(Washington, DC) – Stemming the tide of polarization and disinformation in the veteran gaming community will be the focus of a new multi-event partnership announced today by Community Conversations: A Project for America and the Warrior GMR Foundation.
The groups are teaming up to sponsor upcoming amateur esports competitions involving active duty service members from the armed forces and school-age amateur gaming enthusiasts.
Community Conversations is a groundbreaking national, nonpartisan movement helping mend the civic divide and shining a light on the disinformation that worsens the polarization in our society. Warrior GMR Foundation’s mission is to promote physical, psychological, and social wellness through intergenerational, recreational gaming, and amateur esports competitions benefitting America’s youth and the defenders of our nation.
Community Conversations works closely with the military and veteran community, a top target of foreign actors for disinformation campaigns. “US military members and Veterans are powerful messengers in their community and as such, they are prime targets for foreign disinformation campaigns,” states Chuck Quintero, Executive Director at Community Conversations. “America’s adversaries target this important community with sophisticated content meant to create strife and damage relationships within communities and families. Recent research shows that the spread of online disinformation is a top concern for the military and veteran community, and we want to be a part of helping them lead the way as they address this challenge.”
Community Conversations is excited to partner with Warrior GMR Foundation as a sponsor of their upcoming esports events, including the Warrior Fest Armed Forces esports Challenge tournament scheduled on August 19 and 20 in Glendale, Colorado. Teams from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard will compete against one another, with the gameplay cast live on Twitch. Warrior Fest will be held in conjunction with the RugbyTown 7’s international rugby tournament featuring top civilian and military teams from the United States, and around the world.
A key component of Community Conversation’s sponsorship at Warrior GMR Foundation esports events will be pre-produced evocative video vignettes designed to create awareness about disinformation campaigns that target the military community that will be cast between rounds during gameplay.
“Today’s veterans are digital natives. Competitive video games are entertainment. They also provide community and can be used as well as training tools in career development. Warrior GMR Foundation reaches veterans in these virtual communities. We’re excited to partner with Community Conversations at our esports competitions in providing it a forum to reach the servicemember community in promotion of its mission of working to help bridge the divides that disinformation creates,” said Warrior GMR Foundation Founder and Chairman, Josh Otero.
