ALG streamer Medic_Always brings a deeply personal understanding of service, community, and care to her role within the veteran gaming space. A U.S. Army veteran who enlisted straight out of high school, she credits gaming with helping her stay connected to others during and after her military career.
“I actually graduated high school early to join the Army,” she said.
Although she requested a duty station in Korea, she was sent to Fort Lewis, where she lived in the barracks with other medics and engineers. After her mother purchased her first PC, EverQuest became her gateway into online gaming and a space to relax with fellow service members.
While raising her children, gaming continued to be part of her life and personal identity. After her husband retired from the military, a friend encouraged her to try streaming.
“He was like, you’ve got a great personality, you’re outgoing, you should try streaming,” she said.
Initially hesitant about being on camera, she ultimately committed to it and began building a small but loyal community.
“I haven’t really felt the need to push to get really, really big,” she said. “That’s not what I’m there for.”
Viewers often refer to her as “mom,” a long-running joke that she doesn’t mind.
“Everybody’s been consistent. They’re very supportive. We’ve all kind of grown up over the last couple of years together,” she said
“My job as a streamer is to keep the conversation flowing, to be that voice, that grounding for someone that needs it,” she said. “We don’t know what somebody else’s story is.”
Her path to American Legion Gaming came through a community connection, when a viewer introduced her to ALG leadership. She has now been streaming with ALG for about two months and recently served as co-captain for the organization’s Christmas charity drive. She has assisted with interviews, onboarding new streamers, and recruiting fellow veterans, including women veterans.
“You can never have enough of those around,” she said, stating that female veteran streamers remain “far and few in between.”
Medic_Always is open to streaming nearly any game, excluding horror titles. Recent streams have included Borderlands and Arc Raiders, games she says encourage conversation. For her, the game itself is secondary to the people watching.
“I truly believe that what ALG, Stack Up, Regiment, and others are doing is an amazing thing,” she said. “We’re reaching out to veterans and trying to give them a sense of voice back when they feel isolated or alone.”
She emphasized that gaming offers veterans a low-pressure way to connect.
“I absolutely adore the concept,” she said of veteran-led gaming communities. “I can’t wait until we have enough streamers to be online 24/7, so veterans can come in at any time and say, ‘I just need someone to talk to, or someone to listen to, or someone to game with.’”
“Behind a PC, in their own comfort zone, they can reach out and say, ‘Hey, I’m having a bad day. I need somebody to hang out with.’ That’s what I love.”
She added that ALG streamers are quick to welcome newcomers.
“If someone came into the stream and said, ‘This isn’t really my thing, but I’d like to play this game,’ the response would be, ‘Absolutely, let’s go.’”
For Medic_Always, that openness is the heart of American Legion Gaming and the reason she continues to show up, stream after stream.
I pray all the best for you!