It is once again that time of year Red Shirts! This Labor Day weekend, thousands of gamers, geeks, and nerds will arrive in Seattle Washington for the biggest of all the PAXes, PAX West! For four amazing days, games and geek culture will be the focus of our attention and the source of amazing fun!
We here at Stack Up are gearing up for another great Air Assault experience at the convention. We want to take just a moment to introduce you to the Veterans who we will be bringing along with us to Seattle so that they can experience this amazing event.
Johnny King
Favorite Video Game Franchises/Studios/Publishers: Bethesda, CD project Red, Blizzard Favorite Twitch/Mixer Streamers: Bad Boy Gaming, DFLCC
I entered the Air Force on 1 June 2005 as an Avionics technician. Working on F-16’s took me to Italy, Turkey, South Korea, Sweden, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and half a dozen other countries.
Video gaming, in some of the less scenic locations, was a solid way of keeping some kind of contact with my family back home. I’ve since commissioned as an officer and have spent the last few years on the ops side of the house.
As my son grows up, we’ve been playing games together with the hopes that when we’re separated, we can still be together through the digital worlds we built together.
Christopher Barron
Favorite Video Game Franchises/Studios/Publishers: Bungie, Blizzard, Rockstar Games, Bioware Mass Effect, Dragon Age, The Witcher, Elder Scrolls, Destiny, Assassin’s Creed, Fallout. Favorite Twitch/Mixer Streamers: mynameisbyf
I joined the Army in 2007 as a Combat engineer. Served in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2011, I was in a vehicle hit by an IED, I received a spinal injury, concussion, and minor brain damage.
Got out of the Army in 2012 and tried going to college but found it difficult to fit in with people. After giving up on civilian life, I enlisted in the Coast Guard serving in New Orleans as a Machinery Technician and Boarding Officer. In 2015, I had a stroke while onboard a patrol boat losing part of an ear and getting another concussion in the process. The Coast Guard medically retired me in September of that year.
After retiring, I worked for a non-profit that cleans up offshore oil spills for a year before moving to Alaska for a DoD civilian position. Currently, work as an Army civilian police officer at a remote missile base.
Gaming has been a huge part of my life going all the way back to when I was in the service and we would host Call of Duty tournaments in the barracks. Now it’s nice to be able to turn on a game late at night when things aren’t going right; find someone I served with is on and to be able to play and talk for a bit. Gaming is the outlet that is always there when stress gets to be too much, it’s also safer than running when you live in a place that going for a run at night might get you eaten by a Grizzly.?
Austin Fraser
Favorite Video Game Franchises/Studios/Publishers: Mass Effect, Borderlands, Horizon: Zero Dawn/Guerrilla Games Favorite Twitch/Mixer Streamers: Cahlaflour, Lowco & JamsHams
I joined the military straight out of high school and entered the Army on August 28th, 2003. I went to basic training at Ft Sill, Oklahoma, and advanced training in Ft Huachuca, Arizona. Fresh out of school I was sent to Baumholder Germany. I ended up traveling to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and a handful of other sandy places. I ended up getting out on September 13, 2009, and moved back to Texas.
I currently live in Texas with my wife, two kids, two rabbits, two cats, and a dog. I attempt to try to stream on Twitch, make videos for my YouTube channel and balance a full-time job working in IT.
I found that by playing games I can allow my mind to escape the everyday stress from the world around me and place myself into a world that I can control. I find that by playing games I am able to deal with my stressors much more effectively ie I am able to vent my frustrations in a productive way rather than internalizing it. .
Stack Up is honored to be able to give back to these great Veterans through our Air Assaults program! Make sure to stand by right here on StackUp.Org for our PAX West coverage and to check in with our Air Assaults to hear what they thought of the convention!
If you’d like to make a donation that helps support our Air Assaults program or if you would like to answer the Call To Arms with you own charity stream and help us make an impact during this upcoming Veterans day, hit the link below for intel on how you can sign up!
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