The History of RAID

RAID: The Story

          The Story of RAID goes back to 2011, but the events leading up to it start in 2010. Current team captain Panda (then the 2nd in command) and Koala (A new dormant player who at the time was team captain) led a team called "The Black Ops Airsofters." The name came from the Bourne trilogy and had no relation to the Call of Duty game. Despite having a decent team of 6-7 players, Koala and Panda wanted more after attending several events. Within airsoft, there is MilSim (more serious events) and Open Plays (simple events). While part of the team wanted the latter, Koala and Panda (then Blackhawk and X-Ray) decided to dissolve the Black Ops Airsofters. With Dubbs and Ingine (now dormant), they created RAID.

          RAID Stands for Rapid Assault Infantry Division. the "I" originally stood for "Irregulars" and was symbolic of being younger than most other players (Koala and Panda made the team when they were 14). They decided to change the name to mean "Infantry" with the reasoning of that they were not "irregular" for being young and that they were mostly and infantry-based team. RAID had a good streak of event attendance and garnered new players, but fell quiet once Koala became less and less active in the team. Eventually, Panda assumed command after Koala ceased most communication and it was discovered that Koala and his family were moving to Texas.

          RAID underwent a renaissance following the ascent of Panda to team captain. Panda had gone solo for a while and played without RAID for many events, opting to only go with friends within the airsoft community. However, once interest in RAID rose, Panda decided it was time to revive the team. He began to recruit new members and clean up the team, creating a new uniform, removing dormant members, and becoming more involved in airsoft as a team. The team has since doubled in size and now follows a uniform that is generally followed.

          The current path of RAID is unknown, but moving upwards. The team has started to attend events regularly thanks to the rejuvenated interest and participation of team members. Several members are serious players and are preparing to attend events outside of Ohio, the main state for RAID to airsoft in. On May 9-10, RAID will be represented by 4 players in Operation Crucible, a 24 hour event in Sandyville, WV. The team has gained recognition at a few fields and has grown to being a real name in the airsoft community once more.