Photographs by Dennis Steele he inaugural Warrior Games, held in Colorado Springs, Colo., brought together approximately 200 competitors representing all services for a series of events at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and U.S. Air Force Academy. Hosted and administered by the U.S. Olympic Committee s U.S. Paralympics division, team and individual competitions included seated volleyball, wheelchair basketball, archery, cycling, swimming, air rifle and pistol shooting, and track and field events. The games were organized through the efforts of the Department of Defense, U.S. Paralympics and the United Service Organizations. Service teams were proportionally allocated slots for the games, and participants were drawn from the ranks of currently serving wounded, injured and ill warriors in the Army s case, particularly from soldiers in Warrior Transition Units and veterans. BG Gary H. Cheek, the Army s assistant surgeon general for warrior care and transition, said, The number one thing I asked [participants] to do was to take this flame, this Olympic torch, this spirit it has brought to them back to their comrades who are also recovering and moving forward and light that spark in them get their comrades back into life and into physical activity. That, he said, will have a great impact on veterans in treatment and recovery programs. 30 ARMY n July 2010
Army team member Robert Brown (center, wearing black) sprints toward the finish line in a Warrior Games race. Track and field events were held at the U.S. Air Force Academy outside Colorado Springs, Colo. July 2010 n ARMY 31
Top and right, members of the Army team march into the U.S. Olympic Training Center s plaza during the opening ceremonies of the Warrior Games. Navy veteran and National Football League Hall of Fame member Roger Staubach lights the Olympic flame for the Warrior Games.
Members of one of the Army seated volleyball teams cheer as another Army team scores. Members of an Army seated volleyball team gather on the court to discuss tactics before a match. July 2010 n ARMY 33
Top, Robert Price serves. Bottom left, MSG Clark Stone from the Fort Campbell, Ky., Warrior Transition Unit coaches one of the Army seated volleyball teams. Army volleyball player Kisha Makerney waits for a serve. 34 ARMY n July 2010
Zachary De La Cruz prepares to serve. Army wheelchair basketball team member Gerald Coffey sets up for a free throw. Craig Smith eyes a shot as he maneuvers through the Navy squad. 36 ARMY n July 2010
Above, archers on the shooting line during competition. Right, Daniel and Marqua Biskey watch as Daniel s arrows are scored. Marqua served as Daniel s coach and cheerleader at the Warrior Games. Daniel lost a leg to a mine in Afghanistan while serving with the 5th Brigade (Stryker), 2nd Infantry Division. Jeffrey Anderson takes aim. 38 ARMY n July 2010
Swimmers dive into the pool during competition at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. A competitor splashes down his lane during a breaststroke heat. Below, Rachelle Renaud, from the Fort Hood, Texas, Warrior Transition Unit, competes with the Army swimming team. Bottom right, Rachelle s grandmother, Nancy Spence, holds a sign for Rachelle during the opening ceremony. 40 ARMY n July 2010
An Army shooting team member pauses for reflection before a match. Left, Army shooters compete in the air pistol event. Above, targets hang in the Olympic training facility range. Below, computerized scoring results for each shot are displayed on a screen. The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit trained members of the Army shooting team at Fort Benning, Ga., to prepare them for the Warrior Games. Army shooter Shawn Porter squeezes off a shot in the air rifle competition. He won the gold medal for the event. July 2010 n ARMY 41
Alfredo Delossantos crosses the finish line during one of the cycling events. It snowed on the day of the cycling competition. Army cyclist Damian Orslene joins hands with competitors from other services at the starting line. Delossantos smiles while being interviewed after his event. 42 ARMY n July 2010
Left, Robert Nuss strains to get maximum distance in the standing shot-put event. Above, Brandon Longe and, below, Robert Brown prepare for their throws. July 2010 n ARMY 43
Lorianne Flippo runs in the women s 1500- meter race, right, winning the gold medal, and recovers after crossing the finish line. Johnathan Holsey recovers from a sprint, above, and dashes to the finish line, right. He lost his leg in Iraq in 2004 as a noncommissioned officer and continued on active duty, going on to graduate from the warrant officer candidate course. He is assigned to Fort Gillem, Ga., as a human resources technician and won silver and bronze medals at the Warrior Games. 44 ARMY n July 2010
Above, Michael Kacer fights through the pain during a race. Wounded as a member of the Army National Guard s 28th Infantry Division in Afghanistan, he won the bronze medal in one of the 400-meter events. Left, Robert Brown regains his wind after taking a bronze medal in the men s 1500-meter race. July 2010 n ARMY 45
Medals await presentation. Army team members took 68 medals during the games but placed third in team point totals behind the Marine Corps team that won the Chairman s Cup and the Air Force team that placed second. Below, a wheelchair displays unit pride. Robert Price accepts an archery bronze medal in the compound bow division. Army archers swept the recurve bow division: Michael Lukow (gold), Curtis Winston (silver) and Jeffrey Anderson (bronze). 46 ARMY n July 2010
Above, the Army team swept a 100-meter race division: Robert Nuss taking gold; Jeremiah Luttmer, silver; and Michael Badman, bronze. Johnathan Holsey, left, with his medals. Brittany Cosom with the gold medal from the women s 100-meter race. M Michael Kacer displays his medal. 48 ARMY n July 2010