Most Veterans who have served in the past 20 years are probably familiar with video games. From barracks LAN parties, to marathon sessions of Madden NFL at the MWR while downrange, it’s safe to say Veterans like to play video games. Studies have shown that video games also help Veterans recover from some mental health challenges, providing an escape while boosting confidence, personal growth, leadership, and social connections.
Games to Grunts is a program of Operation Supply Drop, a chapter based Veteran Service Organization 501c3.
Operation Supply Drop’s Games to Grunts program supports community engagement to Veterans, military, and their families through video games. Most of the games they offer are on Steam, such as TEKKEN 7, Cooking Simulator, and Vietnam 65′, but other platforms are also available, like free XBOX Game Passes. All of the games are available through digital download codes.
First come, first serve
Game publishers and others donate game keys to Games to Grunts, which in turn distributes the games. Because not all games are distributed with unlimited keys, it is a first come first serve model.
Eligibility is determined through ID.me, a third-party identify verification service that is also available to use on VA.gov.
Games to Grunts™ is an OSD program in partnership with ID.me and Rip It Energy providing gaming keys to Veterans.
To sign up, visit the Games to Grunts website and create an account, or view the full list of games available.
The sharing of any non-VA information does not constitute an endorsement of products and services on part of the VA.
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Thanks for this my buddy absolutely loves most of these games. He has bad PTSD from being blown up by an IED in a convoy and having to be rushed to Germany where he underwent getting a metal plate in his skull
Operation Supply Drop’s CEO is a crummy guy, he ripped the charity away from an actual combat vet that started it. The veteran Capt (Ret.) Stephen Machuga since started Stack-Up.org from scratch after this dude that dresses up like a Navy Seal and photo ops at the range fudged him over. In short, EABOD Glenn Banton.
Article: https://www.polygon.com/2015/11/10/9705240/why-is-the-founder-of-operation-supply-drop-no-longer-with-the
Waste of time
Dumber question i have a few various Steam games that came with Loot Gaming Crates that we can’t use because our internet is satellite and very limited. The codes have never been used and the $10-20 value cards are just collecting dust. Any place to send them in so someone can use them?
(I am the Veteran, my epileptic son that had crate subscription passed away from seizure in August.)
I’m so sorry to hear that you’re son passed.
I wish I could hug you and tell you it’s going to be alright. You are loved
sorry to hear that, take care.
Quick FYI I noticed 2 games listed with prices on them that are “Free to Play” World of Tanks and World of Warships you can down load eather and play for free from wargaming.com , just go to the page create a account down load and play it is that simple. If any of you want to Platoon in world of tanks look me up GREATSWORD_1
How does this work don’t understand?
First off thank you for this wonderful program. I myself am blessed at the moment and thought perhaps I could donate a game or two to my brethren, I was showing this to my ward/niece Crystal to see if she liked anything (which I would then buy for her) the one she liked was sold out . she said ” that’s OK uncle Mike ,they needed it more then me….we can get them next time” From a girl who lost her , mother, grandmother and grandfather whom she lived with, a girl who was born with cerebral palsy and while her body made it to 20+ her mind is still around 12, a girl who was born with deformed legs has to get around in the house on her knees or a wheelchair when we go out. she says is OK with a huge smile on her face.
There are some of you in these comments that should be very ashamed right now.
Again Tim and everyone involved thank you so very much
How do you install the games once you have the keys ?
If it is a Steam code, you’ll need to create an account on https://store.steampowered.com/ and apply the code through their Gaming Client.
Go to https://steampowered.com/ and install Steam. Follow the instructions from there. My two bits, Steam was a great idea. But like Microsoft and Google, they try to be everyone’s everything for gamers. There product is now suffering to some degree for it. Judge it for yourself. They do genuinely try to do good.
Hysterical after you waist people’s time you play the let’s judge their complaints against ” no one had to do crap for you guys,” ” your’re not the only one that served” ” you ungrateful freaks it’s free”
Maybe it’s better to actually examine what issues might surface by advertising and not having in stock the items to meet the influx of demands. I think that’s capitalism 101, though it’s free.
