American Legion Gaming takes root in California

In March 2003, just days before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the atmosphere at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait was charged with tension and anticipation. Amid the intermittent wail of sirens warning of potential Scud missile attacks from Saddam Hussein’s regime, the U.S. Marines stationed there found an unlikely way to cope with the stress in the middle of the desert: video games.

In makeshift gaming hubs set up within our tents at Camp Snake Pit, Marines gathered around Xbox consoles. With spliced network cables running from tent to tent, we created a local area network to engage in intense rounds of Halo: Combat Evolved. This multiplayer first-person shooter game, set in a futuristic war between humans and an alien alliance, provided a temporary escape from the realities of the impending conflict.

These gaming sessions became a vital part of daily life for us, offering a semblance of normalcy and camaraderie in an otherwise unpredictable environment. The laughter and shouts of excitement coming from the gaming tents stood in stark contrast to the ever-present threat of chemical attacks, a reminder of the precarious situation outside of our virtual battles.

Fast forward to the present and gaming is still an important part of my life.

Though there had been efforts in the past to bring video games into The American Legion, the organization’s push reemerged with promise in recent years. What began in 2018 as a partnership with Stack Up, a veterans video game nonprofit based in California, and posts in Hollywood and Pacific Palisades, turned into a collaboration with American Legion National Headquarters. Stack Up was founded three years earlier and sought to bring gaming to more veterans in Los Angeles and nationwide.   

American Legion Gaming, as it came to be known, became more fully formed about two years ago as a partnership between The American Legion, Stack Up and Texas LLC Regiment Gaming. At the time, Regiment’s CEO, Chris Earl, worked for Stack Up and its executive director, Steve Machuga. They saw potential for bringing video games into The American Legion.

This collective insight and experience with veteran gaming communities were crucial as American Legion Gaming aimed to transform its meager place in the veteran gaming space into a scalable and sustainable program. 

Last year, Department of California American Legion members Andre Andrews, Chris Yates and others codified the video game efforts, standing up a gaming committee in the state. Next year, American Legion Gaming will look to establish itself as an official program of The American Legion, using the organization’s longstanding structure as a means to create “comfort, connection and careers” for veterans and transitioning servicemembers. Backed largely by Ronald Reagan Palisades Post 283, organizers are confident the effort will succeed, especially since respective CEOs for Stack Up and Regiment, Steve Machuga and Chris Earl, are Post 283 members.

Machuga and Earl’s guidance has been crucial to turning the American Legion Gaming toehold in the veteran gaming space into a full-scale effort, potentially transforming what some see as a sheer cliff into a scalable success. Buoyed by the work of Andrews and me at Post 283 and the Department of California, American Legion Gaming is tracking a handful of other states that have either already passed their own gaming committee resolutions or are in the process of doing so. At last year’s American Legion national convention in Charlotte, N.C., we gathered contact information from delegates in each state, handing them copies of our California gaming committee resolution and lobbying them to help spearhead efforts in their own states.  

My why: A personal connection to gaming. My journey with video games began in the early 1980s with Super Mario Bros on the original Nintendo system. Over the years, I progressed through the various iterations of Nintendo, expanded to Sega Genesis, and eventually to the first Xbox and its successors.

I worked as a journalist covering the video game industry, with several trips to E3, and worked for a stint in commercial operations at NBC-Universal’s video game network G4 before it was shut down.

Video games were a big part of my childhood and proved to be an important outlet for me later, particularly in the weeks leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. 

In the days leading up to the invasion, the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs played a significant role in supporting U.S. troops. MWR programs have a long history of providing recreational and support services to military personnel, dating back to World War I. During the Gulf War and subsequent conflicts, MWR ensured that servicemembers had access to various forms of entertainment and relaxation, which were critical for maintaining morale and mental health. The services’ MWR programs will be vital to growing American Legion Gaming and we are developing plans to partner with military bases at scale in the coming years. 

At Ali Al Salem, MWR facilitated the procurement and sale of video game equipment, ensuring that Marines had access to gaming consoles and other leisure activities. I still have a handful of the paper coins used to facilitate this exchange of goods. This support prompted computer-savvy Marines with HMLA-169 to set up networked gaming stations, allowing them to connect and play multiplayer games like Halo together. These sessions not only provided a necessary distraction from the stress of impending combat but also helped build camaraderie and resilience among the troops.

Expanding connections via esports and gaming. The American Legion Gaming initiative has been making modest strides in California, fostering community and connection among veterans and servicemembers through video games. With a focus on mental well-being, camaraderie and career development, the program is in its infancy but has gained interest at the local, state and national levels, leveraging events like LA Fleet Week to showcase its impact and broaden its reach.

Event organizers are entering talks over other Fleet Weeks in San Francisco and San Diego to replicate, in part, Fleet Week LA’s successful marketing activation, spearheaded by Palisades Post 283.

In the West Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, Post 283 has established a gaming space equipped with consoles, PCs and comfortable seating to encourage interaction and participation. However, the “if you build it, they will come” approach hasn’t taken off as organizers had hoped. Recognizing this, American Legion Gaming offers a word of caution: identify your gamers before investing in equipment. This practical advice forms a core part of the forthcoming American Legion Gaming Toolkit, which aims to guide other posts in creating their own gaming communities.

During LA Fleet Week this past May, Post 283 sponsored a gaming booth for servicemembers and veterans, featuring 14 consoles and six couches arranged in a living room-style setup next to the USS Iowa. Over Memorial Day weekend, they expanded their presence to the USS Carl Vinson, ultimately garnering 366 new members for The American Legion.

Expanding horizons. Another pivotal moment for the American Legion Gaming program was the launch of gaming demonstrations and training at the American Legion Department of California convention in June. The training provided leadership from various posts across the state with insights and strategies on how to implement gaming programs in their communities, emphasizing American Legion Gaming’s scalability and adaptability.

The initiative also seeks to build partnerships with companies within the gaming and tech industries to secure donations of equipment, game keys and training for veterans and transitioning servicemembers.

This approach not only helps to reduce costs but also fosters relationships that can support the program's sustainability and, in turn, strengthen The American Legion.

Jared Morgan is the adjutant of Palisades Post 283 and the Senior Editor and Web Team Lead for The American Legion Department of California.