Going for it on Fourth Down: Sailor at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam Qualifies for Salute to Service Showdown Grand Finals

Being thousands of miles from home, sometimes across an ocean, and away from family can be lonely. With the work being intense, many need a place to go where they can decompress. Understanding that need, the USO focuses on providing a comfortable place with programs to help cultivate connections. One such program is USO Gaming, allowing service members to build relationships with each other while also providing an avenue to stay connected to loved ones back home through a video game.

The Salute to Service Showdown is an annual USO Gaming event in partnership with the NFL and EA Sports Madden, bringing service members together virtually for a tournament to win tickets to the Super Bowl. First up are the qualifier rounds, where competitors run, pass and tackle to win a chance to move on to the live Grand Finals. In 2024, the eight qualifier winners will meet up in Tampa, Florida to compete live in the USO Mobile Gaming trailer. This year marks the fourth tournament, but only the second time the regions outside of the continental United States, known as OCONUS regions, have also been included.

The Indo-Pacific region is unique as it includes two U.S. states, Alaska and Hawaii, as well as Guam, mainland Japan, Korea, the Japanese island of Okinawa and expeditionary efforts that range from Australia to Singapore. (Though a part of the USO Indo-Pacific region, any Alaska competitors played in one of the America qualifiers this year.) The Indo-Pacific qualifiers took place in the afternoon of September 21 for most of the region and in the evening of September 20 for Hawaii participants due to the time difference. Out of the 39 registered players, one emerged victorious out of Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam (JBPHH) in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Petty Officer Second Class Kristopher Houchins has played EA Sports Madden since he was a kid back home in North Charleston, South Carolina, mostly against his best friend, Trever. “We grew up about five houses down from each other and that was just our way of staying out of trouble and just having fun,” explained Kristopher. “We’re both very competitive, so we would just play for hours and see who’s the best.”

Kristopher has been stationed at JBPHH for 11 years, the entirety of his Navy career. (That’s over 4,700 miles from his hometown.) Now, stationed on the USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), gaming is one way Kristopher and Trevor are able to stay connected. Additionally, Kristopher credits gaming and the tournament as a great opportunity to meet new people and recharge.

Though only the second year for an OCONUS qualifier, Hawaii being a U.S. State allowed Kristopher’s participation every year of the tournament’s existence. Despite taking part each year, Kristopher has never made it to the live rounds. This year, he chose to go for it on fourth down and scored the final touchdown, winning the region’s seat at the Grand Finals.

“This is actually my fourth USO Salute to Service Tournament. My buddy from high school [and fellow Sailor], Joe Miller, knows I play Madden a lot. He sent me a text message with the link to sign up and he was like, hey man, we’re going to the Super Bowl if you win this! That was the first tournament I played in, and I have been playing since.”

Kristopher’s breakthrough in qualifiers came in a year where one of his main opponents, and a former Salute to Service Showdown winner, was unable to compete. “There’s a guy that is usually in it. His name is Madden Star [in the game]. I was looking forward to playing him again because he put me out of the tournament the first two years,” explained Kristopher. Both times, Kristopher and Madden Star competed in the final game of the qualifiers with Madden Star coming out on top. The friendly competition has certainly led to comradery over the years as Kristopher referenced Madden Star following along with the 2024 tournament despite not participating this year.

Last year’s Indo-Pacific qualifier held a little extra drama as Kristopher may have lost the final qualifying game, but he certainly received a nice prize. Immediately after losing the game, Kristopher and his fiancé headed to the hospital to welcome the birth of their son. How big of a football fan is Kristopher? His son is named after a Tight End from his favorite football team, the Indianapolis Colts.

Kristopher will join the other seven qualifiers in Tampa, Florida to compete in-person in the USO Mobile Gaming Truck on November 10. Having participated multiple times, Kristopher looks forward to connecting with others that he has fostered relationships with through the Gaming community.

“I’m excited to go to Tampa and meet a lot of the competitors,” expressed Kristopher. “There are a couple guys that have been in this for the past couple of years, like El Money [name in the game], who has been playing since the very first one and he made it this year. So, as soon as he won his tournament, we messaged each other like hey man, I’ll see you there and bring your A game.”

We look forward to seeing their A game in full force as the eight competitors are able to decompress from their stressors at work and come together for fellowship and friendly competition.

Just knowing that even though we put in all the hard work, the USO still gives us these opportunities, and especially for tickets to the Super Bowl, that’s amazing! People dream of going to the Super Bowl, and to possibly win two tickets just from playing a video game that you love is outstanding. The USO is awesome for doing that and the NFL as well.

When asked about how confident he is on his chances to walk away with the championship and go to the Super Bowl, let’s just say, Kristopher is ready: “Mark this now, I’m going!”