The study validates long-held anecdotal evidence by armed forces leaders. Navy officers have believed for years that sailors with videogame skills do a good job of operating electronic equipment. Army officers claim soldiers with game skills learned more rapidly on mobile, electronic-controlled machine guns. Air Force officers verified that pilots and technical staff who played videogames skillfully had solid job performance skills or were good pilots for remote-controlled Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

The Pentagon has held a positive view of video games since the early 1980s, when President Ronald Reagan told students that he learned that many young people had developed superior hand, eye and brain coordination from playing these games. These youngsters have grown up to take on many of the military roles.

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