Stack-Up.Org’s Air Assault is ready to land at PaX South on the last weekend of January! Throughout the year, we will be supporting deserving veterans and active duty soldiers by paying for them to attend special video game and geek culture events. At less than three months since Stack-Up began, we are proud to announce and introduce our first recipient of our Air Assault project. Andy “BionicWarVet” Toppin will be joining us at the Penny Arcade Expo happening January 29th- 31st, and we couldn’t be more excited to spend time getting to know him better and giving him access to this life-changing event.
Andy joined the Army in 2007 and became an MP. He spent a year in Korea then Ft. Lewis before deploying to Iraq with 4-21D in September 2009. The 4-2 may sound familiar as it was widely publicized as the “Last Combat Unit in Iraq.” Andy would have been part of the whole troop movement back to Kuwait, but (in his words) “some bomb had other plans.” On December 12th,2009, Andy sustained multiple injuries in the line of service. He lost his right leg below the knee, broke his left leg completely though doctors were able to save it, and had severe burns on his face and arms. Andy then spent a couple years of rehab at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.
He medically retired from the Army in 2012 and moved to Houston where he now resides. If you ask him why he supports Stack-Up, you will hear how video games helped him through his own personal issues and continue to help him even today. He desires to make sure every Veteran has the same opportunity and knew he needed to be a part of Stack-Up when he watched Nate and Stephen share that same passion on their first Twitch broadcast. Andy is very much looking forward to being a part of the Air Assault at PaX. “I have never been to a gaming event of any kind, so I am beyond excited and grateful to get this chance.” We at Stack-Up are incredibly thankful for Andy’s sacrifice and service and are honored to provide this opportunity to a true Hero.
Our hope is to extend our Air Assault mission to many others throughout the year. If you would like to apply or have someone you think is deserving, you can find more information about requirements here. As always, veterans are our mission; gaming is our passion. Air Assaults are just one of the ways we can show our support and give back to those who have given so much of themselves.