Bridging the Gap: Regiment Gaming aims to bring eSports to the National Veterans Golden Age Games

The National Veterans Golden Age Games has long celebrated camaraderie, resilience and competition among Veterans. This year, among traditional sports like archery, bowling and horseshoes, a new activity quietly made its presence felt-online gaming.

Regiment Gaming, a Veteran-based gaming community focused on fostering camaraderie and welfare through online gaming, brought gaming computers and their partner Esports Virtual Arena (EVA) supplied virtual reality headsets to the Golden Age Games, hoping to set the stage for a broader inclusion of online gaming and eSports in future Veteran-centric events.

Preventing Veteran suicide through gaming

Founded in 2020 by Marine Corps Veteran Christopher Earl, Regiment Gaming was born from a deeply personal experience.

"I was on the phone with a Marine I deployed with, who was on the brink of suicide," Earl recalled.

His friend confided in him that the loneliness he felt transitioning to the civilian world was unbearable. This moment sparked the idea for Regiment Gaming.

"I created Regiment Gaming to help prevent Veteran suicide," said Earl. "I realized many Veterans are facing similar challenges and I wanted a community where Veterans could find camaraderie, support and a sense of belonging through gaming; a way to bring Veterans together to combat isolation and ultimately prevent suicide."

Partnering with VA

Regiment Gaming partnered with the Veterans Resource Community Network (VRCN), a key initiative of VA's Veterans Experience Office (VEO), which is dedicated to improving the experiences of Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors by fostering connections between VA resources and community-based Veteran-serving organizations.

"For the past year and a half, VA has been an invaluable partner," said Earl. "Through our partnership with the VRCN, we've brought VA representatives directly to our Discord platform. Every Thursday, VA staff members join our community to conduct live Q&A sessions, helping Veterans understand and access their benefits."

Earl pointed out that many Veterans, especially younger ones who may not fully grasp their VA benefits, have initiated their disability claims and accessed crucial VA health care services through these Q&A sessions. This shows how VA is venturing into new methods to connect with Veterans and engage them online.

A diverse and growing community

Online gaming is not just for young Veterans. It spans a wide range of ages and military ranks and backgrounds, proving that gaming is a universal language.

"Our oldest member is 93," said Earl. "Our highest-ranking member is an active-duty Lieutenant General. Gaming is for everyone. It doesn't matter if you're 18 or 93, a private or a general. What matters is the community and the connection."

Those connections have saved lives. Earl shared testimonials from members who have credited Regiment Gaming with helping them through their darkest times. One story involves a Veteran who, after connecting with others through gaming, got enrolled in VA health care, decided to start mental health treatment and credits the community with saving his life.

Looking to the future

While Regiment Gaming's presence at the Golden Age Games is focused on engaging and informing attendees about the possible benefits of online gaming and community, the organization has bigger ambitions.

Earl envisions eSports becoming an official competition at future Golden Age Games and other VA events, such as the National Veterans Wheelchair Games.

"We're here to show the potential," said Earl. "We want to prove that eSports and online gaming can be just as valuable in fostering camaraderie and competition among Veterans as any traditional sport."

A pair of Golden Age Games participants got to throw on the headsets and worked together to break free from a virtual escape room.

"I'd never met him before," said Jimmy Sansom, a U.S. Coast Guard Veteran from VA Poplar Bluff Health Care System in Missouri who served from 1975 to 1978, about his partner. "But here we are working together to figure out solutions."

"I didn't think I'd have as much fun as I did," said Dave Beaumont, a Navy and Air National Guard Veteran from VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, who served from 1972 to 1979 and from 1982 to 2010. "It was enjoyable to work as a team to break free from the escape room and defeat the final challenge."

Efforts beyond the Golden Age Games

On Sept. 12, 2024, Regiment Gaming will host an online event on the Regiment Discord server in partnership with VA. The event will focus on education benefits, and VA Gaming Outreach Team members will be on hand to answer questions and provide guidance.

To access Regiment GG Discord, Veterans must set up an email account and create a username. Once set up, they can use the link provided to access the platform. Please note that registration is not required for the event; you only need to use the platform. Veterans can join rooms under the "Community Meeting" section.

Jesus Flores is a writer and editor on the VISN 19 Creative Task Force and a Marine Corps Veteran

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