Earlier this year, we brought word of the Cheap Ass Gamer drive to collect games for the US military troops in Iraq. Just a reminder that the drive isn't over and strong. Kevin Stewart, the fella in charge of the Donation Drive, is an independent contractor in Iraq and comes from CheapAssGamers website forums. He has taken up the task of running the donation drive after the previous community member and US Marine Shane Neuhaus stepped down due to his tour in Iraq being over. Over at CAG, Kevin Stewart says:

It's no secret at this point that there are a ton of gamers in the armed forces over in Iraq and Afghanistan. Handheld video games are among the most requested items from our troops stationed in the Middle East, right up there with a home cooked meal and possibly going home sometime soon. There have been games for troops movements in the past, notably Fun For Our Troops and Cheap Ass Gamer's efforts, but this one's from the kids. Peter Gallagher and Jack Wilson created Games For Heroes after organizing a letter writing game to help cheer up the troops. Realizing that letters are nice, but video games are better, the two teens created Games For Heroes, now working in conjunction with MarineParents.com to gather 10,000 new and used handheld systems and games and ship them to the fighting men and women abroad. It's amazing what teens can do when they aren't busy playing video games all day, isn't it? Hit the link below for details on how you can help!

Games For Heroes [Official Site]

Major General Hammond Invokes Pac-Man

U.S. Major General Jeffery Hammond, delivering a press briefing on the progress of the 4th Infantry's efforts in Iraq, revealed the inspiration behind their current strategy for dealing with Al Qaeda operatives and Shiite extremists.

"I believe they have been degraded, we continue to PacMan, like the video game, away at their efforts, at their different levels," Major General Hammond said.

4th Infantry Update from Baghdad [KXRM Fox 21]

Fake Pikachu Brings Iraqi Children Happiness

Former US Marine Eric W. Hall went missing last Sunday after leaving a relative's house in Deep Creek, Florida. According to his family he had been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder since returning from from Iraq three years ago. Hall had returned home with a severe leg injury sustained from a bombing that also killed a close friend. Relatives report that Hall had been playing Call of Duty shortly before his disappearance and they believe that the game may have triggered some bad memories of wartime. While it is not a definitive fact that the game had this effect on him, given the amount of realism that is put into games these days it certainly seems a reasonable possibility.

Hall's family believe that if he he doesn't want to be found, he won't be. They are asking for help from any and all, especially from those with some military experience, in finding the missing young man.

"He just got up and said he had to go," Courtney Birge said about the day Hall disappeared. "He's a son, a grandson, a cousin and a brother. We are not going to stop until we get him home."

We here at Kotaku send our best to Hall's family and hope for his swift return.

Marine may be evading search effort [Herald Tribune]
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Cheap Ass Gamer Collecting Games For Troops

While Super Tuesday is over, the roles and consequences of the US military's involvement across the globe are left fresh in our mind. We'll save you the patriotic one-liners and instead just point out that Cheap Ass Gamer (yeah, we just said "ass") has organized a collection of used, current gen games for the troops in Iraq. The neat part is that after you mail the game(s), the troops will post a picture of themselves with the boxes. It's a nice way that the troops say thanks for us saying thanks for not being the ones in constant danger of bullets, bombs and "sand to butt hole infiltration."

CAG's "Donate Games to the Troops in Iraq" Campaign [CAG]

Fun For Our Troops Sends Gaming Relief

"What they really appreciate over there is the true comforts of home," Blackman Brady said. "The stress relief and the escapism involved in these games, we really think could be beneficial."

Iraq Vet Writes Of His Return Home, Return To Gaming

Phantom Limb Gameboy Survives Gulf War

Islamogaming in the Muslim World

Virtual Reality as Therapy

WoW Watch: Orcs, Dwarves and the Axis of Evil

Gesture War Training