Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Nicholas McKinley, a biomedical equipment specialist, inspects a C-Arm machine, a...... read more read more
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah – Growing up, Sgt. Nicholas McKinley always enjoyed video games. He thought maybe one day it could be more than just a hobby.
Those dreams were largely put on hold as he entered adulthood, but the Army is offering him the opportunity to revive some of those childhood dreams while improving his skillsets as a Soldier and showcasing what service has to offer.
McKinley, a biomedical equipment specialist with the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency, recently earned a spot on the Army Esports Team, and he competed in his first tournament as a member of the World of Warcraft dungeons team in late January.
The team of five placed 23rd out of about 200 total competing teams, coming up just short of the top 16 needed to advance to the next round of play, McKinley said.
“It was an amazing experience to be able to do something I’m passionate about in video games, while representing the Army at the same time,” he said. “I’ve never really had an opportunity to combine the two before. And I just felt a really great sense of pride.”
Created in 2018, the Army Esports Team is a competitive gaming team with members across all components, including active duty, Army Reserve and National Guard. In addition to World of Warcraft, the team competes in tournaments on numerous other titles, such as Halo, Call of Duty, Counterstrike, Fortnite, League of Legends and more.
The team, a public outreach initiative under U.S. Army Recruiting Command’s marketing and engagement efforts, helps raise awareness about the Army and opportunities it offers, simultaneously connecting with the public and showcasing the various roles Soldiers can have in the military.
McKinley, a 29-year-old from Oklahoma, surely didn’t have “become a professional gamer” on his personal goal list when he started his Army story about five years ago, deciding to enlist after working as a math teacher.
“I just woke up one day and felt like I had a greater calling, and it gravitated toward serving,” he said. “I made a trip to my recruiting office and that’s when my journey started.”
After completing basic training at Fort Sill, just a short 40-minute ride from home, McKinley shipped out to Fort Sam Houston in Texas to complete his 68A advanced individual training.
From there, he joined the team of medical maintenance experts at USAMMA’s Medical Maintenance Operations Division at Hill Air Force Base, or MMOD-UT, which serves as a technical center of excellence for pulmonary, anesthesia and oxygen-concentrating equipment.
MMOD-UT is one of three stateside medical maintenance facilities under USAMMA, a direct reporting unit to Army Medical Logistics Command.
While his day-to-day job takes precedence, McKinley and his teammates regularly work in practice time to maintain their gaming chops. The team is made up of 12 total members, with two full competition teams of five and two team managers.
They compete in tournaments hosted by the game developer or by the Armed Forces Dungeon League, or AFDL, which is hosting an event in April just for armed forces teams around the world, McKinley said.
“They had another event in late December, and they had Air Force, Navy, the Norwegian army, French air force” and others, he said. “All the proceeds and winnings go to a charity of the winners choice.”
The management team at MMOD-UT expressed pride in McKinley’s accomplishments, both as a highly skilled technician but also as he represents the Army and follows his dreams as a professional gamer.
“We are behind him 100% and are excited to see what he accomplishes in the future,” MMOD-UT leaders said in a joint statement.
Making the esports team is a highly competitive process. McKinley said he was denied the first time he applied, but after building up his “resume” a bit over the past year, he earned his shot.
And while some could argue that they’re just playing computer games, McKinley said there’s many similarities to the teamwork that goes into mission success in an operational environment.
“It may not be as critical as on a battlefield, but the same principles apply,” he explained. “You have leaders you look to and have to trust their calls. Everyone has a role to play, and communication is so important when you are forced to adjust gameplans on the fly.”
McKinley admitted the team struggled at times in their most recent tournament, afflicted by the “randomness” of the game at times, but they started to gel and get more comfortable with each other as the competition went on.
“It’s just a dream come true for a kid who dreamed of being a really good gamer someday,” McKinley said. “And it’s just another way the Army is connecting with the next generation and showcasing its talents.”
| Date Taken: | 02.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.27.2025 11:12 |
| Story ID: | 491679 |
| Location: | HILL AIR FORCE BASE, UTAH, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Medical maintainer: Joining Army Esports Team ‘a dream come true’, by C.J. Lovelace, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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