Hey everyone!
Following from our last Slaydies Series Spotlight we have another! In this post we chat to Ashley Arvelo, a MilSimmer from Southern California!

Hi! My name is Ashley aka
Milsim Ashley and I am 21 (22 in March) I'm from Southern California, USA and I’m a full time college
student getting a degree in Criminal Justice.
How long have you been airsofting?
About 4 years give
or take a few months.
What got you into Airsoft?
I’d always wanted
to go, but I didn’t have anyone to go with. When I started dating my boyfriend
we went for his birthday and within a month I had bought my first gun.
What do you love about Airsoft?
I don’t know if
it’s the people I get to meet or if it’s the fact that I get to shoot my family
members and boyfriend. I’ve met some great friends playing airsoft and it has
led to a lot of opportunities for road trips.
Where is your home site?
Code Red Airsoft
(but you can sometimes find me at Jungle Island)
What are the most memorable sites you’ve played?
Boron, an abandoned
prison was one of my favorites before it was closed to Airsoft events. The
history of the place was really interesting to me as a CJ major and there were
tons of awesome hiding spots. Also, AMS Broken Home in Oklahoma because I rode
a helicopter for the first time there and it was my first Airsoft road trip. I
got to meet a lot of people I had only talked to on social media and the crew
put on a great event.
Describe your playing style.
I play Milsim, but
I tend to be that person who goes on suicide runs and hard charges an objective
(I could never be a good sniper).
Weapons and Loadouts: What’s
your weapon of choice? And what loadout do you normally run?
I tend to run my
mp5 swordfish and 1911 pistol the most, but my first gun is Freddy, my KWA m4
that caught on fire. You’ll probably be seeing more of my KWA coming up. As for
a loadout I have a lot of hand me down and surplus gear from Army Navy stores.
I can’t afford to spend a lot of money on my gear so I have a Condor Chest Rig
that has held up really well and I wear Magnum boots. The smaller stuff like
hat and gloves comes from Voodoo Tactical which if I had the money I’d buy a
lot more of.
Being a women in Airsoft, what are your experiences?
When I first got
into Airsoft I could definitely feel a pressure to “prove myself” as a player
and not as some arm candy that a guy brought out. But, I think that mentality
is slowly dying out. I’ve gotten a lot of hate from both players and Airsoft
companies because I won’t conform to their idea of what a “female player”
should be and I’ve been told I don’t need to play, I just need to look pretty by
past sponsors. But, I’ve also received a ton of support from a ton of people (you
know who you are) and I can’t thank them enough because it’s kept me in the sport.
Social Media, where can my readers find you?
Instagram:
@milsim_ashley
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/milsimashley/
Your thoughts: Is there anything you would like to say to other players out there?
I see so many
people trying to become “Insta- famous” or an “Airsoft celeb” and it kind of
pains me because that isn’t the point of these social media sites, which may
sound like I’m a pot calling the kettle black. But, I’ve had experience trying
both the “sponsored Airsoft celeb” and the normal everyday player and I’ve
found that people respond much better to those who are themselves on social
media versus a walking advertisement. Which is why I stay away from individual
sponsors. By being yourself you meet so many other players and make friends
from all around the world. These relationships are worth more than any
sponsorship. So stop trying so hard to reach those follower goals and start
being yourself and making friends with each other. In the end, you get
something so much better than a discount or a free patch, trust me.
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