Call of Duty and C.O.D.E. Help Educate our Vets

Image courtesy of ClubLakers. Thanks Kobe.

It’s always good to see organizations so willing to support our troops and veteran soldiers, and it’s even better to be a part of it yourself. After returning from a conflict or war, sometimes soldiers need help gaining their civilian life back and often times need to find new employment. Call of Duty Endowment is a program spearheaded by Activision Blizzard to increase awareness for our veteran soldiers. CODE often aids with large grants and donations that assist troops in getting back on their feet. We all know the video game Call of Duty Black Ops was crowned champ after its release last November, and it holds the “disputed” title of the World’s Best Selling Game of all time. That may or may not be true, but what we do know is that the franchise has pulled in over $1 billion in revenue since its release in November, 2010.

Call of Duty Endowment (CODE) put some of that revenue to good use recently by giving up $100,000 in grants to the Student Veterans of America. Throw that on top of the $1 million+ that they already have, and you can imagine some of the great opportunities in education and employment that have resulted from it. I am a member of this Student Veterans Group, and I often get newsletters and information about grants, loans, and other activities available for free to me as a veteran and student. Unemployment has been and still is a problem in this country for some time. With Vets getting assistance in education and finding jobs, they have a better chance of successful integration back into daily life. Here is some info from the original email I received today:

WASHINGTON-Today, the Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit organization focusing its resources on helping veterans transition to civilian careers, awards $500,000 in grants to five organizations working to train, educate and place returning service members and wounded warriors back in the workforce.  Student Veterans of America was named among the organizations that will receive a grant of $100,000.

The grant awarded to Student Veterans of America will go specifically towards linking their population of college veterans with career opportunities nationwide. They will partner with organizations to match student veterans with internships, mentorships, and job opportunities along with hosting their own internship and career fairs. Born from the difficulties veterans face adjusting to campus life, Student Veterans of America is the only organization solely dedicated to helping veterans succeed on college campuses.  The group’s vision is to provide all student veterans with transition services, peer support, and job opportunities.

Activision Blizzard, Inc., the worldwide online and console video game publisher and producer of the Call of Duty® video game, established the Call of Duty Endowment. It has delivered more than $500,000 in grants and scholarships to assist veterans gain new careers in the civilian workforce. This past November, Activision committed another $1 million to the Endowment and pledged to find 1,000 jobs for veterans.

My hat goes off to Activision and the rest who are involved with the CODE organization. In tough times it’s great to see a so many willing to give in support to our veterans. I’d like to think that indirectly each and every gamer out there whose purchased Call of Duty Black Ops has done a small part to make this possible. Despite the numbers and sale figures, its easy to see how much video games are still a big part of entertainment sales these days. Giving some of this back to those who live out the storyline of these games is nothing short of what is deserved by those of us who support our county while overseas. Next time you need an excuse to buy a new game, just tell them that you’re doing it for your country and not for yourself.

Check out more info at the Call of Duty Endowment Website.

Via Student Veterans of America