Thanks for reminding us that if we are thrown a free meal or free steam game it’s because some idiots felt pity for us. How about though we signed up we can have the body limbs lost reattached.
Wow. You fcking people disgust me, are you all veterans or some btch ass 9 year olds? I thought they scrubbed all of you whiny bastards out of bootcamp but I guess I was wrong. Whether you BELIEVE you are owed anything or not, the reality is nobody in this world owes you sht. Grow the fck up I can’t believe you’re all fcking adults.
On to less jarring matters, thank you for all of your contributions Tim. I really appreciate the effort and hard work you put into this program. I really hope it helps a shit ton of vets out there.
You sound like a sick, bitter fool. Why did you even look at this page if you thought it was an undeserved handout?
You need therapy dude. Do you need a hug? I’m thinking PTSD is what you have.
On to less jarring matters. Go Fk yourself.
Hello, most excellent program, would really help. Since this is perhaps the pilot for such programs, it seems to be a success. Perhaps in the near future this will be offered again, with more games, and more availability!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This program is allowing me to finally play a game that my husband and 5 other close friends (some of which ARE vets) have been playing for a year. I’ve become a bit of a hermit and now I hope to reconnect with those friends.
ET3 Rebecca (Becky) Joppich
Wisconsin
I don’t remember anything about “free video games” benes when I signed up, so this was a bonus offering. And alas, sometimes you just aren’t in time for limited offerings, like the orders that came in for Kaneohe Hawaii that I missed by about 10 seconds, and instead got the ones that sent me to Japan (and then “down south” which was something else they didn’t tell me, but I digress), Yet it appears the old saw rings true, the best thing military folks do is bitch (well, second-best thing if you’re a Marine). Suck it up brothers and sisters, if not getting your free game is the worst thing that happens to you today (or this week) consider yourself blessed. Maybe go to https://cardgames.io, make your choice and calm down.. it works for me.
I don’t remember anything about “free video games” benes when I signed up, so this was a bonus offering. And alas, sometimes you just aren’t in time for limited offerings, like the orders that came in for Kaneohe Hawaii that I missed by about 10 seconds, and instead got the ones that sent me to Japan (and then “down south” which was something else they didn’t tell me, but I digress), Yet it appears the old saw rings true, the best thing military folks do is bitch (well, second-best thing if you’re a Marine). Suck it up brothers and sisters, if not getting your free game is the worst thing that happens to you today (or this week) consider yourself blessed. Maybe go to https://cardgames.io, make your choice and calm down.. it works for me.
Surprised at the number of vet gamers out there like myself. I only saw this a few days after release and everything is already sold out and the site seems almost incapable of handling the traffic from vets. Not really surprised as I come to expect this. Interesting idea though, it makes me think, hey i’m a vet, i’m a gamer, and i’m and indie game developer….trying to think of a way to make mine available to all of you when i finish it….not through this absurdity but through steam and for vets…ponders…
I do not have a gaming computer. But this is awesome.
Nice concept; thanks. It’s interesting to read the comments, especially given how often I have issues with various things; problems that most never seem to experience.
I clicked on the link and I provided my information… mostly auto fill because of my settings. My information was verified without issue. I looked at 2 pages of games for Steam. Several titles were sold out, however, there’s over 18 million Veterans in the United States, so that’s to be expected… reasonably speaking, I imagine somewhere from a few hundred to a few thousand of each title were/are available. I selected a couple of the titles that were available, went through the checkout process, and received a confirmation email. Although, I was confused a bit because it states something about mailing the titles… however, I received a second email a little later, maybe an hour or so, which provided the codes for the titles I had selected. I went to Steam, applied the game codes and said games are now in my library; If most things went this smooth?
