Pinball saved my life and continues to be a major source of mental health for me after my Military days ended.
How's that for benefit.
For me it's a childhood memory because I never played video games with any regularity(don't even own any) and was more interested in the physical aspect of it even at a young age. Now it's the noise and lights and still the physical part of it but mostly the calm it brings to the storm that rages 24 hours inside my head.
Who's to say it doesn't have physical benefits because if your heart rate rises it's definitely physically beneficial.
I can promise you it has mental health benefits on many levels.
Joe Said valuable service as mentioned, Robert Gagno, etc.....
There's nothing not beneficial about pinball except your lack of savings account balance once you get in it.

You are not alone my friend.
r/
Mike

You're incredibly welcome and it was my honor as it is with any service member. I would go back to boot camp tomorrow if I could and do every second of it all over again. I'm almost 54 and literally if they called me and said go i would go. Keys on the table, see ya, bye. Only place I ever fit in.
I was on the Aviation side of the Navy for my career choice. I wasn't boots on the ground in Iraq or Afghanistan but my service intersected through both most recent major conflicts from 1987-2007 like a million others before, during and after me. There is no attempt to steal any valor here. Those Soldiers, Sailors, Airman, and Marines that go through that hell on earth on the front lines will always deserve and have more respect than I will ever try to claim or be part of. They are the real heroes.
I started on F-14s in Miramar and then changed platforms and became a Naval Aircrewman on P-3's for many years as an InFlight Avionics Technician and Ordnanceman Qualified as well. We lack the guns but we can carry Armageddon in a tube. On the ground I ran Maintenance Control for many years as well as a Quality Assurance Chief, etc... Lots of fun, lots of long hours that I wouldn't trade for a second, good times and tough ones and it was my inability to adapt to any sort of civilian existence after 20 plus years of type A bring it every day get it done lifestyle that life came to a screaching halt. In the end when I retired I tried to drink myself to death 24/7 and almost succeeded more than once. It wasn't until my Master Chief (who incidentally is literally the only person from my navy life I still keep in contact with every now and again via text) buddy literally told me to clean myself up and helped me start to navigate real life. Stopped drinking that day 12 years ago and remain sober. Reality outside of the military is a problem for me plain and simple. Job worked until it didn't and had to leave my govt job after a few years. I would've eventually been fired and that's a massive accomplishment for any fed govt position to get yourself fired. I didn't want that on my checklist of accomplishments.
I could blather on and on all day with my nonsense but there are many more struggling worse than I am, I'm 100% sure of that.
Back to pinball. It works for me. It's not just the playing either, it's the tinkering and learning and making modifications etc.... I probably do all that nonsense as much as I play to be honest.
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Mike

Thank you for sharing. Your grandfather! HOLY!! The stuff he experienced. I can't even imagine. Thank you to your brother as well. True hero.
Also to you for the support as it's obvious you hold our military close.
Back to pinball, didn't mean to derail your thread.
Pinball is good for everyone in many ways.
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Mike