Photo By Tech. Sgt. Marleah Miller | Team Special Operations Command competes against Team Army during a sitting volleyball...... read more read more
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Athletes with U.S. Special Operations Command’s Warrior Care Program earned 111 medals during the 2025 Department of Defense Warrior Games, July 18-26, taking home 51 gold, 40 silver and 20 bronze medals in multiple events including cycling, wheelchair basketball, track and field, wheelchair rugby, archery and swimming.
The Warrior Care Program provides wounded, ill and injured special operations service members and veterans with resources to aid in their recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration. As part of that mission, the program uses adaptive sports to help participants rebuild physical strength, regain confidence and reconnect with a supportive community, both during competition and in everyday life.
“We’ve seen people arrive at camp withdrawn and disengaged, and after 10 days, they leave with a light in their eyes again,” said Kelly Ammerman, director of U.S. SOCOM’s Warrior Care Program. “It pulls them back into their community and their family, and the effects go far beyond the games.”
Adaptive sports and the Warrior Games provide an opportunity for athletes to compete, but successful recovery stories are seen in more than the podium finishes.
“Their mission becomes recovery,” said Ammerman. “If you give them the opportunity and create the space to do it, they will surprise you – and a lot of times they will get back to the team.”
For many of the athletes, the Games are more than just a competition against the other service branches.
“For us, as staff, the Warrior Games are not just about medals,” said Lance Wills, deputy director of the U.S. SOCOM WCP. “It’s about getting people out of that funk, getting them back in a team concept and back to the person they were before their injury or illness.”
In addition to recovery and rehabilitation, the Warrior Care Program helps service members navigate the transition from active duty to civilian life. That support can include medical care coordination, connecting families with resources, and career planning for the next chapter after military service.
The ongoing support provided by the WCP includes opportunities to stay active and engaged. Adaptive sports gives participants a way to maintain physical fitness, set personal goals and stay connected with others who share similar experiences.
“It’s given me something to look forward to and goals to set each year,” said U.S. Army Master Sgt. Jerry Millan, an athlete on Team SOCOM and noncommissioned officer in charge of the Warrior Care Program’s East region. “It keeps me physically fit, focused on recovery and connected to a community that understands what I’m going through.”
Millan said his own path to recovery was unlike many of his peers who were injured in combat.
“When I became sick, there was no clear road map for how to navigate it,” said Millan. “The Warrior Care Program gave me that community I was missing, and now I can help others walk the path I once had to forge on my own.”
All content from this year’s games can be found here: https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/warriorgames25
The 2026 DoD Warrior Games will be held in San Antonio, Texas.
| Date Taken: | 07.26.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.05.2025 14:07 |
| Story ID: | 544805 |
| Location: | COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 77 |
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This work, Team SOCOM wins 111 medals through adaptive sports at 2025 DoD Warrior Games, by TSgt Marleah Miller, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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