Being that I am commenting here, this highlights I have a PC, so regardless of any other platforms I may or may not own, I can play these games on said PC, just as all those who comment can. Some of the comments remind me of the homeless folks who got nasty with the ladies at Church who had taken their time to make a good, home-cooked meal and bring some of the disadvantaged in out of the cold… Homeless folks who complained because they wanted pizza and soda. Free is just that… take it with gratitude or move on quietly… it is what it is.
Unlike some, I have a fair grasp of internet, intranet, data bases, and site capability; for those who aren’t aware, a site can only take so much of a load before traffic is detrimental to performance… too many visitors at any given period of time will crash a site. The exception, and only to a degree, are for profit sites that charge their patrons to maintain a large server and database specifically suited to allow such traffic to flow, such as active gaming platforms. You cannot expect this non-profit site which provides free stuff, comparable to a small 1 lane access road, to function like a 9 lane interstate. Almost assuredly 1000’s of Veterans have been trying to get on this site, continually, since the article informed them of Free Games.
So, thanks for being considerate enough to create a site and network with the entities/individuals/organizations needed to make this happen; I understand the work something like this required to make happen. Remember, no good deed goes unpunished. For every one person you make happy, another will find a way to make an issue out of nothing, some folks aren’t happy unless they’re miserable.
Nice concept; thanks. It’s interesting to read the comments, especially given how often I have issues with various things; problems that most never seem to experience.
I clicked on the link and I provided my information… mostly auto fill because of my settings. My information was verified without issue. I looked at 2 pages of games for Steam. Several titles were sold out, however, there’s over 18 million Veterans in the United States, so that’s to be expected… reasonably speaking, I imagine somewhere from a few hundred to a few thousand of each title were/are available. I selected a couple of the titles that were available, went through the checkout process, and received a confirmation email. Although, I was confused a bit because it states something about mailing the titles… however, I received a second email a little later, maybe an hour or so, which provided the codes for the titles I had selected. I went to Steam, applied the game codes and said games are now in my library; If most things went this smooth?
Being that I am commenting here, this highlights I have a PC, so regardless of any other platforms I may or may not own, I can play these games on said PC, just as all those who comment can. Some of the comments remind me of the homeless folks who got nasty with the ladies at Church who had taken their time to make a good, home-cooked meal and bring some of the disadvantaged in out of the cold… Homeless folks who complained because they wanted pizza and soda. Free is just that… take it with gratitude or move on quietly… it is what it is.
Unlike some, I have a fair grasp of internet, intranet, data bases, and site capability; for those who aren’t aware, a site can only take so much of a load before traffic is detrimental to performance… too many visitors at any given period of time will crash a site. The exception, and only to a degree, are for profit sites that charge their patrons to maintain a large server and database specifically suited to allow such traffic to flow, such as active gaming platforms. You cannot expect this non-profit site which provides free stuff, comparable to a small 1 lane access road, to function like a 9 lane interstate. Almost assuredly 1000’s of Veterans have been trying to get on this site, continually, since the article informed them of Free Games.
So, thanks for being considerate enough to create a site and network with the entities/individuals/organizations needed to make this happen; I understand the work something like this required to make happen. Remember, no good deed goes unpunished. For every one person you make happy, another will find a way to make an issue out of nothing, some folks aren’t happy unless they’re miserable.
Everybody is bitching about free stuff…..Yup, they’re grunts. And you thought the math problem at the bottom of this page would prevent that…hahahaha
Video games for rehab such as Madden or whatever else baffles me. With guys dealing with issues like social anxiety isn’t this driving them closer to a deeper reclusive life? Why not take the path of getting off your ass and actually engaging in real life?
You havent ever been on the gaming systems have you ? You can socialize there just as you can going out to bars and getting drunk and then in trouble.
You git! Go find a seat somewhere else no one wants your shitty opinion. We’ll try and stay off your lawn.
social anxiety lmfao. TF, stop bitching and appreciate what theyre doing to serve us.
