Lieutenant Commander Data

A.K.A. Michael Kraus

Brent Spinner

I'm not Brent Spinner, the actor who played Data on Star Trek The Next Generation. Data is just my nickname, and it was not one I chose for myself. It was given to me by a teammate. When I was stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, I was a member of a paintball team that was sponsored by Miller Lite. Everyone had a nickname, and mine was the name of the first gun I purchased, Poison.* During a 10-man team tournament, I was returning to the base camp when one team leader looked at me and said, "Hey Data!" When I looked at her funny she said, "You look like a Data, you act like a Data, you're Data." My reaction was, "Who's Data?"

My wingman told me it was from Star Trek. Having seen only the original series, I was confused. After they informed me about The Next Generation series, I went home and caught that week's broadcast. I came back and informed my team I didn't see it. But the name stuck, and to this day there are a lot of Okinawans that only know me as "Data."

*I apparently received the only functioning Poison in the world. Almost every other example people purchased was a total hunk of junk. In fact, I would recommend against buying anything by Brass Eagle.

I would recommend the Illustrator series. I have an F-1 that has served admirably both in the jungles of Okinawa and the deserts of Arizona. The F-2 is currently available, I've used it, and it's just as reliable, and I think the changes do improve an already excellent gun. Some people think the Illustrators are too light. They are light, but they are still one of the most rugged guns. That's why I like them. If you want something that feels more solid, I would recommend the PMI-III. It's the most solidly built gun I know of, built like a tank and weighs almost as much. I don't like it because I can't shoot with one hand. But it is a high quality gun and some people prefer the heft.


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