Army develops communication and teamwork skills – through esports contest
Personnel from across the British Army have been taking part in an esports competition featuring some of the biggest titles in the world of gaming.
Exercise Mercury Contra saw personnel test their skills in Rocket League, a football game using cars instead of players, Call of Duty, a first person shooter game, Counter Strike, a multiplayer tactical first-person shooter and League of Legends, a multiplayer online battle arena game.
The contest drew troops from across all three arms of the service, including the Royal Corps of Signals, the Royal Engineers, the Adjutant General's Corps and the Royal Logistic Corps.
There were also teams from the Army Medical Services and the Royal Armoured Corps.
Sergeant Matthew Fender, from the Royal Logistic Corps, told BFBS Forces News esports now gain as much exposure as traditional sports.
"Every time we've done an event it's always streamed, so we've got loads of people watching from an outside point of view," he explained.
"It is going to allow us to bring new people into the military.
"The recruitment aspect that this could produce is massive in my opinion.
"A lot of people are playing esports… we can now push it out to civilian members and go 'Well, we're pushing this as well now, come join us, come watch [and] come and support your military'."
Signaller Jahmar Edwards, 30 Signal Regiment, is the Royal Signals team lead for Rocket League – and the Army's top-ranked player in the game.
He said events like this are about spotting new talent.
"We can always create new teams for them, especially for Rocket League," he said.
But esports does not just give personnel a chance to compete, but a chance to let off some steam after a long day at work.
Corporal Jacob Upton from the AGC said the sport offers a release.
"You're doing something you enjoy," he explained.
"If you're losing terribly you're not going to be having a great time, but… you're still on with your buddies, you get to have a laugh, you get to joke about who's the worst player, who's getting better.
"You always pick on the worst player – it's normally me – but it's just something to relax at the end of the day [and] offload."
As well as potentially appealing to the younger generation, esports also helps hone some militarily useful skills.
Signaller Alfred Bailey from 30 Signal Regiment said esports helps develop communication and teamwork.
"Your job role isn't, for most people, going to be massively comparable to a game of League of Legends or with a game of Rocket League, but the things like communication, especially being in the Signals, is a massive one," he said.
"You very quickly realise that if you and your team, although you might not have played together before, if you don't… mesh well together, learn how to communicate well with each other, you're not going to stand a chance."
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