Fly, Fight, ‘catch ‘em all’

U.S. Air Force Airmen and U.S. Army Soldiers walk around Memorial Lake on Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., July 12, 2016. Shaw is a high operations tempo Air Force installation, housing not only the largest combat F-16CM Fighting Falcon wing in the Air Force, but Ninth Air Force, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, and U.S. Army Central Command. With such missions being carried out on base, Airmen and Soldiers are often pushed to their physical and mental limits on a daily basis. The new mobile game, Pokémon Go, has allowed Team Shaw members to get out more and interact with each other while boosting morale throughout the base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Michael Cossaboom)

Fly, Fight, ‘catch ‘em all’

(From left) Melissa Bean and U.S. Air Force Airman Brendon Bean, 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron avionics technician, play Pokémon Go at Memorial Lake on Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., July 12, 2016. Pokémon Go is a new app taking the country by storm and has become the most downloaded game on smartphones after its release. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Michael Cossaboom)

Fly, Fight, ‘catch ‘em all’

Members of Team Shaw gather in a gazebo at Memorial Lake to play the new game Pokémon Go with other players at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., July 12, 2016. Since the game was released July 6, members of Team Shaw have gathered each night at Memorial Lake to play the game with others wanting to relive a piece of their childhood, foster new relationships and inadvertently strengthening the Team Shaw community. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Michael Cossaboom)

Fly, Fight, ‘catch ‘em all’

(From left) U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Mike Sullivan, 20th Communications Squadron knowledge management specialist, and Airman 1st Class Luria Staats, 20th CS client service technician, play the new game Pokémon Go at Memorial Lake on Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., July 12, 2016. Throughout the night at Memorial Lake, single service members, couples, and families of all ages and walks of life gathered at the lake to share in the fun of Pokémon Go and strive to achieve their childhood goal of becoming a Pokémon master. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Michael Cossaboom)

Fly, Fight, ‘catch ‘em all’

Published July 15, 2016
By Senior Airman Michael Cossaboom
20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- Growing up, many kids dreamed of becoming a Pokémon master, collecting, training, and battling with creatures of immense power and striving to become the best trainer in the world.

Thanks to modern-day technology and the new app, Pokémon Go, that dream can now become a reality, allowing players of all ages and walks of life to hone their gaming skills straight from a smartphone.

Released July 6, the app has become the biggest mobile game in U.S. history according to a July 13, NBC article, and members of Team Shaw are no strangers to the craze.

Not only does the app allow players to enjoy a revamp of a childhood game, but it has created a sense of community, increased physical activity, and boosted morale.

“When I heard the app was coming out, I couldn’t believe it,” said Private 1st Class Carlos Covarrubias, U.S. Army Central vehicle fueler. “It was going to give me chance to relive one of the coolest parts of my childhood and I couldn’t say no.”

There are currently more than 20,000 Team Shaw service members, civilians and families, and on a daily basis most wouldn’t normally have a reason to interact with each other. With the app, people from across base come together at Memorial Lake each night to collect Pokémon, battle, and foster new relationships.

“Every night I come out here I meet a ton of people who I’ve never met before,” said Covarrubias. “This app brings us all together and when we’re sitting there talking about our past or the new Pokémon we’ve found, it’s like I’ve known these people my whole life.”

The app is a location-based augmented reality mobile game that forces players to go out and walk around their community to catch new characters, encouraging people to increase their physical fitness while moving through the game levels.

“It’s really fun coming out here and doing four or five laps around the lake, collecting and talking to new people,” said Covarrubias.

Maintaining and supporting the missions on Shaw is a demanding task for service members. The 20th Fighter Wing is the largest combat F-16 wing in the world, housing 76 F-16CM Fighting Falcons capable of deploying at a moment’s notice to support combat operations across the globe.

Having an outlet, such as a video game, to help relieve stress at the end of the day helps service members rejuvenate for the next day’s tasks, said Airman 1st Class Joshua Spurlock, 28th Operational Weather Squadron weather forecaster.

“The days are rough, and the temperature is just getting hotter and hotter as we move through the summer,” said Spurlock. “But this game allows us to have fun and to relive our childhood in a way that 15 years ago wouldn’t have even been imaginable.”

Since the release of the game, individuals playing can be spotted easily: walking with their head down, staring at a mobile device and occasionally stopping to look at their surroundings.

The concentration required for the game has also created potentially unsafe distractions, allowing users to walk off sidewalks into roads or wander into unknown areas.

As with all recreation activities, including those on mobile devices, Team Shaw players are reminded to be alert of their surroundings, never enter unauthorized or restricted areas and be cautious of operational security violations.

According to the National Safety Council’s annual injury and fatality report, approximately 26 percent of the nation’s car wrecks in 2015 were caused by drivers being distracted by smartphones.

As the sun sets and the temperature cools, more and more people flock to Memorial Lake each night to walk around for hours hoping to capture rare Pokémon and to finally achieve their childhood dream of becoming a Pokémon master.