A good foosball table has been standard issue barroom equipment for decades. Millions of people play the game every weekend in dorm rooms and pubs, and there's even a professional foosball league. What many people may not know is that foosball tables also have a long history in America's armed forces, and a special place in many veterans' hearts.

Foosball tables actually made their American debut not in nightspots, but in military hospitals during World War II, where the game helped wounded GI's regain eye-hand coordination. The twisting movement needed to operate the rods, as well as the fine motor skills required to shoot accurately, made for an enjoyable and effective way to regain coordination and strength. Veterans Hospitals are perhaps the last place many would have thought could spawn this popular bar sport but history doesn't lie.

After the war, soldiers who acquired a taste for the game began installing foosball tables on base, and pretty soon local bars got in on the act and began using foosball tables as a way of attracting aditional customers, too. Of course, foosball had existed for many years in Europe before making its way across the pond. The first foosball tables appeared in soccer-mad France and Germany in the late 1800's. But in post-war America, the game found a new life, and foosball tables began appearing all over the country.

Foosball tables really began to take off in the 70's, with the explosion of competitive foosball. The Tornado foosball table company began promoting competitions with sizeable prizes, and interest in the game grew exponentially. There was even a feature film called Longshot starring Leif Garrett, which was set in the world of professional foosball.

Today, foosball tables can still be found in military hospitals across the country. At the Walter Reed Army Medical center in Washington D.C., foosball tables are still ‘in residence' to help soldiers with their physical therapy, or just to help patients unwind.

Even in an age of video games and other more high-tech diversions, foosball tables remain popular on base. Tournaments are a regular occurrence, and the relative mobility of a foosball table means that some have even found their way into war zones. Unlike most other game tables, foosball tables can easily folded for storage and transport. For a soldier stationed in Iraq, a foosball table can provide a much needed escape from the rigors of daily life and a great way to bond with other troop members.

For the armed forces, games like foosball are a luxury that is not always planned for in the budget, so soldiers have turned to other means. Private donations secured a foosball table at fort Bragg in South Carolina, and one online dealers are available to ship a foosball table anywhere in the country or the world. They may never rank as the most important piece of military materiel or ever be the deciding factor in a battle, but it's clear the U.S. armed forces will always have a special place for a foosball table.