The term Special Forces in the US refers to the special operations unit of the US Army, altough outside its borders they are best known as "Green Berets" where their nickname comes from. With over 60 years of History and even more secrecy behind them than even the Navy Seals, this unit is very attractive to many airsofters that, like the Green Hawks, they are inspired to recreate it.
With the Navy SEAL being so fashionable, why did you decide to recreate Green Berets instead?
By the time we decided to recreate a unit, we thought of one that was sufficiently well known to fit in the script of a game without being too typical. So this is how we found the Green Berets and, the more we learned about them, the more we liked the way they were organised in ODAs, unconventional warfare... We felt identified with their motto right away: "Quiet Professionals", or, in other words, to accomplish the mission without bragging about it.
Your wardrobe essentials are spectacular, and the thing is that you recreate quite an extended period of time, how do you manage that?
When we started in recreation, we began by setting a very "wide" target. Since the arrival of the Green Berets in Afghanistan in 2001 to around 2010. UCP (ACU), DCU, Woodland... whatever the game required, we would wear. This led us back to the same problem we already had: our uniform no longer fits into the scripts of the current conflicts. So, at the end of 2014, after the OLE 1 (an international event held in Spain), we decided to do a full makeover on the gear that Green Berets currently use, Multicam.
By the way you tell the story it looks like you take recreation quite seriously, is it also like this when you play?
While it is true that we do go in the same direction in terms of recreation, our attitude towards events is much more demanding. It is important to be well prepared for Milsims, but without a solid foundation, willingness and team spirit, you just can't get the most of them.
Indeed, but we have heard that being so motivated for games led you to movie-like situations once in a while, such as the one with the shepherd and his sheep...
That was a good one! We were bringing up the rear of our side while advancing toward our base. We hid in the bushes like in Lone Survivor, covering the only bridge from which you can cross a canal. And soon after a man shows up with a herd of sheep who started grazing at just a few inches from our heads. Only that we didn't come out, not even when one of the sheep started eating from the branches coming out of the boonie of one of our operators! We could not reveal our position... If we do it, we do it right!
"OVER 50 PLAYERS ASSAULTING THE BASE WITH LASERS, TRACERS AND FLASHLIGHTS IN HAND (…) IT SEEMED LIKE THE ASSAULT SCENE IN ZERO DARK THIRTY!"
"Lone Survivor" style for sure, amazing! But not all is jokes and banter, we have played together and we have seen attack manoeuvres in which the only thing missing was the lm crew, remember the Marita Odyssey event?
In Marita Oddysey, the final assault on the enemy base, after three hours of walking in the dark through sandbanks and with over 50 players assaulting the base with lasers, tracers and ashlights in hand, the guards surrendering to our overwhelming superiority... it seemed like the assault scene in Zero Dark Thirty! The result: capturing the enemy leader, taking the base and zero casualties on our side.
With all that you have told us and done already, what is le for you guys? Recording a video with Instructor Zero
As for recreation, we would like to go follow the trend of what is happening in current conflicts. It seems rather difficult to track the SF because they are rarely seen when operating. If we talk about the airsoft scene, we would like to keep up the pace, continue preparing major events and work on the different facets of the team: new roles, increasing the number of operators further, ultimately, always taking a step further.
You are amazing guys, but we know you are not alone, you are expanding the club...
Recently we joined forces with several teams of friends to recreate the USSOCOM, consisting of teams that recreate the units under such command. It currently has more than nine different teams recreating several units. You will soon have more news about this project.
Oh, and before you kick us out, we would like to thank you for the opportunity for spreading the word about us thanks to the popularity you guys have and the work you do.