Photo By Master Sgt. Tyrone Marshall | Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., left, talks about how the Warrior Games help wounded...... read more read more
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By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Warrior Games are important because they show America’s wounded warriors that ability conquers disability, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday.
Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr. visited the set of DoD News’ “Adaptive Warrior” live broadcast to discuss the impact of the Warrior Games as the 2014 competitors prepared for today’s closing ceremony at Falcon Stadium.
“I think, first of all, it’s tremendous support for our wounded warriors,” he said. The games also show them that ability conquers disability, which is very important, Winnefeld said.
“These people have been through a lot - wounds seen and unseen,” Winnefeld said. So we should do anything we can to help them recover from those wounds, he said.
Impact of Warrior Games
The vice chairman said the Warrior Games are a “terrific program” to assist in the recovery of the wounded, ill and injured.
“It allows them to overcome adversity,” Winnefeld said. “It allows them to do it with people who are like them who have been through the same kinds of experiences they’ve been through.”
“And quite honestly,” he said, “in many of their cases, it’s saved their lives. They’ll tell you that quite openly.”
In other cases, Winnefeld said, it’s just lifted them up and made them feel a lot better about who they are and where they’re going in life.
Past Experience with Warrior Games
The vice chairman, former commander of the Colorado Springs, Colorado-based U.S. Northern Command, has been involved with the Warrior Games since its second year.
“I was very privileged to be sort of the opening ceremony speaker,” Winnefeld said. “[I] fell in love with this wonderful venue and also the whole idea of the Warrior Games back then, and have been very directly involved ever since.”
Honoring Sponsors
Winnefeld lauded the sponsors who have helped to make the competition possible.
“I can’t say enough about Charlie Huebner and the entire U.S. Olympic Committee,” he said, “as well the wonderful organizations that have helped promote and sponsor these games including Deloitte, the USO, Fisher House, the Bob Woodward Foundation - they’ve just been incredibly generous because they recognize the importance of this particular venue.”
The U.S. Olympic Committee has been leading it all, Winnefeld said, in very close partnership.
They know how to do these things right, he said, and they have been a class act since Day One.
Anticipation for Closing Ceremony
Winnefeld expressed anticipation for a loud closing ceremony to celebrate the achievements of Warrior Games competitors.
“One of the dreams I’ve had, ever since I came here for the first event, was to have the closing ceremonies in a big venue with a lot of noisy people,” he said.
“So what better place to do it then at the halftime of the Navy-Air Force football game,” Winnefeld asked, “where, hopefully, there’ll be 35,000 maniacal fans of these young men and women who’ve done this screaming at the top of their lungs?”
The admiral said he hoped the experience would be “spine-tingling” for the competitors, their families and the fans, he said.
“So I’m really looking forward to [the ceremonies],” Winnefeld added.
| Date Taken: | 10.04.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.04.2014 19:52 |
| Story ID: | 144312 |
| Location: | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 68 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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