WEST POINT, N.Y. — After a week of intense international competition, the 2016 Department of Defense Warrior Games drew to a close here June 21 with a medal ceremony and concert, followed by fireworks.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley reminded the audience that the competitors, representing all services, the U.S. Special Operations Command and the United Kingdom armed forces, were the best of the best.
“This is a tough competition,” he said. “A lot of people don’t realize what this competition means. First of all, you had to walk the hallowed grounds of the battlefield or you had to get injured or sick in the service of your nation. That alone makes you the best of the best.”
Paralympic standards
Milley noted that the Warrior Games competitors had earned their places at the games by competing against a field of 2,000 to 3,000 other athletes at regional and service-level trials in track and field, swimming, shooting, archery, sitting volleyball, cycling and wheelchair basketball.
“They had to meet Paralympic standards. The coaches, the staff, the referees were all professionals and former Paralympians. The standards were high. This is a tough competition,” the general said. “There’s not an athlete on this field who got there by themselves. They got there because of their families, their caregivers, their medical professionals, their coaches, their friends and countless others. You’re a tremendously inspiring group of people. Thank you so much for your spirit of competition and your resiliency.”
From June 15-21, wounded, ill and injured athletes competed in the various sports, pushing through injuries and reconnecting with friends. For some, this was their last Warrior Games and their next competition will be the Invictus Games. For others, the road to the Paralympics is just beginning.
The week culminated in a gold medal matchup in volleyball between Air Force and SOCOM, with both teams keeping the score tight in both games. The Air Force team earned gold by topping SOCOM 25-23 and 25-22. The final game of the week was wheelchair basketball, with Army dominating the Marine Corps team 62-23 for the gold.
Heart of the team
Though the athletes felt a sense of accomplishment with the medals, most of them said their biggest takeaway from the week was the sense of camaraderie and friendship. This year, the Warrior Games added Heart of the Team awards. These were awarded to one member on each team who best exemplified the camaraderie of the sport. The teams chose who received the awards and surprised each recipient.
The recipients were medically retired Army Sgt. Ryan Major, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dakota Boyer, medically retired Navy Airman Austin Chance Field, medically retired Air Force Capt. Chris Cochrane, SOCOM Navy Lt. Ramesh Haytasingh, and royal marine Justin Montague.
