Paintball field open, ready for battles Published July 30, 2010 By Brandice J. Armstrong Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Tinker has it, but nobody is taking advantage of it. Nobody. The paintball field is going unused. Open since March, there are three paintball fields just north of the pool on McNarney Avenue. Two are standard barrel fields and one, is an airball field. Accessible to anyone with base access, the fields are available by reservation. "Paintball is a blast and it does not hurt," said John Hubbard, Avid Extreme Sports manager. Avid, in Moore, oversees the fields. "Paintball promotes a lot more than you think it does. It promotes teamwork, leadership, communication, fitness, a healthy lifestyle and it is the only legal thing you can actually shoot someone with." Hubbard said the fields are designed for two five-person teams, but four-on-four will work. The two barrel fields offer barrel obstacles and the slightly smaller airball field has nylon bunker obstacles of varying shapes and sizes. Should teams want to play, Avid will supply the gear -- gun, loader, tank, air, goggles -- and paintballs. The gear is $15 per person and the paint ranges from $55 to $65 for a case of 2,000 rounds, which adequately supplies one person. The difference in cost is the quality of paintball. The $65 paintball is premium gold and is better manufactured. Hubbard said it is more round, shoots straighter and the shell is more durable. The $55 case is WPN weapons-grade or spectrum, depending on what the manufacturer has in stock. Hubbard said Avid can accommodate up to 30 people at a time -- 10 people playing on each of the fields. For more information, call 912-0961.