Army veteran YoNoBigDeal found a new way to connect with people after his military service through streaming with American Legion Gaming.
Before becoming a streamer, YoNoBigDeal served eight years in the U.S. Army as a public affairs specialist. He joined in 2009 and worked as a photojournalist responsible for capturing stories across the force. His assignments took him alongside Soldiers in a wide range of roles.
“I was a public affairs specialist, so PAO. So I was a photojournalist. I took pictures and wrote stories,” he said. “I also did video. I dealt with the media, and I would get assigned to all kinds of different military occupation specialities and jobs while I was in the army.”
During his service, he worked with medics, cooks, mechanics, infantry, and artillery units, documenting their work and experiences. He was stationed at Fort Drum in New York, Fort Huachuca in Arizona, Fort Hood in Texas, and Fort Campbell in Tennessee, completing one deployment during his time in uniform. As a sergeant, leadership became one of the most rewarding parts of his career.
“I was very active in leading PT and being in leadership roles for Soldiers,” he said. “That was my favorite part of the Army, was training Soldiers.”
Gaming had already been part of his life while serving. Living in the barracks and working long days made games an easy way to unwind and stay connected with people back home.
“I played mostly Xbox, but I played some PC games as well,” he said. “It was just a big stress reliever for me.”
Online gaming also helped him maintain relationships despite distance and deployments.
“It was nice for the online capability because I could play with my brother, even though he’s across the world, and with my father and my friends from back home,” he said.
Streaming became a larger focus during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, he was heavily involved in competitive play in the game Smite and began streaming for friends.
“Covid was when I started taking streaming a bit more serious,” he said. “I really just started streaming for friends and didn’t realize, hey, I can do this.”
Today, his streams feature a wide variety of games. Among the titles he regularly plays are Crossout, Magic: The Gathering Arena, World of Warcraft, and Diablo II. He also enjoys revisiting classic games from earlier gaming eras.
“I like to stream retro games,” he said. “Super Nintendo, old arcade games… the games I grew up playing in the ’90s.”
His streamer name, YoNoBigDeal, reflects the mindset he brings to competition.
“I am a competitive gamer,” he said. “But I can lose the game and say, ‘Hey, no big deal, let’s go again.’”
The name also captures the tone he wants his stream to maintain. Even when competition is intense, the goal is to keep things positive.
“A lot of people might rage or get mad,” he said. “For the most part, I just lose and say, ‘Good game, let’s go again.’”
He discovered American Legion Gaming through an email from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Curious about the organization, he joined its Discord community and began exploring the streams.
“I saw this ALG,
and I was like, what is that? American Legion Gaming? That sounds right in my alley,” he said.
After joining the community and speaking with one of the streamers, he decided to apply for the team. He has now been streaming with American Legion Gaming for several months and currently hosts a regular Friday night stream, 10-12 PM EST.
Beyond the games themselves, the community has become one of the most important parts of the experience.
“The gaming community means so much,” he said. “It’s a family outside of family.”
Like many veterans, distance from friends and family can make staying connected difficult. Online gaming provides a space where conversations and friendships can continue.
“I can always log in. I can always hang out with my friends through gaming,” he said. “It keeps that link possible where it wouldn’t be possible without it.”
Outside of streaming, YoNoBigDeal works as a school bus monitor and balances family life with a two-year-old child at home. Even with a busy schedule, he continues to make time for his weekly stream and the community around it.
For veterans interested in streaming themselves, he encourages them to start small and stay consistent.
“The best thing to do is just to do it,” he said. “Try to have a schedule and don’t stream too long.”
He also stresses the importance of interacting with viewers.
“If people are going to chat, you need to respond to them,” he said. “If you’re not, you might as well not even be streaming.”
As American Legion Gaming continues to grow, YoNoBigDeal hopes more veterans join the community and help expand its reach across the streaming schedule.
“We want to make it to where if you get on Sunday morning at three in the morning because you can’t sleep, you can jump on Twitch, and there will be someone there streaming that you can talk to,” he said.
For him, streaming is not just about playing games. It is about creating a place where veterans and gamers can drop in, talk for a while, and feel connected.
“Absolutely join us,” he said. “The Discord is incredible. There’s so many people from all walks of life. It’s just a great place to be.”
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