Strengthening the Indo-Pacific Community: USO and DoDEA Pacific Connect Military Youth Through Esports

For military-connected students living across the Indo-Pacific, distance is often a part of daily life. Frequent moves, deployments, and long separations from loved ones can make building lasting friendships difficult. But during the DoDEA Pacific Far East Esports Gaming Championships, those distances faded as students came together through teamwork, competition, and a shared passion for gaming. Hosted in partnership with DoDEA Pacific, the USO Gaming program helped bring together the top six varsity esports teams from across the region to compete in Rocket League and Valorant. The championship highlighted not only competitive skill, but also the power of community among military-connected youth.

“The DoDEA Pacific Far East Esports championship brings together the top six teams across the region to showcase their skills in Rocket League and Valorant,” said Todd Schlitz, Chief of Staff for the DoDEA Pacific Region. “Our goal is to provide military-connected students with a high-quality, competitive experience that builds confidence, fosters connection, and highlights esports as a pathway for future academic and career opportunities.”

Connecting Students Across the Pacific

This year’s championship featured teams representing installations across the Indo-Pacific region:

• Guam High School – U.S. Naval Base Guam

• Edgren Middle High School – Misawa Air Base

• Humphreys High School – Camp Humphreys

• Kinnick High School – Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka

• Kadena High School – Okinawa

• Zama Middle High School – Camp Zama

Rocket League teams competed in three-player squads, while Valorant teams fielded five-player rosters. Through regular-season standings across DoDEA Pacific high schools, the top teams earned the opportunity to compete in the Far East Championship.

For many of the students participating, the event offered more than just competition, it created a sense of belonging.

“Military-connected students often experience frequent transitions, deployments, and long separations from loved ones,” Schlitz said. “These challenges can make it difficult to build connections and friendships. Events like the Far East Esports competition give students an opportunity to engage with others who share an interest in gaming and also understand their unique experiences as military-connected students.”

Through teamwork and competition, students formed friendships and strengthened their connection to their school communities.

Advancing the USO Mission Through Gaming

The championship also demonstrated how USO Gaming continues to support service members and their families by creating spaces for connection and community.

“The value of gaming is unique to each person,” said Callum Fletcher, USO Senior Director of Global Gaming Operations for Active Duty and Family Programs. “It can be entertainment, stress relief, connectivity, combat isolation, and build local communities. For an organization responsible for meeting service members and their families ‘where they are,’ gaming is a powerful tool to connect with a diverse audience.”

For the USO, supporting programs like the Far East Esports Championships represents a strategic investment in military families and the next generation of the military community.

“This activation ties directly to who we are as an organization,” Fletcher said. “It empowers connection, belonging, and builds resilience, particularly for military children who are living such a unique lived experience already.”

A Place Where Military Youth Belong

Throughout the championship, students who had spent months competing against one another online finally met face-to-face. The atmosphere was filled with celebration, teamwork, and shared excitement.

“Throughout this event you see instances where these children connect with each other over a shared interest,” Fletcher said. “You see kids from different countries meeting for the first time after competing against each other all season long like they’ve been friends for years.”

Beyond the competition, the event created a space where military-connected youth felt recognized and valued.

“We create an environment that tells them, ‘You’re no different than the football stars,’” Fletcher said. “We create a space that’s for them, and in the unique world they live in, that’s really powerful.”

Growing the Future of Esports

Esports continues to grow across the DoDEA Pacific region. Today, esports is offered as a varsity sport at all 12 Pacific high schools, with the top teams earning their place at the Far East Championship through regular season play.

The partnership between DoDEA Pacific and the USO has been critical in establishing the program’s foundation.

“USO Gaming supports the Pacific region’s varsity esports program throughout the season, providing support and resources key to its success,” Schlitz said. “We sincerely appreciate USO Gaming’s commitment to our esports program.”

According to Fletcher, the collaboration has helped create a sustainable future for esports within DoDEA schools.

“The partnership with DoDEA and their effort to build, support, and sustain this program has helped truly give this a ‘home,’” Fletcher said. “It operates under official school governance and aligns with academic standards, creating a structured environment where students can compete and grow.”

Strengthening the Military Community

Across the Indo-Pacific region, military families may live thousands of miles apart, but programs like USO Gaming bring them closer together.

By supporting initiatives that foster connection, teamwork, and belonging, the USO continues to strengthen the well-being of military families wherever they serve.

For these students, the championships weren’t just about winning matches, they were about building friendships, confidence, and community across the Pacific.