In an unequivocal finish, the United States Special Operations Command sitting volleyball team faced off against the U.S. Air Force team. Though the USSOCOM was unable to earn the gold medal, they came away with the silver. The game was full of emotion and determination from both sides. The match was both a competitive spectacle and a battle of wills. The U.S. Air Force team eventually was able to claim victory.
The games up until the finale were all hard fought. All athletes walked away with their heads held high.
The USSOCOM exceeded not only the crowd’s expectations but also their own. Overall the USSOCOM team earned dozens of team and individual medals, a most impressive feet.
U.S. Army Veteran Sergeant First Class Fred Lewis was one of the key members of the volleyball team.
“After the initial victory, we woke up and realised that we actually had some talent, and rode that high till the very end,” said Lewis.
The most rewarding aspect of the Warrior Games was the building of closeness and camaraderie. This was furthermore expressed by how well the USSOCOM Care Coalition had benefited the entire team. Something that none of the athletes had expected.
Lewis also encouraged other active and veteran wounded warriors to compete in the games or any other such events in the future.
“We (SOCOM operators), as a population, tend to hide,” said Lewis. “We should be getting involved to show other active-duty guys and veterans with disabilities that there is a lot more we can do than we think we can.”
It is not only the athletes that are impacted by events like the Warrior Games, everyone involved is also impacted. This includes family members, volunteers, and anyone who worked at the games. It truly makes someone readjust his or her view on what makes a hero, and what it means to be a warrior.
| Date Taken: | 06.21.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.09.2016 16:07 |
| Story ID: | 203499 |
| Location: | WEST POINT, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 49 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Rising Above: USSOCOM Team Rocks the Warrior Games, by SSG Christopher Osburn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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