CausePlayGames, Jacob Hammersmith, is an Army infantry Veteran who built a career in IT and cybersecurity is now helping ALG grow into more than a place to stream and play games.
As ALG’s leader of development and operations, he is focused on using gaming to help Veterans connect, build friendships and find support.
Before entering cybersecurity, he served as an 11 Bravo Army infantryman. He had considered reenlisting and going to sniper school, but when that path was not available, he left the Army and moved into IT. He later became a chief information security officer for multiple health systems.
Gaming has been part of his life for decades. He started with Atari and later played Game Boy, Nintendo and PC games. While in the service, he played games such as Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, Call of Duty and Max Payne.
“I played a lot of different types of games,” he said. “But mostly first-person shooters.”
He first connected with ALG after seeing an email through a VA newsletter. At the time, he had already streamed from time to time with family, including his nephew. ALG gave him a way to connect with other Veterans through gaming.
“I saw that email through the VA newsletter about the stream team and thought it would be fun to connect and chat with other vets,” he said.
Since then, he has taken on a larger role in ALG’s operations and development. His work includes building partnerships, helping expand ALG’s reach and finding more ways to connect Veterans with resources.
He said ALG is working to strengthen relationships with the VA, Veteran service organizations and gaming-related nonprofits. One goal is to bring VA representatives and American Legion VSOs into ALG’s Discord, where Veterans could ask questions, create support tickets or connect during office hours.
“I’m working with the VA,” he said. “The idea is to have American Legion VSOs in our Discord server for office hours.”
He is also working with organizations such as Stack Up, Team Rubicon, Hire Heroes USA and American Corporate Partners. Those efforts support Veterans through service, mentoring, employment and community connection.
His volunteer work is personal. He has helped Veterans move into civilian cybersecurity careers, reviewed resumes and LinkedIn profiles, and supported disaster response efforts.
“I’ve hit certain levels in my career,” he said. “I’ve just kind of been focusing more on trying to give back.”
Gaming, for him, is not only entertainment. It helps people think, solve problems and connect with others. He enjoys puzzle games, first-person shooters, RPGs and multiplayer games, but he sees the most value in games that bring people together.
“I think it keeps your brain moving,” he said. “Thinking outside the box and how to solve problems in different ways.”
He said the ALG community has already helped him build real friendships.
CausePlayGames streams for ALG every Saturday and Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m. EST, giving Veterans a weekend place to hang out, game and connect.
In one case, he randomly met someone in the Discord server who had served in the same unit at the same time. He has also met ALG staff in person, including at PAX East and while visiting family in Michigan.
Gaming can make that connection easier.
“It’s easier to connect with people that have gone through similar things,” he said.
He sees ALG as more than a stream team. He believes it can become a platform where Veterans tell their stories, access mental health resources, connect with game developers and find new opportunities through gaming, film, writing and other creative outlets.
“You have to be here for the vets,” he said.
He has also helped connect ALG with game developers. One example involved Kristala, where ALG worked with the developer on a streaming and gameplay event. He said the event brought in ALG’s highest viewer count at the time and opened the door for more conversations about accessibility for disabled Veterans.
“We did a streaming event, and that had the most viewers that we’ve ever had,” he said.
CausePlayGames said partnerships with developers and hardware companies could help make games more accessible for Veterans with missing limbs, impaired vision or other disabilities. He also sees room for free game codes, community events, tournaments and direct conversations with development teams.
Mental health is one of his biggest priorities. He spoke about how suicide has affected his family and people he has served with. That experience drives his belief that ALG should help Veterans find support before they reach a crisis point.
“All this gaming is just like a doorway,” he said. “It’s a doorway for people to link them up with resources.”
For the future, he wants ALG to become a place where Veterans from every generation feel welcome. He believes younger Veterans may first connect through games, Discord, streaming and shared experiences. From there, they can learn more about the larger Legion community.
“A vet’s a vet,” he said. “Whether you served in combat or not.”
Outside of gaming and cybersecurity, he plays guitar, enjoys karaoke, travels, camps and is a ham radio operator. He is also involved in the Freemasons and values the idea that people from different backgrounds can meet on the same level.
That same belief shapes how he wants people to see ALG.
“It’s a place that, no matter what background, race, gender, anything like that, you can come, feel comfortable, connect with other people, have fun and share your stories,” he said.
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