INTERSERVICE RIVALRY IN HALO

 The Air Force crushed the other services in the U.S. military's first-ever service-wide video game tournament in Halo Infinite last summer. Perhaps their dominance was due to 86% of airmen between 18 and 34 identify as gamers, maybe their win was because they were more comfortable sitting at desks for extended periods of time than the other branches. While this competition may not be novel (interservice sport competition has a long history), it highlights the fact that the different services are seen as separate entities, between which inherent competition arises. 

Sometimes this competition serves a good purpose for the state. For example, when services compete to do jobs more effectively, it creates a sort of environment akin to healthy capitalist competition; the more effective/efficient business (in this case, service) wins, bettering the state. However, this competition can sometimes lead to negative outcomes. The services may reject cooperation with one another if they disagree on priorities - this can, in a way, sabotage certain objectives the civilian leadership wished to achieve. 

Either way, the competition cannot be avoided, as the services are all fed from the same budget. Inconsequential interservice tournaments, football games, and more are one of the ways the services can play out competition in a friendly environment.