Las Vegas shooting range instructor shows Rihanna the Navy way in ‘Battleship’

By Ron Sylvester

Saturday, May 19, 2012 | 2 a.m.

Jacqueline Carrizosa can say she's doubled for the sexiest woman alive.

The 22-year-old U.S. Navy veteran and Las Vegas resident was a stunt double for Rihanna and taught the singer, model and now movie star how to act like a weapon-wielding sailor for the movie "Battleship," which opens nationwide this weekend.

"She really wanted to learn everything she could and asked a lot of questions," Carrizosa said. "I gave her some lessons on how we deal with deadly force in the Navy. I wanted to instill some professionalism behind her character."

Carrizosa's regular job is teaching tourists how to handle such powerful weapons as the M249 light machine gun at the Machine Gun Vegas shooting range. She has the smile of a cover model, but she can handle the big guns with ease and spends her spare time scuba diving and riding her Kawasaki ZX-6 motorcycle.

Rihanna, Esquire's "Sexiest Woman Alive" last year and FHM's "Sexiest Woman in the World" this year, has described Carrizosa as "a bad-ass chick."

Carrizosa said that when director Peter Berg saw her playing soccer during a Navy tournament at Pearl Harbor last year, her T-shirt of the punk band the Hoods caught his eye. Berg told her she reminded him of a character in his movie, filmed at the historic base.

"Battleship" is based on the Hasbro game familiar to just about any kid who's spent a rainy day inside at recess during the past 40 years. It's been remade into an action-adventure flick by the same people who brought "G.I. Joe" and "Transformers" to the big screen.

Rihanna plays Petty Officer 2nd Class Cora Raikes, a weapons specialist aboard the USS John Paul Jones. Carrizosa, a Gunner's Mate 2 (a similar rank) on the USS Ronald Reagan, was one of the technical advisers for the film and a double for Rihanna.

"She immediately asked about my tattoos," Carrizosa said of Rihanna. "They were going to put temporary tattoos on her for her part, and she pointed to mine and said, 'Can we do them like hers?' They may have copied some of mine, but they were different enough that when I doubled for her, they had to cover mine up. That was kind of funny."

Teaching a movie star how to handle deadly weapons is no different than what Carrizosa does every day at Machine Gun Vegas.

"People come here and they have fun, but they also learn to have respect for the weapons," Carrizosa said. "The first time they feel that kick against their shoulder and feel the power of the gun, it's like, 'OK, then.' They have fun, but they also learn the issues and safety surrounding the guns."

Machine Gun Vegas aims to provide a safe environment for people to feel that power. It has 10 shooting lanes and a private VIP Lounge with packages ranging from $49.99 to $799. The indoor range is staffed by military veterans, such as Carrizosa.

Besides showing Rihanna and other actors how to carry weapons, Carrizosa also instructed the cast members on how to present themselves as Navy personnel, including how to stand and salute.

About the only part of Hollywood that Carrizosa couldn't make more realistic was the Navy uniform tailored for the star.

"Our Navy uniforms are basically one-size-fits-all, but Rihanna's was made to fit her body," Carrizosa said with laugh. "All the real Navy women were saying, 'Well, of course she's going to look better.' "