"Air Force gaming keeps airmen grounded" Topic

…More than 86% of airmen between the ages of 18-34 identify as gamers. As membership grew, it got the attention of leadership who approved of its expansion under the Air Force Services Center…

Spectrum News 1: link

Good to see this concept return. In the late 1970's. Project Warrior was instituted in the USAF with the goal to encourage Air Force personnel to learn more about their profession and how their efforts fit into the "Big Picture" by the use of wargames and access to selected reading materials in the Base Libraries. It was strictly voluntary but successful.

I volunteered to head up the project at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona, then George AFB, CA and at Yokota AB, Japan. The libraries obtained board games and helped us obtain spaces to game in on base. In Japan, we linked up with members of the Japanese Self Defense Forces and help our own "Joint Gaming Exercises". Since we played games printed in Japanese and our copies in English, language problems were minimized! We simply pointed to the numbered rule sections (and so would they) , and an affirmative nod of the head and the game went on.

We also invited the Security Police to a miniature session and the club members gave them some ideas on how to better respond to emergencies. We received thanks from the First Sgt. of the SP Squadron.

It was after my retirement from the USAF that I learned that the program was a victim of cost cutting. I am glad to see someone pick up the flag and run with it once again!

Hey Tom,
I remember that from way back when. I also remember when I first entere4d the AF, I signed up for a SAC "Strategic Gaming" experience, where a variety of Airmen would come into a large auditorium and play various basic games like checkers, chess, then onto Stratego, Risk and what not. Depending on how fast you won, you moved onto more global/modern warfare gaming…very cool experience.

P.

That sounded like fun! Each base's head of Project Warrior was allowed to come up with whatever worked for their location. Often, many units on base had 24/7 operations while other just had a few units that made it hard to schedule events that could include everyone. Somehow, we did OK for the majority and sometimes just put on events for those unable to make it to the bigger ones. Good to hear from you again, Greg!