Hartford Marines help settle DJ dispute

22 May 2004 | Staff Sgt. Jonathan Agee Marine Corps Recruiting Command

Recruiting Substation Hartford Marines teamed up with Connecticut's largest rock station, WCCC, to compete in a paintball challenge May 22 at Hogan's Alley Paintball.

The event began as nothing more than brotherly rivalry between two radio disk jockeys.  Words were said, feelings were hurt, and before anyone could say, "break it up," the jocks had challenged each other to a paintball duel.

The challenge lacked only one thing - skilled combatants.  Recruiting Substation Hartford Marines quickly filled the void and the paintball challenge was born.

Once the challenge was official, each jock began recruiting listeners to be part of their team.  They fielded calls for a week and chose only a select few who sounded determined enough to win the challenge.  The radio station pegged the event as the Afternoon verses Evening Paintball Challenge, relating to DJ's work shifts.

"There's always rivalry within the station," said WCCC afternoon DJ, Rhino.  "A lot of the times we get along and have fun, and there is no big deal.  But sometimes there's stuff behind the scenes; stuff you don't see on the air or hear when you are listening to the station, and it is a good idea to go out and work out your frustrations in a very safe way."

By the end of the week, each DJ had recruited a team of five players plus one Marine.  As each team arrived Saturday morning, it seemed like an even match-up, but when the players took the field it was anything but even.

"If the Marines weren't here I wouldn't know what I was doing," said Rhino. "I am going to trust the Marines and let them show me what to do, because otherwise I would lose."

The afternoon team, consisting of Sgt. Jason D. Auger, RSS Hartford recruiter, five listeners and DJs Rube and Rhino seemed to have a distinct advantage over the evening team.  From the second they took the field, they were more organized, they communicated better and ultimately distributed a beating to the evening team.

Onlookers gazed in amazement as the evening team, consisting of Staff Sgt. Patrick K. McIntyre, RSS Hartford recruiter, five listeners and DJs Slater and Johnny Promo were destroyed in the first two games.

"This next one I am going to focus on going for body limbs as opposed to the mass," said Slater, WCCC evening DJ, after losing the first two games.  "Those first two were just warm-ups for us.  You got to understand something, we're professionals.  The third game is an afterthought, we're not going to lose, it's going to be a win.  I guarantee it will be a win."

The third game brought more of the same for the evening team despite Slater's guarantee for victory.  The afternoon team had a clear advantage in their communication that the evening team lacked.

"We have lulled them into a false sense of security," said Jonny Promo, WCCC evening DJ, after the third consecutive loss.  "They are going to become fat and lazy and then we pick them off like chickens in the chicken coupe.  (In the next game) we're going to use our fan technique; fan out from the base, keep the anchor in the back.  Our tentacles will extend into the field from there like a Portuguese man-of-war reaching out to capture its prey."

Although the fan technique sounded advanced, it proved no help for the struggling evening team.  After the loss Jonny had only one thing to say, "Right now I hope the paintballs are non-toxic because I have eaten about two of them."

Victory came for the evening team in the last game where they defeated their opponents with the same strategy that was used against them for four games - movement and communication.  "I noticed after I started moving, (the other teammates would) fall behind me so I could run the show," said McIntyre.  "Definitely some good team work, outstanding job by us."

Everyone involved seemed to have a good time and by the end of the event the petty squabble between the DJs was history.

"I had the best time ever," said Rhino.  "And we couldn't have won and we couldn't have done as well as we did without the United States Marine Corps."


Marine Corps Recruiting Command