Reading several of these posts makes me feel embarrassed for the entire Veteran community, we’re constantly told and reminded that while in uniform we literally represent the entire service mostly regardless of which we actually belong to. The same can be said of Veterans, it can take just 1 negative encounter or observation involving a Veteran to leave a bad impression of us all. There’s enough negative stigma and press surrounding Veterans out there that we don’t need to unnecessary add to it. Listen, if you experience an issue with a free offering, by all means, leave a comment, but don’t call for fire on your own position by dropping “F” bombs! Simply leave some constructive feedback, or just state your issue or concern and hope it gets addressed positively, but if not, it was free to begin with so you are out nothing! I can promise you one thing, if we discourage enough people willing to donate their time, money, products, skills etc… We will eventually find ourselves with nothing, and with nobody to blame but ourselves!
I tried the xbox game pass but it says sold out. Its a free pass how can it be sold out?
This was a waste of time not to mention sad seeing all the whiney A holes taking shots at each other in the comments. We are all vets, stop being so intolerant and critical of one another. What a waste of time and energy you all should be ashamed of yourselves for being bullies. Walk a mile in another’s shoes before you judge and push them over the edge. Lets all take a knee and show some kindness for our fellow vets.
Anything I have actually head of is sold out
I wonder how they figure it is sold out , On STEAM it is a digital down load of the soft ware not a physical item there fore they can produce infinite copy’s Perhaps they are referring to the individual licencing of each copy ?
Appreciation people! How can you all immediately complain to someone’s effort to better serve us!?
Thank you Tim for opening the door for vets to free games. I’m very excited for this new offer as I’m currently building my own pc!
Your comment was not a comment a real VET would say. You know housing,food ,and other bills come first and entertainment comes last. I cannot believe you are a VET
Your comment was not a comment a real VET would say. You know housing,food ,and other bills come first and entertainment comes last. I cannot believe you are a VET
Has the alleged company been vetted? With broken links to their own claimed social media like facebook, instagram and twitter delivering “page not found” are they just harvesting our data to sell to scammers and other marketers?
The FAQ is a joke and would be more useful not having it at all.
Thank you for your article. I just wish I had an XBox or Play Station 4 to be able to take advantage of this.
Adam
This is pointless. I’m not sure why the games are “sold out”. These can all be digitally downloaded. The games that are left are garbage. And the games that would’ve gotten aren’t that great anyways. They should do research and see what games veterans actually will play.
Is this just for Xbox and not PS4?
Jeff, Steam is a online computer gaming account! :)
Ok thanks. Just that it was showing Xbox stuff.
Most everything I found interesting is constantly “sold out”. It sort of makes this pointless. There is also no way to contact the organization to cancel accounts and the FAQ has no info on how to do so.
How often or on what date are the codes dropped for us to get?
Thank you! I grabbed Tekken and was literally one of the last people to get Soul Caliber thanl goodness. It is limited tonone key per ID.ME thank goodness.
Thank Goodness
Good article Tim and Semper Fi. . .getting the word out for any Veteran/military community resource is fantastic!
Hey Tim, interesting. I really like the concept of Games to Grunts, a portal to allow Vets to download games for free. Unfortunately, I visited G2G portal and all the games are locked with a label “SOLD OUT”.
This is an amazing idea. I think this is a great way to support our troops and veterans. Great job and please keep up the great work!
Thom Kolb
SFC, USA
This is BS. You sold out of all the good ones and left crap for everyone else. If you’re going to do something for veterans, make sure you have enough for everyone and limit it to one per person or something. Also get PS4 games, this xbox and PC crap isn’t what everyone has. Geez man it’s not a check in the block like oh look at me I did something for vets, actually fuckin do something right for people who bled for you.
Just remember this company owes us nothing! Be grateful for what they offer! A lot of places don’t even recognize us.
Minus ensure freedom, but I understand, they are entitled. 1 out of 750 people enlist, we are a rare breed.
