For Sailors on the remediation team aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), radiological surveys can be stressful. For some people, finding a healthy outlet for their frustrations can be challenging, but some of the remediation team do not have to look any further than their game consoles.

Their go-to game is Battlefield I, a first-person shooter (FPS) video game, in which players participate in weapon-based combat with a World War I theme.

"We all have our own individual games we play, but when we get together as a group, we play a lot of Battlefield I," said Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Charles Ripperger.

The group, known as "Butter Squad," consists of an average of 12 people from the remediation team. "Butter Squad" refers to the multiplayer team selection in the game, named using the English phonetic alphabet (Apple, Butter, Charlie, Duff).

Whether they play immediately after arriving home from work or later on in the evening, the group plays for two hours or more each day.

"It's a good way to blow off steam from the work day," said Airman Tony Mederski about playing with his teammates. "Instead of going out and drinking, we stay home and play first-person shooters."

People who play video games long-term may handle stress better than non-playing adults and become less depressed and hostile following a stressful task, according to a study by Texas A&M International University associate professor Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson.

Ferguson's study and others have shown that playing video games as a team can be used as team-building exercises due to the promotion of group cohesion.

"It's definitely brought us closer together at work," said Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Cole Gallagher. "It's the number one thing we can all talk about."

While Ripperger, a 2nd class petty officer, is the highest ranking of the group by military standards, it's actually Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Harrison Ellis that holds the highest ranking in the game. Although there are still hierarchies to follow during the workday, when it comes to gaming: skill, rather than pay grade, defines one's rank.

"When we get online, all bets are off," said Ellis. "We don't talk about work stuff when gaming, and what is said and done while playing Battlefield I is left in the game. Regardless of what happens at work, we will always be able to let it go and come together as a team to complete the mission."

What happens in the game may stay in the game, but the benefits of their camaraderie makes an appearance at work.

"I think our gaming time helps keep the production level relatively high because we can get all of our talk out after the work day as opposed to during the working hours," said Ripperger. "It keeps everybody motivated to finish up the work day."

With the ship progressing toward RCOH, it is important that Sailors find positive ways to relieve stress, stay motivated and try to promote a good work environment for themselves and their fellow shipmates.

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