Event Report: The 2nd Annual U.S. Army Wargame Day at the U.S. Army Museum

Aaron Danis, 2 February 2026

On 23 January 2026, I attended the 2^nd Annual “Army Game Day: A Historic Miniature Wargame Conference” held in Veteran’s Hall at the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. It is sponsored by the Army Historical Foundation (AHF), which supports the museum’s mission of telling the story of the U.S. Army. I somehow missed the event last year (despite being an AHF member) and I was determined to attend this year, even with a major snowstorm brewing for the following day.

This is a small event, and it only runs from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (museum hours), but it has the potential to grow. Currently it is largely a miniatures event, but this year there was one board game of notable exception. According to Kathleen Lugarich, the AHF Senior Director for Historical Initiatives and Educational Development, the Foundation was approached by a gaming enthusiast who helped organize and manage the games that commemorated Army battles through its 250-year history and allowed participants to engage with the history and explore different battle strategies as well as have some fun.

Welcome to Veteran’s Hall (L) and set up begins (R).

click images to enlarge

I showed up at 9:00 am and found the set up was just starting so I took a quick tour of the museum, which is free. It is thematically broken into 7 sections with artifacts, and I lingered longest in the World War II and modern era sections. I made sure I took a selfie with Cobra King, the M4 Sherman from the 4^th Armored Division’s 37^th Tank Battalion. It was the first tank to break through into Bastogne and relieve the siege of U.S. forces there on 26 December 1944.

Me and Cobra King (L), and a picture of the tank shortly after the Bastogne battle (R). My grandfather fought in a Sherman in Europe in WWII.

After my quick tour (I need to go back some day and take my time), I went back upstairs and gaming was underway. There were 9 large table groupings in the hall in a 3 x 3 layout, like a tic-tac-toe game. The miniatures games were around the outside, with the board game in the center. All the games focused on battles involving the U.S. Army.

As gamemaster for the Bitter Woods game, Jeremy Osteen brought his super-sized version with a giant map with 1-inch hexes and counters. I briefly met Jeremy at Compass Games Expo in November, and he is one of the top BW players in their annual tournament. While he explained how to play, I walked the rest room.

(L) Jeremy (reaching) explains BW; (R) the room is hopping at 10 am.

Here is the San Juan Hill game; on the right future U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt is on his war horse “Little Texas” in the middle of the action!

The Siege of Savannah at the start (L) and in the heat of the assault (R).

Cowpens at start (L) and later close action (R). The detail of having the leaves on the ground (the battle was in January) was amazing.

Confederate cavalry approaches a western town (L) and confront Union forces in a raid (R).

U.S. forces cautiously advance (R) while awaiting reinforcements. There was a wide variety of U.S. and German armor available for this game (L)

The Battle of Cedar Creek with another beautiful board (L); the Union closes to musket range (R).

Korea 1950 featured U.S. Shermans, Pershings, and a Chafee light tank (L) vs North Korean T-34/85s (R) in a cat and mouse battle around hills and forests.

The last miniatures game featured the U.S. 29^th Infantry against German armor and infantry in the French bocage at about D+21 after D-Day.

Supersized BW turn 1 was a learning turn, plus a bit of kibitzing (that part was my fault). I snagged a picture with Jeremy (R) at the end of the day as we discussed what to do next year.

The event was a great experience, if somewhat constrained by time and the one-day limit. I saw gamemasters proudly showing off their beautiful games and forces, and the event was well attended by folks who wanted to learn how to play wargames (including several kids; they seem to gravitate to the miniatures). I really have respect for our miniatures’ gaming counterparts. Jeremy Osteen is a great BW gamemaster also, and I love the oversize map and 1-inch acrylic playing pieces. It makes it a lot easier to teach the game. Next time, however, I want to play!

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