On to the notes posted. If you are going to advertise something then deliver, otherwise its, oh whats that called, oh yea fraudulent advertisement. Or as I call it, outsourced Amazon.
But to reply fully to your comment, I guess in your concept the equation is balanced, (owe us nothing = gives us nothing). But you are owed, you made the sacrifice, but the fight continues, now to the VA battle front, every little inch over inch over the years. Don’t sell your sacrifice so cheaply.
Go (redacted) yourself with your sacrifice no one owes any one shit.
Entitled to nothing but your pride. Volunteers don’t mean you get a darn thing. Read the whole article first come first serve is very clear, I understood it ..
So a volunteer organization takes everything off donations from private citizens and you bitch that they don’t have the games you want available at the singular moment you looked. Check the rest of the site and realize the donation schedules, consider that you are not the only one to ever serve, consider donating to help others in your community, or just wallow in the idea that everything should be handed to you without effort. Self centered is not a value any of us were ever taught, you must have missed the briefings.
As for the site, I’m thankful that military and the non-military volunteers are paying attention to new ways to get military/veterans connected to a social community, instead of focusing on themselves.
Bravo…I feel the same way. Kinda’ like the illegal folks at the border and those who show up (without ever adding funds to the system) at the various welfare offices who think we owe them a life.
I would like to thank G2G for providing this gift to veterans. God Bless your company and may you continue to see abundance in your software business.
As a First Sergeant of the U.S. Army, Soldiers do appreciate your gift to us no matter what games you have provided. Please don’t become discouraged by those that have printed such disappointing statements. Soldiers are grateful when they see organizations say thanks to all of us that have served our great nation. Some are just not understanding that it was the thought that is the gift, not the software they received.
Thanks to your company for providing us that are here needing a break from what is going on around us at the locations we serving. Stress relievers help morale, morale that is high keeps us safe, and safe execution of the mission gets us home. Hooah!!!!
Why do you have to be so mean? Is this the way you talk to people face to face, also? Or is it only when you are hiding behind the keyboard on a forum?
Game Stop has games you can buy…
David Kline,
I am Scott Morrison CCO for OSD, I served 28yrs in the US Army, Games to Grunts is only one of our programs. We did not post this to the VA newsletter. The program was not created for 100,000 vets to hit it at one time. So OSD has thousands of Veterans in our ranks that fought wars and “Bled” for the US. Why do you feel like you are entitled to something more than anyone else? If you would like to contact me I can mentor you to be a more giving Vet rather than a taking Vet. I feel what Vets like you do not understand is that you Volunteered for the military, got paid to do the job and are owed nothing more than the benefits given by law to you. all else is just good Americans and organizations supporting Vets out of the kindness of their hearts.
Scott@weareosd.org
Outstanding reply.
I do believe video games help vets of all ages with stress. I’m almost 65 and when I feel stressed, I go get lost in a game, I forget about the reason I sat down to play. No it’s not the real world but I can get into to it and just relax. It works for me and has for some time.
It’s free. Stop complaining like you’re entitled to something. Just enjoy what they have left or you know…move on with your life.
“Most Veterans who have served in the past 20 years are probably familiar with video games. From barracks LAN parties, to marathon sessions of Maddon NFL at the MWR while downrange, it’s safe to say Veterans like to play video games. Studies have shown that video games also help Veterans recover from some mental health challenges, providing an escape while boosting confidence, personal growth, leadership, and social connections.
I am familiar with video games.Have no idea what a Barracks LAN party is,Never played Maddon NFL. Never played Maddon NFL at a MWR. Video gal
Yes it helps
I play Black Ops have friends all over the U.S
I guess they only had one or two licenses for the good games. What a crock.
Tim,
Thanks for serving. I think we chewed the same sand in AL Anbar. I was in Camp Ramadi in early 2009 to 2010. I appreciate what you’re doing for our fellow Veterans!
Dave Fisher
SGT US Army Field Artillery (VET)
It does not allow me to get a code after I verified my military status on id.me utilizing my USAA credential. Is this an identity scam?
