Veterans protest America's Army

Author: Joe Martin
Published: 5th September 2007
Comments (16) Stumble
Veterans protest America's Army

America's Army is an online game funded by the Department of Defense as a recruiting aid.

America's Army isn't a game which has ever appealed to me on any level at all, mainly because I can recognise it for the lame, only vaguely enjoyable recruiting tool which it really is.

The game, which is funded by the American Department of Defence, tries to be a realistic take on modern day war with a stress on team tactics and working together to accomplish objectives. Of course, it's inevitably still filled with n00bs and smack-talk.

Recently though the game has been subject to even more controversy and ire, with a platoon of anti-war veterans assembling in St. Louis to protest the game - which they see as cheapening the tragedies of war and making light of the deaths of real soldiers.

The group of more than 90 protesters, who are known as Iraq Veterans Against the War, met in St. Louis wearing matching black t-shirts and chanting "War is not a game".

"We want people to know the truth about military service and that it's not always what they say," Kelly Dougherty, who served as a medic and MP in Iraq, said to St. Louis reporters at the protest.

"People who are considering joining the military should know the truth so they can make an informed decision," she said. Military recruiters in the area refused to comment on the protest or the on-going war in Iraq.

As a hardcore gamer myself, I often think about how others may view the games I play and the way I play them, but how soldiers react to games like America's Army or Rainbow Six isn't something which has ever honestly occurred to me.

What's your view on the war in Iraq and on how games like America's Army are used to recruit new soldiers? Let us know in the forums.
Quote naokaji 5th September 2007, 11:02
and that comes straight after having read this anti game sh*t at the inq
Quote quack 5th September 2007, 11:09
Quote:
War is not a game
I even heard that there's no respawns in RL.
Quote gpw111 5th September 2007, 11:26
there is no RL only AFK
Quote bahgger 5th September 2007, 12:13
If they're complaining about AA where the enemy you see is never an American soldier, wait till they find out about Insurgency for HL2 and etc.
Quote Lazarus Dark 5th September 2007, 12:23
"We want people to know the truth about military service and that it's not always what they say"--Oh, you mean you don't go kill people and you don't risk your life? Then what do you do in the military? Well, my uncle is an MP, so he just guards the base. He said it was boring as crap in Afghanistan.

My gf's brother has been to Iraq twice in the last three years. He's a Marine and was on the front lines. Still, when he comes back, what is the first thing he does? Plug up the 360 and go buy GRAW 2. Most of his games are Tom Clancy or other war games. He loves them. So, being on the front lines didn't affect his passion for war games. Some of his buddies died, but still he talks about being a merc when his service period is over. Some people are born soldiers, some are not. And anyone signing up for service now knows the score, unless they are mentally handicapped; and there's no draft, service is completely voluntary.

And 90 protesters? Call me when a real protest happens. I can get 90 protesters for anything. This shouldn't even be news.
Quote Risky 5th September 2007, 16:27
I played AA a few years ago, and again last year. I liked the game a lot as it really was about teamwork and tacktics if you wanted to get anything out of it.

(There were a lot of Veterans and serving soldiers playing, they get given a badge when the signup from a .mil account with their details!)
Quote completemadness 5th September 2007, 18:47
I used to play AA, its actually pretty fun
Its obviously a good way to sort of pre-train troops

but i never thought it was an indication of what war is like, or how to fight in war
Quote 8igdave 5th September 2007, 18:57
I think its understandable that this game is most certainly not like real war. No game is ever going to be like real war and if someone signed up to the army thinking that that is what real war is like then quite frankly they are an idiot. I don't think its fair to use emotional blackmail saying things like its disrespectful to those that have sadly lost their lives in war. You cannot live in the past but further more does that mean racing a game and smashing your car up totaly in flat out and killing the driver is disrespectful to those that loss their lifes driving? Does playing a flight similator and crashing mean that you are being disrespectful to those that loss their lifes in plane acidents?


