The US Military's presence on Twitch has been a hotly debated topic, one that has even found its way to Congress via a bill introduced by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which aimed to curb the Military's recruitment efforts on the platform. While that bill was ultimately shot down, the situation has remained controversial. Now, US Navy Twitch training documents have been revealed through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
The documents, obtained by On the Media's Micah Loewinger and shared on Twitter, reveal numerous talking points for the Navy's streamers, and "Do's and Don'ts" for addressing audiences. Some documents are tailored toward dealing with questions relating to war crimes perpetrated by the US Military, which Twitch users have turned into a meme. In fact, it was so prevalent on Twitch that users were speedrunning bans on US Military Twitch channels.
One document features a "Response Decision Tree," which directs the host to avoid responding to certain questions. Another provides four separate responses for "What's your favorite US war crime," one of which states "If you have concerns about Navy policies or actions, I suggest you contact the Federal Elected Officials from your state," with the others being similar deflections.
In addition, the documents provide guidelines regarding which games to play on-stream, though most are popular titles like Modern Warfare, League of Legends, and Grand Theft Auto. Some have found the selections a bit odd, specifically in regards to GTA, though they seem to be pretty standard fare, as far as games that players will tune into go.
 The US Military's recruitment efforts within the video game industry have often been criticized, with some believing that they rely on unrealistic depictions of war and violence to encourage young people to enlist. The new documents likely won't prove popular among those that have criticized the US Military's stance, as many feel the questions regarding war crimes should be addressed head-on.
Platforms like Twitch have become an increasingly important aspect of US politics. Twitch streamers recently broadcasted the final debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, adding young viewers to the event. Additionally, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently streamed Among Us, garnering more than 400-thousand concurrent viewers during the stream. Regardless of political opinions, live streams are proving to be an effective way to connect with young audiences, which have become an increasingly important part of US politics. The situation will be interesting to watch change in the coming months.