#FlashbackFriday: When the Exchange Passed ‘Go’ to Collaborate on Military Monopoly Editions
Twenty years ago, in late 2002, the Monopoly brand paid tribute to the U.S. Army with a special MONOPOLY: United States Army Edition. The Exchange played a role in the game’s development, working in conjunction with USAOPOLY, the company behind multiple special Monopoly editions.
The U.S. Army edition was designed with Soldiers in mind. Instead of traditional Monopoly playing pieces such as a car, a dog or a hat, the Army edition had pieces such as a combat boot, a tank and a helicopter (there was still a hat—a drill instructor’s hat).
Instead of green houses and red hotels, the Army edition featured black battalions and gold divisions. Traditional “Chance” and “Community Chest” cards were replaced by “Troops” and “Equipment” cards.
“Players takes risks and make deals to command forts that are homes to many of the Army’s career branches and management fields, academies and schools,” an October 2002 Exchange Post story said. “Officers and enlisted personnel alike must wheel and deal for properties such as Fort Bragg, home of the Special Forces; Fort Bliss, home of the Air Defense Artillery; Fort Sam Houston, home of the Medical Command; and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.”
The traditional highest-rent properties—Boardwalk and Park Place—were replaced by The Pentagon and “HQs, United States Department of the Army,” according to the Exchange Post story.
The Army edition proved to be such a success that a little more than a year later, an Air Force edition was introduced, again with the Exchange contributing to its development.
In the Air Force edition, players competed to control aircraft, rocket and satellite properties, according to a November 2003 Air Force Print News story. Air expeditionary squadrons and air expeditionary wings replaced houses and hotels. “Chance” and “Community Chest” cards became Airman’s Legacy and Commander’s Call cards.
“Players navigate the board with a B-2 Spirit, an air traffic control tower, the F/A-22 Raptor, a satellite, an unmanned aerial vehicle or a C-17 Globemaster III,” the Air Force Print News story said.
At the time the Air Force edition was introduced, the Army edition was the most popular board game sold by the Exchange. But customer demand eventually waned and both have been discontinued.
Sources: Exchange Post archives, Air Force Print News, Official Home Page of the U.S. Air Force (www.af.mil).