Tim,
“Most Veterans who have served in the past 20 years” ? Don’t be so naive, veterans who have served 30 to 40 years ago or more were avidly playing video games, I programed one in BASIC in 1983. Stop age gaping it is very rude to the wiser generations you so flippantly dismiss as relevant. My father, a Vietnam veteran played Battle Zone excessively in 1980. I played multiplayer Doom online in 1993, I played my first LAN party in 1996. The gaming world doesn’t revolve around your myopic gaming life experience.Next you ll tell me your generation discovered the transistor. I would pown you in Cross Out (on steam) or any other first person shooter, I was a steam member when you were in diapers,son. Please don’t pull your out stress card either! Google PONG 1970s Oklahoma Trail 1980s for a history lesson.
Why do you have to be so mean? Is this the way you talk to people face to face, also? Or is it only when you are hiding behind the keyboard on a forum?
Battle Zone II is the best game I ever played.
Doesn’t work. It appears to be only for active-duty military.
I agree. I’m an 60 year old VET ( ops) related. Buy we seem to be forgotten. Everything thing is for the young. Now I know how the Korean War VETs feel
Gotta agree with you, Jim! Even those of us who hung in there to Desert Shield/storm are left out in the cold. All vets are equal, but apparently, some are more equal than others!
This is a wonderful program that is being offered. I want to thank all of those who donate the keys. The games are generally very expensive. Thanks a million from a Veteran on a tight budget.
Also, I’ve verified my military service through ID.me, and Games To Grunts is not accepting the hand-off properly. Just to be safe, I tried it on Firefox, Chrome and Microsoft Edge. The latter is my last-ditch option for when I can’t delete any more security features that tend to get in the way of unnecessarily code-rich sites.
I don’t think Games to Grunts is complete yet. And if they’re coding for Internet Explorer (not available by default on Windows 10 systems or at all on Mac or Linux computers), they’re not properly serving their veteran constituents. Even Microsoft doesn’t recommend Internet Explorer.
I respect what they’re trying to do, but I’m not seeing results.
Does not connect. I have an I.D Me Account and this thing says I do not. If you are going to list these offerings verify that they actually work first.
I truly believe that video games help people with stress and illments if their lives. I’am diagnosed with ptsd and I play games with friend which are both military and non and family online that I haven’t seen in years to decades. Video games have come a long way from pong, lol, to some of the most realistic games I have ever seen and if it wasn’t for some of these games it would’ve been hard but it has brought me closer to family and friends again and I thank everyone for it. Thank you.
Tried this. Got ID. Verified even received a verification e-mail. When I log into site it says I am not connected.
No links?
Quick note:
The football game is part of the Madden series, named for famed football coach and commentator John Madden. “Maddon” is the last name of, among others, baseball manager Joe Maddon.
I think the games do help relieve stress. It did for me when i had a game system or a computer but unfortunately i dont have either one now. Either way it does help..
So how do you access the free games?
System is overloaded, no real answers. Kind of a waste of time.
interested in games, but I cant afford a xbox. im 100 disabled with ptsd and other conditions. how can I get these games free of charge? Jason steward
I must admit to being curios since I am totally disabled and spend a lot of time at home
Use some of your 3k plus a month to buy a used one off eBay.
Your comment was not a comment a real VET would say. You know housing,food ,and other bills come first and entertainment comes last. I cannot believe you are a VET
I very much look forward to enjoying the games. Interactive games are an excellent stress relief from a very busy day of work! Thank you.
First of all Tim, you spelt Madden incorrectly. C’mon man… you wrote a video game article and spelt arguably the most famous franchise in video game history wrong. Second of all, although the Game to Grunts website means well, it does not offer quality games. If studies show that video games provide a number of rehabilitative advantages then why doesn’t the VA offer some games that are worth playing to Veterans? Look forward to your response!
Concerned Vet, you spelled “spelt” wrong…twice