Denton, Texas—In a move aimed at connecting and supporting younger veterans, Denton’s Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2205 officially opened a new gaming center on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. The initiative is the result of a collaborative effort between the VFW post and the University of North Texas (UNT), marking a milestone in veteran community services.
The journey began in 2022, when Post Commander Tim Middleton and VFW Service Officer Tim Qualls teamed up with Jim Davenport, UNT’s Director of Veteran Services, and Jessica Chapman, Senior Director of Development with UNT Advancement. While originally meeting to discuss a campus endowment for veterans, the group soon pivoted to the idea of establishing a gaming center at the VFW to attract and engage younger veterans.
“This gaming center will help save lives,” Middleton said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by veterans and community members. “Our Vietnam and Cold War vets wanted to create something that speaks to younger generations, and I cannot stress how thankful we are to all our partners who helped make this happen.”
A catalyst for this idea was a report from the U.S. Department of Defense highlighting the therapeutic and social benefits of gaming. The post members, noting the trend of isolation among younger veterans, saw a gaming center as a potential solution.
The project gained momentum with crucial input from Dylan Wray, Assistant Director of UNT’s Esports program. Wray offered guidance on equipment, accessibility, and setup, ensuring the center’s long-term viability. He expressed personal commitment to the project, citing family connections to military service.
Additional support for the gaming center came from Regiment Gaming, a Plano-based esports group supporting veterans, along with contributions from the city of Denton, the Denton Chamber of Commerce, and EGA Construction, a veteran-owned company tasked with the room’s construction.
Mario Pena, Assistant Quartermaster at the post and a business administration graduate student at UNT, shared his personal experience with gaming’s ability to foster connection. Reflecting on a pivotal moment when gaming provided a lifeline to a friend overseas, Pena highlighted gaming’s role in bridging the gap between distant friends.
The new center houses 10 high-performance computers with plans to expand offerings to include gaming consoles and virtual reality experiences. The post has already hosted its first tournament, signaling a new era for the VFW in fostering community through gaming.
“We are transforming the VFW’s perspective on gaming,” Middleton concluded, “and we couldn’t have done it without the input from our partners at UNT.” The gaming center represents an innovative step forward in making veteran services more relevant to modern needs.