Staff Sgt. Carlos Delgado gave Patrick Bowman an occasional helping hand and loads of words of encouragement as Bowman wheeled his blue Top End racing wheelchair over a 100-yard course.

"I'm just here to help," Delgado, a combat medic assigned to 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, told me as Bowman crossed the finish line.

"I served in Afghanistan.  I picked up the wounded; I kept them alive; and now I get to see them recover."

What he didn't tell me is that he didn't have to be at Cowan Stadium this past Tuesday morning.  He could have been on leave.

This soldier doesn't talk about "selfless service;" he personifies it.

As to Bowman, a retired and wounded airman, his smile spoke volumes about his sense of independence.

"Getting used to this racing wheelchair is tough, but good.  I'm glad to be here."

Over 120 Air Force and Army wounded, ill or injured warriors from around the Nation gathered at Joint Base Lewis-McChord this week for a warrior care event and an introductory adaptive sports camp.

The event ends on Friday.

The Air Force Wounded Warrior Adaptive and Rehabilitative Sports Program supports the Department of Defense commitment to the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded, ill or injured warriors.

"This is simply a great learning experience for these athletes," commented Jenn Lizzol, a field events coach, as she helped Staff Sgt. Sarah Engle, an injured airman, prepare for the shot put.

"They get off the couch and back into the Big Blue Family; they get to learn new abilities and find their ‘new normal.'"

Data shows that wounded warriors who participate in adaptive sports become more active as they learn to use athletic equipment and increase their independence.

Sponsored by the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program, Western Regional Medical Command, and the Army Warrior Transition Program, the sports camp featured nine different events ranging from wheelchair basketball and swimming to air pistol and rifle shooting to track and field events.

For Jean Ervin, a recovery care coordinator at Maelstrom Air Force Base, the wheelchair race gave her the opportunity to experience what the wounded experience.

"I want this experience," said the Air Guard veteran as Teresa Skinner, a para Olympic coach, helped her into a racing wheelchair.

"This is going to be challenging to get used to," continued Irwin.  

"But I work with wounded warriors, and I want to know a bit about the challenges they face and how they adapt and overcome."

The event also offered career readiness program training sessions to educate and inform wounded warriors about career readiness, a caregiver focused agenda that includes training on self-care and mentorship training designed to educate these soldiers and airmen who are now ready to help others through their recovery.  

"Today's events are very motivational," said Engle, after putting an eight-pound shot.  "It's inspiring to see other people who face the same struggles."

For more information on the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program, visit www.woundedwarrior.af.mil.