Entertainment

USO To Hold Veterans Day Gaming Marathon

November 10, 2021Mac Caltrider
uso gaming marathon

The USO is hosting a 72-hour gaming marathon to help celebrate Veterans Day. Composite by Coffee or Die Magazine.

Gone are the days of Bob Hope’s United Service Organizations. The USO has moved into the modern age of entertaining troops. Starting on Veterans Day and continuing through Nov. 14, the USO will host a gaming “streamathon.”


The USO’s Operation Play It Forward event, which will be streamed live on the USO’s Twitch channel, will feature Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, New York Mets’ pitcher Trevor May, Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda, and professional gamer Tfue.


uso
Sgt. David Ose, a section leader in D Troop, 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, plays an online game that the unit is using to help maintain readiness while protecting the force. The troop uses it to train on tactics, maneuver, and communications. US Army photo by Capt. Mike Manougian.

Two days into the streamathon, service members will get to represent their respective services during the “Battle of the Branches.” Teams composed of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines will go head to head in Call of Duty to prove which branch has the best virtual trigger-pullers.


A 2019 study conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs found that video games can help service members recover from mental health challenges. With that in mind, the USO has continued to expand its gaming opportunities. There are now game consoles at every USO location, and multiple-screen, team-oriented gaming centers at four major bases. 


“The USO is dedicated to bringing innovative programming like gaming to our service members and their families. Gamers wearing our country’s uniforms can look for more opportunities to be involved with USO Gaming as it expands around the world,” Christopher Plamp, USO’s senior vice president for operations, told Coffee or Die Magazine.


USO, Miss America Camille Schrier
Miss America Camille Schrier posing with Marines of the HMH 466 “Wolfpack” during the USO’s 2021 tour. Photo by Mac Caltrider/Coffee or Die Magazine.

The USO continues to entertain service members in traditional ways, including in-person tours for deployed troops, but it has worked hard in recent years to shed the misperception that it is the same old organization of Bob Hope’s era. The USO today remains dedicated to providing services and entertainment relevant to current service members. 


Coffee or Die joined the USO last summer for the first in-person tour since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The whirlwind tour, visiting eight military bases in just seven days, was joined by musicians, comedians, and Miss America to provide service members a much-needed break from COVID lockdowns. Operation Play It Forward is the USO’s latest innovative effort to let America’s men and women in uniform know their service is appreciated.




Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that The Chainsmokers’ Drew Taggart was no longer able to participate.


Read Next: USO Tour Concludes With Massive Show in Texas



Mac Caltrider
Mac Caltrider

Mac Caltrider is a senior staff writer for Coffee or Die Magazine. He served in the US Marine Corps and is a former police officer. Caltrider earned his bachelor’s degree in history and now reads anything he can get his hands on. He is also the creator of Pipes & Pages, a site intended to increase readership among enlisted troops. Caltrider spends most of his time reading, writing, and waging a one-man war against premature hair loss.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Intel
US: War Crimes on All Sides in Ethiopia's Tigray Conflict

The Biden administration announced Monday that it has determined all sides in the brutal conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

March 20, 2023Associated Press
military pilots cancer rates
Military
Higher Cancer Rates Found in Military Pilots, Ground Crews

In its yearlong study of almost 900,000 service members who flew on or worked on military aircraft b...

March 20, 2023Associated Press
whiskey pour
Military
Veterans Lead the Way Among America’s Growing Craft Distilleries

American veterans are taking the lessons they learned in the military and changing the craft distilling industry.

March 20, 2023Mac Caltrider
military suicide veteran suicide
Military
Military Moves To Cut Suicides, But Defers Action on Guns

In a memo released Thursday, Austin called for the establishment of a suicide prevention working gro...

March 17, 2023Associated Press
us military drills japan-south korea
Intel
US, Partners Stage Military Drills Amid Japan-South Korea Talks

The Sea Dragon 23 exercises that started on Wednesday will culminate in more than 270 hours of in-fl...

March 17, 2023Associated Press
leo jenkins a word like god
Entertainment
‘A Word Like God’: New Book From Army Ranger Leo Jenkins

In his latest poetry collection, Ranger-turned-writer Leo Jenkins turns away from war to explore cosmic themes of faith, fatherhood, and art.

March 16, 2023Mac Caltrider
us drone
Intel
Pentagon Video Shows Russian Jet Dumping Fuel on US Drone

The Pentagon on Thursday released video of what it said was a Russian fighter jet dumping fuel on a ...

March 16, 2023Associated Press
10th Mountain Division
History
‘Climb to Glory’ — A History of the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division

From the mountains of Italy to the mountains of Afghanistan, the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division built its legendary reputation by fighting in some of the most inhospitable places in the world.

March 16, 2023Matt Fratus
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved