Eye injuries during training exercises with paint balls

Abstract

The use of paint balls, increasingly popular for war games and survival games, has recently been introduced for certain military training exercises. We treated two soldiers who had severe permanent ocular damage after being hit by these balls. Both removed their goggles after their vision was obscured with paint from a hit on these protective lenses. They were then hit for a second time, resulting in the eye injury. Based on these cases and on a literature review, we conclude that protective eye gear should be mandatory when paint pellets are used. It is essential that service members participating in such exercises be instructed not to remove their protective goggles under any circumstances.