Photo By Vernishia Vaughn | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Reginald Campbell competes during the powerlifting event at the...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas – March 5, 2026 – When doctors told U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Reginald Campbell, a 94E radio COMSEC repairer, that he might never walk again, he didn’t hear defeat. He heard the words repeated by his mother throughout his life:“You can do anything you put your mind to.”
The words of his mother, grounded in the Warrior Ethos: never quit, never accept defeat and never leave a fallen comrade, carried Campbell onto the fields of competition at the 2026 Army Trials at Fort Bliss, Texas, Feb. 25 – March 6, as he competes for the first time.
Campbell, assigned to the Soldier Recovery Unit, Hawaii, credits the Warrior Ethos and his multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as shaping his identity. While having hopes of attending Ranger School, a devastating prognosis threatened both his mobility and his career. He didn’t let the prognosis affect him; he leaned on what sustained him downrange – the Warrior Ethos.
“The Warrior Ethos says you’ll never quit and never accept defeat,” the Detroit native, said. “These are principles I live by on and off duty and I wasn’t going to let someone else tell me I wasn’t going to walk again dictate my future.” With the unbreakable drive to heal and return to the fight, although it now doesn’t include Ranger School, Campbell’s rehabilitation and recovery while assigned to the SRU introduced him to adaptive sports where he has a new understanding of who he is as a Soldier.
“It’s Staff Sergeant Campbell 2.0,” he said. “Not a changed life, it’s a new life and a new perspective.”
Through ARCP’s adaptive reconditioning program, Campbell discovered that adaptive sports challenged him physically and mentally. He said adaptive sports demand resilience in new ways and reinforced his drive to get back in the fight, even if the arena looked different.
“Some of these adaptive sports are harder than regular sports,” he shared. “You see Soldiers with different injuries competing at a high level. It inspires you. It’s a reminder that your story isn’t over.”
Never Alone
Campbell credits a close-knit group of supporters for living out another core principle of the Warrior Ethos: never leaving a comrade behind.
When he navigated trails, they stayed close. As he regained mobility, they positioned themselves in front of and behind him on hikes. At the beach, when he struggled to get out of the water, they were there to help without hesitation.
“They let me do things on my own,” Campbell said. “But they made sure I was never alone.”
Their steady presence reinforced the Army’s commitment to its Soldiers as the primary mission. Campbell said their belief in him fueled his determination to keep pushing.
“I hear people say, ‘I don’t know how you do it,’” he said. “It hurts sometimes, but it fuels me. It reminds me that I can still do more.”
Readiness is Recovery
Army Trials underscores the Army’s commitment to readiness and empowering Soldiers to overcome injury or illness. For Campbell, readiness now extends beyond deployment and into daily recovery, maintaining mental toughness, physical strength and the discipline to keep moving forward with the goal of being ready for anything.
“If you stay ready, you never have to get ready,” he said. “That applies on deployment and in recovery. It’s a resiliency tool to keep in your back pocket.”
As he competes for a chance to represent Team Army at the 2026 Warrior Games, Campbell remains focused on continued healing and what he says is his ultimate goal, continuing to serve in the military.
“My goal is 100 percent to stay in the Army,” said Campbell. “If it were up to me, I’d go to Ranger School right now.”
At the Army Trials, Campbell’s journey reflects the strength and determination of Soldiers in recovery, along with the Army and the robust power of adaptive sports and ARCP’s adaptive reconditioning program.
About Army Trials: The Army Trials is the Army’s premier adaptive sports competition for wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers and qualifying veterans. The event showcases sport as a platform for rehabilitation, unity, health and fitness. The Army Trials underscores the Army’s commitment to readiness, the warrior ethos, and empowering soldiers to overcome their injury or illness. The top 40 competitors will be selected to represent Team Army at the 2026 Warrior Games.
| Date Taken: | 03.05.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.13.2026 15:31 |
| Story ID: | 559822 |
| Location: | EL PASO, TEXAS, US |
| Hometown: | DETROIT, MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 10 |
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