A team of 31 elite United States Special Operations athletes are preparing to launch into a full week of rigorous competition to kick off the 2016 Department of Defense (DOD) Warrior Games at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, June 15.
In its sixth year, the DOD Warrior Games is an adaptive sports competition for wounded, ill and injured servicemembers and veterans. Athletes from all U.S. military branches, as well members of the British Armed Forces, will be competing in eight adaptive sports including archery, cycling, field, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, track and wheelchair basketball.
The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) team is comprised of active duty and veteran servicemembers from across the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. These team members come from an array of military specialties ranging from operators to supporting enablers. Some of the athletes were wounded in combat, and others were injured during deployment training or while supporting operational forces.
For athletic participants, the journey to the competitive stage begins long before the annual event.
For USSOCOM athlete Jason Wakefield, that journey began when he decided to take up adaptive sports after finishing his military career. Wakefield, a U.S. Air Force veteran who served under USSOCOM, deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan.
"My road to the Warrior Games was a little different," said Wakefield. "After dealing with post traumatic stress disorder, I had hit rock bottom, and my life was turned upside down. I was able to pick myself back up through adaptive sports."
Wakefield said he had originally started his journey in adaptive sports through the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program, but he had served under USSOCOM and wanted to be involved with those with whom he had served.
"I reached out to the USSOCOM Care Coalition, and they immediately assisted me," said Wakefield. "I started going to the Warrior Games trials and thankfully qualified for the USSOCOM team."
Wakefield described the experience of being part of the Warrior Games:
"I have been doing adaptive sports for a few years, and this has been a great experience. It has helped me realize I can have a purpose in life, and I can get back out there. It is a great feeling to be here at West Point with my teammates who have shared many of the same experiences I have. We really enjoy being here together."
To support the athletes’ road to recovery, the funding and resources come from a variety of individuals and organizations; the USSOCOM Care Coalition is at the top of that list.
"The Care Coalition has also helped with me getting back in school and assisting me with my life goals,” said Wakefield. "They have truly made sure I am not being left behind. I am not a number to them. I am a person. It is like being part of a unit again where you have camaraderie and pride."
The mission of the USSOCOM Care Coalition is to provide wounded, ill, and injured Special Operations Forces (SOF) service members and their families with advocacy to enhance their quality of life and strengthen readiness across the enterprise. The Military Adaptive Sports Program is a critical part of that outreach.
It’s a program and commitment that Care Coalition Director U.S. Army Col. Cary Harbaugh takes personally.
“Supporting our force and families is more important than ever before. The welfare of our service members and their families is paramount to SOF readiness and our ability to accomplish the mission. Programs like the Warrior Games inspire recovery, camaraderie, and promote new opportunities for personal growth and achievement,” said Harbaugh.
Show your support for Team USSOCOM athletes throughout the week by following and engaging through these digital media channels:
Facebook: Facebook.com/ussocom
Twitter: @ussocom #teamsocom
DVIDS: www.dvidshub.net/unit/USSOCOM
YouTube: youtube.com/user/USSOCOMHQ
Website: www.socom.mil
Care Coalition
Facebook: Facebook.com/sofcarecoalition