Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class August Clawson | Warren Flautt, director of rehab services at STRIKE, a component of Explosive Ordnance...... read more read more
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SAN DIEGO -- Warren Flautt, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group One director of rehab services, was selected to serve as a member of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic medical staff during the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Games.
Flautt, a native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, currently leads a satellite clinic at Bormio, primarily working with men’s downhill skiing and ski mountaineering, the latter of which is making its Olympic debut at the 2026 Games.
“Being a proud American, I feel such honor in representing the United States of America competing at the highest level on the world stage,” says Flautt. “I’m also stoked to represent the EOD community and demonstrate the quality of care we bring to the table.”
Navy EOD’s human performance program, known as STRIKE, focuses on strength, conditioning, rehabilitation and sports medicine to optimize the well-being of the warfighter. Its mission to sustain technical and tactical readiness through an integrated human performance program requires world-class providers.
Flautt, a board-certified sports physical therapist, joined the STRIKE provider team in 2025. He served in the Army as an active-duty physical therapist as well as a civilian provider for special operations. Involved in sports medicine for over 20 sports in all levels of competition, he has spent over 22 years in the human performance and physical therapy field.
"Being a member of EOD and helping service members accomplish goals in their military careers is a great part of working at STRIKE,” says Flautt. “Our patients’ success is our success and seeing them go on to reach new milestones after working with our team fosters a special sense of pride.”
Flautt notes some differences in his experience working with the military and elite athletes, but he finds more common ground between how sports teams and the Navy EOD community depend on and take care of each other.
“The military operates with a broad scope of tasks, where success could mean several different things, while individual athletes train for one thing with the goal to win,” says Flautt. “However, in both circumstances, there is a shared priority to ensure the men and women to our left and right are good to go.”
While Olympians and EOD technicians conduct their jobs with vastly different goals in mind, they both understand precision and attention to detail in training make all the difference in the end.
Milan Cortina isn’t Flautt’s first Olympic Games. His resume details experience with high-caliber athletes in a variety of sports, including surfing, weightlifting, wrestling, sailing, rugby, BMX, football, volleyball and soccer, in levels ranging from high school up to an international arena, where he served as a provider for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and the 2023 Pan American Games.
“It’s always inspirational to see an athlete return from injury and compete at the highest level,” says Flautt. “To see the American flag raised during our national anthem and know firsthand the obstacles that athlete had to overcome brings a wave of emotion that keeps me coming back.”
Integral to Navy EOD, the STRIKE program provides high level care directly to the service members in the community, sustaining technical and tactical readiness through organic human performance support. Flautt finds that leadership within the EOD community built a firm foundation for the STRIKE program to find success in its endeavors.
“I’m grateful to work with a supportive team, where there is a shared understanding that our people are more important than the hardware,” says Flautt. “While physical equipment is important, our most valuable assets are resilient, strong and healthy service members ready to achieve the mission.”
Flautt makes up just one building block of the high caliber team at STRIKE and within the EOD community. His attitude and passion for his trade inspires a culture of high standards, dedicated training and functional career longevity for his patients and fellow providers to exemplify.
EODGRU-1 is a critical part of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) that clears explosive hazards to provide access to denied areas, employs advanced tactics and technologies to exploit and secure the undersea domain for freedom of maneuver, builds and fosters relationships with trusted partners, and protects the nation.
| Date Taken: | 02.18.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.18.2026 15:28 |
| Story ID: | 558312 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, EODGRU 1 Sports Physical Therapist Supports U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Medical Staff, by LT Erin Wiley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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