, or brave rebel commandos, they just want to have fun for the weekend.
The Paintball Light Infantry Organization is the natural home for this new breed of paintballers. By standardizing basic tactics, communications, immediate actions, and Leadership structure, the PLI allows small five man teams to come together as a Organization of organized and like minded paintballers. By adopting the US Army's Airland 2000 Battle Doctrine to the paintball world we further define an effective system of "imitation" combat.
The Paintball Warrior Battle is the doctrinal basis for meeting the challenge presented by big scenario games. It involves maneuver at all levels from the squad to the Organization and tries to use the full potential of modern paintball weaponry. It is offensively oriented so PLI Leaderships may go to the offense as soon as possible. No matter what level the conflict, the side that keeps the initiative through offensive action forces the other side to react rather than to act. The thrust of Paintball Warrior Battle doctrine is to disrupt the opposing players's synchronization, preventing him from applying combat power at a decisive point; and to create opportgroupies for PLI to be victorious.
Success on the paintball battlefield depends on Leadership at all levels understanding and implementing the basic tenets of the Paintball Warrior Battle doctrine: initiative, depth, agility, synchronization, technology, and weaponry.



Basic Tenets of Paintball Warrior Battle Doctrine:

a. Initiative. This is the ability to set or change the terms of battle through action. It requires Leadership to maintain an offensive spirit. It means that, when an opportgroupy presents itself, the Leadership may depart from planned actions to hasten mission accomplishment. To do this without jeopardizing the higher plan requires that the Leadership understand and work within the intent of the Leadership two levels up. This implies a degree of independence and risk. Leadership translate their initiative into action by issuing mission-type orders. These orders in turn give subordinate Leadership the flexibility, within the scope of their Leadership intent, to improvise and act aggressively to accomplish assigned missions and defeat the opposing players. In addition to understanding the scope of their Leadership intent, each leader must understand his group's part in the Leadership concept (as the main or a supporting effort), so that he may confidently and boldly exploit success.
b. Depth. This is measured in time, distance, and resources. At Organization level, depth is achieved by positioning forces to deny the opposing players the ability to maintain mass, momentum, and mutual support. The battlefield is no longer a one-dimensional or two-dimensional entity. The Leadership must understand how he and the opposing players fit into the higher Leadership's deep, close, and rear battles. When possible, reserves are employed. This gives depth to the Organization and provides the Leadership with a form to counterattack and completely destroy the opposing players.
c. Agility. This is the ability to think and act faster than the opposing players. It involves mental, Leadership and control, and organizational abilities to adjust rapidly and to use the situation, terrain, and weather to defeat the opposing players. The plan must be simple, yet flexible enough that the Leadership can react when an opposing group presents itself.
(1) Mobility, flexibility of task organization, timely intelligence, and rapid decision-making enable the Leadership to cause the opposing players to react, which sets the terms of the battle. At the Organization level, these terms are often simplified by positioning the Leadership group well forward so they can see the battlefield, recognize opportunities, and rapidly seize the initiative. The Leadership and his subordinates rely on IPB, a sound R& S plan, and accurate reports to quickly understand opposing players intentions.
(2) Reaction time is reduced by rehearsing SOPs and drills, by choosing sound initial positions for dismounted groups that simplify their ability to maneuver. Assets from CS and CSS are positioned to sustain the main effort and to provide flexibility to the plan. Complexity reduces agility.
d. Synchronization. This is the arrangement of battlefield activities in time, space, and purpose to produce the greatest possible relative combat power at the decisive point. Synchronization is both a process and a result.
(1) Synchronization extends from planning the maneuver to integrating small five and ten man teams into effective platoon and company organizations to achieve mission accomplishment.
(2) Leaders at all levels must understand friendly and opposing players capabilities. They must know how to relate these capabilities to time and space to produce synchronized plans that satisfy the Leadership's intent.
(3) Synchronization begins in the mind of the Leadership with his concept of operations. The concept must clearly focus the main effort at a decisive point and must clearly designate the effects (tasks and purposes) of the subordinates. Understanding and using a common doctrine and military language enhances synchronization.
(4) The Leadership creates synchronization by developing, issuing, and rehearsing clear, succinct orders supplemented by well-established SOPs. Using SOPs enables the Leadership to rapidly employ assets and to seize tactical opportgroupies without lengthy explanations and orders.
e. Technology. PLI forces strive to use technology to its advantage by standardizing the equipment purchased by its members. This includes global positioning systems (GPS), family radio service (FRS) Radios, night vision devices (NVD's), and other technological advances in the sport.
f. Weaponry. The PLI uses all matter of paintball weapons. This includes those commonly called alternative or military style paintball weapons. It includes compressed air projectile launchers or Paintball Assault Weapons (CAPL or PAW), mortars, grenades, mines, armor, and air support. Only safety limits the offensive firepower of the PLI.

The PW's equipment reflects the scenario game philosophy. They carry a backup weapon because you shouldn't be a casualty just because your main gun is down. They carry Paintball Assault weapons for taking out bunkers, armored vehicles, and large crowds of opposing players players. They have smoke and paint grenades ready to go. They come equipped with Talkabout Plus radios, GPS, Night Vision Devices, and extra batteries for each. Their uniforms aren't red, blue, or yellow but camouflaged, usually with Advantage or Realtree Camouflage. Their weapons are black or camouflaged, with little use of slogans or manufacturing logos. They cringed when they saw a red anodized paintball gun.
Paintball Warriors live for the military fantasy of a good scenario game and do not generally agree with the way "mainstream" paintball has tried to distance itself from the military. Of course they also think that recreation ball paintball is the mainstream! The Paintball Infantry Organization exists to promote the military fantasy of paintball by combining the Organization of Civil War Reenacting and the game of paintball with tried and true military principles. This allows like minded Paintball Warriors to come together with a system of operating and communicating effectively on any field at any time.