I find it very lame people always have to put down war games etc. Like people saying ooo CSS makes people want to kill others. NO that is not correct. These people that do go round killing people have been linked to CSS yes but they were all phycos and mentaly unstable. You cant ban every game because of a mentally unstable person who is probably going to try attack someone wether they play CSS or not! It should be their parents and people around them that keep them on the right track.
Quote julianmartin 6th September 2007, 10:51
i think that was a rather biased article...what was the object, saying how apparently lame AA is or these 90 protestors which as someone above said, shouldn't be news.

another jibe at a game because Joe feels like it i think.
Quote Nexxo 6th September 2007, 10:58
Quote:
Originally Posted by gpw111
there is no RL only AFK
^^^ Quote! :D
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lazarus Dark
"We want people to know the truth about military service and that it's not always what they say"--Oh, you mean you don't go kill people and you don't risk your life? Then what do you do in the military? Well, my uncle is an MP, so he just guards the base. He said it was boring as crap in Afghanistan.

My gf's brother has been to Iraq twice in the last three years. He's a Marine and was on the front lines. Still, when he comes back, what is the first thing he does? Plug up the 360 and go buy GRAW 2. Most of his games are Tom Clancy or other war games. He loves them. So, being on the front lines didn't affect his passion for war games. Some of his buddies died, but still he talks about being a merc when his service period is over. Some people are born soldiers, some are not. And anyone signing up for service now knows the score, unless they are mentally handicapped; and there's no draft, service is completely voluntary.

And 90 protesters? Call me when a real protest happens. I can get 90 protesters for anything. This shouldn't even be news.

QFT.
Quote mikeuk2004 6th September 2007, 11:45
I played it 7 years a go I think and then again about 4. I only ever got the training done and found it imposible to get into a server to play. When I did I couldnt tell who was who and always ended up killing my team mates. I wonder if this is why the USA have so many freindly kills?

Anyway, I did like the training, that was hard in some cases, having to study the different armour and aircraft for your test and even do a medical test. That was different in a FPS and made you learn somehting before you can play.

If I could get in servers to play id probably still be playing.
Quote Hypno 6th September 2007, 12:11
*Cough*Pricks*Cough* I don't normally call veterans names but when there "anti-war veterans" they can go f**k there selfs. If they didn't like war etc.. why in the hell did they sign the dotted line. What did they think they were going to do in the army sit in the US practicing field craft, shooting and combat tactics.
Quote completemadness 6th September 2007, 20:12
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeuk2004
I played it 7 years a go I think and then again about 4. I only ever got the training done and found it imposible to get into a server to play. When I did I couldnt tell who was who and always ended up killing my team mates.
Dunno how you had trouble finding a server, their easy to come across, and as for telling teams, you do learn in the end
You have to learn to be less trigger happy then other FPS's though (slightly more realistic)
Quote:
I wonder if this is why the USA have so many freindly kills?
I thin the US have few friendly kills, well in terms of all the worlds armies, not that Ive looked at lots of statistics about it

Real life is a bitch, and people don't walk around with neon signs over their heads designating which side their on, FF is a problem in any RL war

It seems you having problems dealing with the fact this game is far more realistic then say, BF2, or CSS
Quote tylerpestell 7th September 2007, 00:53
I am in the Air Force and play America's Army on occasion. I don't see how anyone could play the game and think "boy that was fun!! I am going to join the Army!" It's a free game and its fun to play, who cares if it is suppose to be a "recruiting tool".
Quote LikeNoOther1976 10th September 2007, 10:28
pphhhfff... idiots, It's just a game nothing else. As said above, who cares if it is also used as a recruting tool, its free, pretty good and you can play with a minimum of systam specs. In my book, thats a game worth testing.
Quote Nexxo 10th September 2007, 10:59
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypno
*Cough*Pricks*Cough* I don't normally call veterans names but when there "anti-war veterans" they can go f**k there selfs. If they didn't like war etc.. why in the hell did they sign the dotted line. What did they think they were going to do in the army sit in the US practicing field craft, shooting and combat tactics.

Perhaps people learn by (hard) experience and change their minds on things. And not everybody signed on the dotted line. Conscription did not end until 1973 --after the end of US involvement in the Vietnam war.
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