FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — Sgt. David Blose repairs turbine engines for army helicopters at Ft. Bragg.
It’s a job that requires dedication, intense training, and teamwork.
After work, Blose heads home to play his favorite video game, Rainbow Six Siege.
He spends up to five hours a night playing the online tactical shooter game, first with his wife Marta, then with fellow soldiers.
“This was always just a pastime,” Blose said. “I was always good and competitive at it but not at this type of level.”
The soldiers are training in hopes of making the Army eSports Team.
“A lot of people thought it was a joke at first,” Blose said.
It’s no joke if he makes the team his job goes from fixing helicopters to playing video games for the Army.
“Hopefully make it to the big stage, playing the pro league games.”
Some critical comments posted to Facebook say the program is a joke, and that it encourages laziness in the military.
“I think that’s not true because I’m still doing my daily job, I still have to do PT, still have to meet all the standards,” Blose said. “There are some people that feel it’s not needed, but I think it’s definitely a good program for what it’s designed for.”
Blose is up by 5 a.m., works out in the morning and at lunch, and remains combat-ready at a moment’s notice.
“If orders came down right now for me to deploy I’d still have to deploy.”
The army says they’re using eSports as a way to connect with youth and get them excited about future opportunities with the military.
“It’s a really good ice breaker to interact with the community,” Blose said.
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He’ll know in a few months if he makes the team. If he does, he’ll be stationed at Ft. Knox.
The team will travel to gaming competitions around the country, including the Raleigh Major happening now at the Raleigh Convention Center.
“It really shows that we are normal people, we just do a job that is strenuous but in the end, we still have time to do what we like.”
