Sophomore Chad White was deep in enemy territory. He waded through trenches, nervously fingering the grenade he'd brought and aiming his gun at the unsuspecting sentry of the fort he was rushing. Then, every soldier's nightmare happened to him.

"I was looking forward to take out another position when a few guys came up behind me and shot me in the back," he said.

Had this been real combat, the consequences would have been more serious. However, since this was part of a program sponsored by several halls in Botetourt, White went home with nothing more than a welt on his back and a tired smile. Such are the fortunes of paintball.

Residents of Dinwiddie Second, in which White is a Resident Assistant, along with residents from Dinwiddie Third and Spotswood, got a taste of simulated combat this past Saturday, in a hall program originally devised by White, and left open to residents in all of Botetourt.

The army theme was there from the beginning. Instead of driving individually or being driven to the range in College vans, the Botetourt residents got the boot-camp treatment: at 8:30 a.m., two camouflaged army personnel carrier trucks pulled into the complex to pick the soldiers up. Although this service is not always available to customers, it's one of the perks of going to the course in a program sponsored by the College, according to Avery Kirby, the owner of New Kent Paintball Games.

"For William and Mary, we'll go that far," he said.

The trucks were a complete surprise to the residents.

"They [the residents] had asked how we'd get there," White said. "I said that I didn't know."

Unfortunately when the carriers arrived, there was no one to carry because White's residents slept in, he said. After the participants were awakened, they were loaded in the carriers by 9 a.m.

According to White, once they arrived at the range, they were given their equipment. For $30, they each received a semi-automatic paintball gun, or "marker," a mask that covered the face, ears and neck, leaving the back of the head exposed and 300 paintballs with pouches for storage. In addition, paint "grenades" (paint-filled balloons that spin and spray paint on contact) and extra ammunition could be purchased.

Several participants also bought their own camouflage before the trip.

After getting their gear, the players were broken into two "armies" and were given explanations of the games they would be playing. These included the elimination game "search and destroy," "capture the flag" and "base capture," an exercise in trench warfare made possible by New Kent's trench and fort setup.

According to White, the trench exercises were the biggest draw, and provided his most intense moment under fire.

"I said 'cover me,' delegated two other guys to come with me and just ran as fast as I could, exposed to enemy fire, and dove into their trench," White said.

Scott Ickes, a freshman, agreed.

"He [Kirby] led us on an attack on Spotswood," he said. "We got ambushed. It was intense."

According to Kirby, the trenches and forts set up on his large range are what sets New Kent apart from other paintball ranges, which he says mostly utilize "speed-ball" style games. The search-and-destroy games, coupled with the fact that New Kent allows "regeneration" (although you're technically "dead" after being shot anywhere on your body, you can still re-enter the game) makes for a longer, more tiring experience.

"We run military-style tactics out here," Kirby said. "I guess everybody's played cowboys and Indians and G.I. Joes, but couldn't try it out as a kid."

According to White, the Botetourt group was gone from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and everyone came home tired, bruised and satisfied.

"It was a blast. It was more than just a fun time -- a getaway," White said. "It taught you about combat. Maybe before I might have thought about joining the army, but now I'm like 'Hey, this is hard.' I was hit probably about five times."

And those hits hurt. Although no student came back with any permanent damage, one was hit in the adam's apple when his mask shifted, leaving his neck exposed. He only got a nasty bruise as a result, according to White.

New Kent Paintball Games opened for business 11 years ago, at the cusp of the paintball craze. According to Kirby, the company mostly caters to businesses and private parties.

White added that, despite the fact that last year was the slowest so far as far as business from the College, New Kent always has a few residence halls or campus organizations use the facility each year.

Paintball creates close combat situations, which is its draw, White said.

"We had to support each other and work as a team," White said. "I had a couple of guys get stranded and they just got picked off. No one left there without being shot. Your adrenaline gets pumping when you're attacking."

That adrenaline, according to Kirby, is another factor that keeps customers coming back. In fact, he stresses the fact that he is out to give customers a high-stress workout.

"If I can get you mentally and physically burnt out by the end of the day, I'm happy," Kirby said. "That's having fun."