Veteran service organization The American Legion will host a video game tournament for service members and veterans during Los Angeles Fleet Week in San Pedro, Calif., May 24-27.
Through its American Legion Gaming (ALG) initiative, the organization has decided to take a rather innovative approach and plans to make a sizable impact at the largest L.A. military event of 2024.
“The American Legion is committed to embracing recent war veterans, and video games reach a significant part of that population, said Jim Cragg, an Army lieutenant colonel and commander of American Legion Palisades Post 283. “This is also an opportunity to show the Legion as a cutting-edge entity in the digital space.”
Backed by title sponsor Palisades Post 283 and tournament organizer Chaos Creative, American Legion Gaming will stock its gaming booth with more than 20 of the latest generation consoles, including the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, and Meta Quest 3 augmented reality headsets. This will be a rare opportunity for service members to compete both with and against the Navy’s esports team, Goats and Glory.
Since its founding in 1919, The American Legion has been determinedly seeking ways to help veterans, active service members, and their families. The times, however, are rapidly changing and American Legion posts across the country are finding ways to adapt.
This may not come as a particularly shocking revelation to anyone, but video games have continued to grow quite popular in recent years. According to a study by Statista, the video game industry currently has an annual growth rate of 8.76% and is projected to reach a total revenue of over $280 billion this year alone. In regards to the military, gaming has been used as a recruiting tool, a way to build comradery, and an aide in mental health challenges. In addition, for those who are currently serving, video games are often a solace from the strenuous life that members of the military must endure.
Though gaming is at an all-time high and innovations are occurring daily in the industry, there is also a developing aspect of loneliness in the military community. It certainly does not seem all that long ago when kids were huddled together playing Nintendo 64 and fighting over controllers. Now, billions of people across the globe are sitting in their rooms by themselves talking into a microphone. For more information, researcher Antonio Miller has an interesting article about the importance of cultivating a shared experience through gaming. Innovation is obviously important and will assuredly continue in the video game industry, but it is also vital to maintain that sense of community and friendship that is engrained in the foundation of gaming. The American Legion National Headquarters in Indianapolis first recognized this growing concern in 2021, and has since partnered with fast developing organizations such as Stack Up and Regiment.
Gaming has become a prominent part of military culture within recent years, and this event will provide service members a unique chance to play with professionals. As a major sponsor of LA Fleet Week and the force behind a California push for American Legion Gaming, Post 283 hopes the event will shine a spotlight on these efforts and encourage other American Legion posts across the country to do the same.
Featured games will include Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros, Street Fighter 6, and Mario Kart 8. Several of the consoles will be set up solely for competition, and others will be oriented for more casual gamers who are just hoping to have some fun during Memorial Day Weekend. Those who consider themselves skilled in the field of gaming will be battling in a tournament-style competition with members of Goats and Glory. Each team will consist of one pro player, offering a unique experience to rank-and-file Sailors. Tournament play will only include Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Rocket League. The 20-foot-by-80-foot booth will be conveniently positioned in the northern area of the expo next to the rear side of the Battleship Iowa. The event will go through the weekend and conclude on Memorial Day. This is where the week’s top competitors will have a chance to play in the finals. Therefore, ships are encouraged to send their best contenders during the May 24-27 weekend.
Navy veteran Andre Andrews and Marine Corps veteran Jared Morgan are largely responsible for the gaming initiative backed by Post 283. Though they and the leadership of the Post have made tremendous strides in getting this program up and moving, gaming is not necessarily a new concept to The American Legion and Post 283 believes it is simply a small part of what could be a much larger whole. In fact, several other Posts are currently taking similar steps. American Legion Post 291 in Newport Beach has been hosting regular game nights with Krieger Gaming and the group will hold another Call of Duty tournament aboard the Iowa during Fleet Week. Veterans video game nonprofit Stack Up will also be on hand with consoles at American Legion District 19’s Fleet Week booth.
This growing excitement is an indication of American Legion Gaming’s overarching goal. Rather than having different competing factions of gamers spread throughout the country, ALG hopes to bring veterans and service members closer together. Gaming may be competitive in nature, but service members experience an extremely unique sense of community while in the military. American Legion Gaming hopes to maintain that sense of community and remind veterans throughout the country that they are not alone.
According to an article by VA News, not only does gaming build camaraderie, it is an excellent way to alleviate stress and anxiety. Furthermore, the sense of community that comes from gaming has been proven to alleviate PTSD and other mental health issues. Veterans experience many difficulties throughout their time in service, and gaming has become a way to let these individuals regain the sense of community that they hold dear. To further this claim, organizations like Regiment and Stack Up have proven the effectiveness of gaming as a form of veteran and service member support. Regiment, for instance, currently has over 39,000 members on Discord, and has considerably active levels of engagement. As of now, Regiment claims to be America’s largest military gaming organization. Fortunately, The American Legion maintains a relationship with both Regiment and Stack Up. ALG hopes to use the accomplishments of these organizations as a guideline for future endeavors, but also intends to establish its own unique brand within the community. The overall establishment of American Legion Gaming will surely be a long, ongoing process, but the upcoming Fleet Week event is an exciting first step.
Author: Sam Miller
Sam is a Navy veteran and a student of integrated marketing communications at Pepperdine University in Southern California.