American Legion Gaming (ALG) turned The American Legion’s booth at the 18th Student Veterans of America National Conference in Colorado Springs into a hub of connection and community.
With PlayStation 5s, Nintendo Switches and racing simulators drawing attention even before the exhibit hall opened, ALG quickly stood apart from traditional conference booths.
“Even before the hall opened, we talked to several student vets and others among the exhibitors who play video games who said they would be interested in starting American Legion Gaming e-sports chapters at their SVA chapters at their colleges back home,” said Jared Morgan, adjutant of Ronald Reagan Palisades Post 283 in California and American Legion Gaming’s CEO.
When nearly 2,000 student veterans entered the exhibit hall, crowds gravitated toward the Legion space, where gaming naturally sparked conversation and camaraderie across generations.
“This is clearly something, in this gaming, that the younger generation is interested in,” said American Legion National Commander Dan K. Wiley.
For many veterans, gaming is more than entertainment — it is a lifeline. Navy veteran Christopher Stucke described how online gaming helped him stay connected to fellow servicemembers during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That loneliness – it definitely curbs that in a lot of ways,” Stucke said. “You’re just a game invite away from another veteran.”
That sense of constant connection aligns closely with The American Legion’s Be the One suicide-prevention mission, which was also featured at the conference.
“One of the factors in suicide is loneliness,” Wiley said. “This is a community that can get together and support one another, and spend time with one another.”
ALG’s impact extends far beyond conferences. Its Discord community has grown to nearly 10,000 members, adding roughly 3,000 in the past six months. According to American Legion Department of Arkansas Vice Commander Allen Edwards, the community has repeatedly stepped in to support veterans in crisis.
“We’ve had veterans in the chat at 11, 12, 1, 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning, and someone is always on,” Edwards said. “So, we’re being that one.”
Edwards said ALG has already helped drive membership growth, energize Legion families and engage younger veterans across multiple states.
“Getting this young blood in there, getting these young guys and gals in, I think it’s a game changer,” he said.
For Morgan, the success of ALG at the SVA National Conference reinforces the program’s purpose.
“American Legion Gaming is a way to introduce younger veterans to The American Legion,” he said. “This is the demographic that we should be engaging with.”
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