In late 2018, the U.S. Army formed its own esports team as part of its marketing efforts to encourage young people to consider a career in the military. For its part, the Army also recently launched its own official Twitch channel to "share the Army's passion for gaming, showcase competitions, and connect with viewers."

However, as reported by Vice, this extensive PR effort has recently run into some problems with the Twitch community. During last night's Call of Duty: Warzone stream, players began asking questions about war crimes committed by the Army, which were quickly deleted by the moderators.

The Army's growing interest in esports activities was at least spurred by a recent Twitter conversation between its esports team and Discord. The exchange concluded with the Army tweeting "UwU," which many viewers felt was in poor taste, given the source.

Twitch streamer Joshua "Strotonium" David, a U.S. Army Ranger and member of the esports team, noted the reaction in his stream last night, but seemed to have no regrets.

"I think I'm going to write 'UwU' on every post I make from now on, telling my angel on the esports team, the nicest guy in the world, to go fuck himself. You little internet keyboard monsters are what you are. I can't take it. I'm better than you."

Not surprisingly, this statement did not make waves, and the military troubles continue to this day. The moderators set a one-hour follow-up requirement for posts in the chat, but several viewers were patient enough to follow, wait, and ask questions about, for example, the 2015 bombing of an MSF hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. This chat limit was extended to 24 hours just before the stream ended.

The U.S. military has long used video games as a recruiting tool. Recently, however, it has shifted its emphasis to esports. The Army was the first to make this move, but since then the U.S. Navy and Air Force have also established their own esports programs and have also partnered with major esports organizations to obtain sponsorships for high-profile tournaments. These sponsorships not only bring branding to the forefront at live events, but also allow for the installation of "experiential activation[s] on site."

However, the live streaming aspect of this shift may prove more challenging than the Army anticipated; America's Army was a one-way street, but the inherent interactivity of streaming on Twitch is a great way for America's military adventures and recruiting The inherent interactivity of streaming on Twitch, while America's Army was a one-way street, opens the door for those who take issue with America's military adventures and the military's propensity to prey on young, impressionable viewers for recruiting purposes. It may be wishful thinking, but if the military's opposition to live-streaming continues, the effort may not be worth it.

Interestingly, the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force have all embraced esports, but the U.S. Marine Corps, usually viewed as the most gung-ho of the nation's military branches, "partly because of a belief that the brands and issues associated with combat are too serious to be "gamified" in a responsible manner and "some" rejected the idea earlier this year. However, some local Marine recruiters have formed "marketing partnerships" with esports organizations. For example, earlier this year they partnered with Esports Stadium Arlington, "the largest dedicated esports facility in North America," to offer high school students who earned an A on their transcripts through the Marine Corps Academic Excellence Program one hour of free game play per eligible grade.