Many active-duty service members and Veterans play video games to relieve stress, connect with friends and have fun. Here are four community resources you can connect with to learn about electronic sports (esports) and gaming events for Veterans.
Warrior GMR Foundation
Live Esports tournaments for Veterans
Warrior GMR Foundation is a non-profit founded by Josh Otero that connects Veterans, active military and community members via esports tournaments. These are competitive tournaments where military teams, such as Air Force Gaming, compete at multiplayer video games like “Valorant,” “Rocket League” and “Super Smash Bros.”
“We are building communities through gaming,” said Warrior GMR Foundation Chief Executive Officer Josh Otero. The foundation’s mission is to empower communities to build connections and help people improve their physical and mental health.
Click here to learn more about Warrior GMR Foundation and join its Discord channel. Discord is a free voice, video and text communications app popular with gaming communities. Users can talk to each other, host or participate in online events or hang out with friends.
REGIMENT Gaming
24/7 Veteran gaming community
REGIMENT Gaming is a military gaming community that focuses on uniting military service members and Veterans through the power of gaming. REGIMENT has nearly 20,000 members and has raised over $100,000 for Veteran non-profit organizations.
REGIMENT Gaming’s chief executive officer is a Marine Corps Veteran and former professional gamer who co-founded REGIMENT to prevent Veterans from dying by suicide. “REGIMENT is nothing like your average gaming organization,” said CEO Chris Earl. “We use gaming to build camaraderie and prevent military suicide. Our community of thousands of Veterans is here for you. You are not alone. We have your six here at REGIMENT.”
REGIMENT hosts weekly online events and prize giveaways, and it has volunteer staff on its Discord channel to assist anyone who wants to connect with a VA resource or just talk.
Click here to join the REGIMENT Gaming community and sign up for its Discord channel.
Brick by Brick Vets
Weekly Veteran community Twitch stream
Brick by Brick Vets is a weekly Twitch community stream produced by Air Force Veteran Eric Gyamfi and Army Veteran Justin DiSantis. Twitch is an interactive livestreaming platform popular with gamers and podcasters. Gyamfi and DiSantis are enrolled in the Esports Management program at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia.
“We wanted to build a community to get Veterans the help they need from VA and get them talking to one another so they don’t feel as isolated,” DiSantis said. “Eric and I are best friends, and we used gaming as a way of overcoming life stresses and feeling purpose.”
Click here to tune in weekly to Brick by Brick Vets at 8 p.m. EST.
Stack Up’s Overwatch Program
Mental health support for Veterans
Stack Up’s Overwatch Program came about due to Stack Up’s mission of supporting Veterans “through the power of gaming” and an organic need for its online community members’ support for mental well-being. The program is 24/7/365 online, peer-to-peer crisis intervention and mental health support offered through the Stack Up Discord. Overwatch Program staff and volunteers are HIPAA-certified and PyschArmor-trained, and certified for crisis management.
Veterans, active duty military members and civilians who come through the Stack Up Discord server are all eligible to access the Overwatch Program.
Download the Discord app from your PC or phone, sign up for a Discord account and then join the Stack Up Discord at discord.gg/stackupdotorg. Post in #The-Overwatch-Program channel to ask for help.
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Fingers crossed
I like to learn to build portable computer, where to buy parts and update systems. Thank you
I hope the person who wins, really needs a new computer!
Sounds awesome as my PC is old and cannot be updated so I could try gaming.
I could really use a new computer as mine is about 10 years old. You are doing great work.
Thanks
I believe in the power of virtual health methods.
Thank you for the opportunity to win a game. I am looking forward to participating in the competition.
This is awesome and a great program. Would like to start a gamming program in CT. Just need to get an idea setting up and equipment. For the Vet Centers of CT.