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Soldier of the Week – Brian Chontosh

12 Mar 2018, by Firestorm in Incredible Soldiers

Almost all of us here are video game fans. Don’t get me wrong. That’s why we practice true gun safety because our weapons are the most realistic on the planet. And we don’t joke about the deadliness of war (ok, that last part isn’t always true. Did you see the… oh, never mind.) But seriously, sometimes as far as video game characters go, how would they fare in real combat? Or in this case, would a real person for all intensive characters actually “BE” that video game character in real life? Well, Maj. Brian Chontosh certainly has to be one of the closest things.

A lieutenant at the time in March of 2003, Brian and his platoon found themselves the subject of a heavy ambush while on a routine patrol. With a hellfire of bullets, mortars, and rocket propelled grenades. The enemy troops were using an irrigation ditch as a trench to wage a pretty potent ambush. Brian directed the driver to drive right into the berm, and while Corporal Thomas Franklin provided some cover fire from the 50 cal turret of the Humvee, Brian decided to say, “It’s time to kick ass and chew bubble gum…. and I’m all out of gum.” Okay, that was a line from Duke Nukem, but we like to think he said that right before he charged into the trench with his M16 blazing. And like any great video game character, what do they do when they run out of ammo? They switch to their sidearm and unload it into the enemy until it clicks. And after that, just keep your eye out for a bonus weapon crate you say? Well, maybe not in real life, but Brian did do the next best thing. He grabbed a discarded AK-47 off a dead Iraqi and continued to light up that trench. And when that wasn’t enough, he picked up a loaded and ready RPG, firing off a round down the trench, and taking out yet another group of enemy combatants. And if this entire situation doesn’t embody the entire creed and ability of what it is to be a Marine, I don’t know what does. At some point we still envision Brian dual-wielding 2 AK’s while quipping one-liners.

However, like most real heroes, Brian didn’t consider himself one, giving much of the credit to the support of his squad that kept up with suppressive fire. “It’s ugly. It’s violent. It’s disgusting. I wish it wasn’t part of what we had to do,” he said in an interview.  In all Brian killed more than 20 enemy combatants and wounded several others. ” He received the second highest honor a soldier can receive, the Navy Cross, and they don’t just give those to anyone. We congratulate the truly super-human, living video game actions of this Marine. He embodies what it means to be a Marine and an American.

And while real combat is a bloody, nasty affair that we don’t wish on anyone, recreating and simulating a battlefield is a hell of a lot of fun. Do you think you have what it takes to survive a simulated ambush or the chops to execute one of your own? To take down a vehicle with an RPG? Then you should rally your friends, your business, your team, your group, or just your lonesome self and join us to see if you can. Conflict Colorado isn’t just laser combat with authentic military style weapons. We do more than just bring your favorite video game or movie  to life. It is a unique experience, and one you can have on the largest outdoor battlefield in the country. Run by vets with combat experience and training, you can have the opportunity to learn from the best. Give us a call or drop us a line. We would love to make your event truly unique.

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