The Deputy Chief of Staff for Warrior Care and Transition is proud to announce the 40 wounded, ill and injured soldiers and veterans who will represent Team Army at the 2019 Department of Defense Warrior Games in Tampa, Florida, June 21-30, hosted by the U.S. Special Operations Command.
Local team members include soldiers Pfc. Kyia Costanzo and Spc. Desiree Price, Joint Base Lewis-McChord; and veteransRetired Capt. Tim Bomke, Bainbridge Island; Retired Spc. Brandon Nielson, Olalla; Retired Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Olson, Spokane; Retired Spc. Brandon Nielson, Olalla; and Retired Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Olson, Spokane.
Approximately 300 warrior athletes with upper-body, lower-body, and spinal cord injuries; traumatic brain injuries; visual impairment; serious illnesses; and post-traumatic stress will engage in friendly competition and experience the healing power of sports.
The Warrior Games were established in 2010 as a way to enhance the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded warriors and to expose them to adaptive sports. The Paralympic-style competition between teams of wounded, ill and injured servicemembers and veterans from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and SOCOM has grown to new heights as it prepares to light the torch for the 10th time.
This year's Warrior Games will include a record five additional teams from U.S. allied nations: the Australian Defence Force, Canadian Armed Forces, the United Kingdom Armed Forces, the Danish Armed Forces and the Dutch Armed Forces. The Warrior Games was also the inspiration and motivation for the Invictus Games, which is hosted by His Royal Highness Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.
The 10 teams will go head-to-head in 14 adaptive sports: archery, track, field, indoor rowing, powerlifting, road race cycling, time trial cycling, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball, and new this year, golf, wheelchair rugby, and wheelchair tennis.
This year's Games will continue the tradition of showing the amazing resilience of wounded, ill and injured servicemen and women from across the world and their ability to thrive and overcome their challenges.
The active-duty and veteran athletes selected to represent Team Army at the 2019 DoD Warrior Games are:
Active-duty:
- Sgt. Jonathan Alexander, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- Staff Sgt. Kenneth Arnold, Fort Campbell, Kentucky
- Sgt. Aaron Averre, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- Spc. Nikita Bowen, Fort Drum, New York
- Staff Sgt. Matthew Brown, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
- Pfc. Kyia Costanzo, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
- Sgt. 1st Class Ian Crawley, Fort Campbell, Kentucky
- Capt. David Espinoza, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
- Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Fontenot, Fort Campbell, Kentucky
- Sgt. 1st Class Angel Gonzalez-Cintron, Fort Carson, Colorado
- Capt. Mya Gordon, Fort Bliss, Texas
- Spc. Austin Harwick, Fort Drum, New York
- Spc. Kevin Holyan, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
- Sgt. Cory Ivins, Fort Stewart, Georgia
- Spc. Stephanie Johnson, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
- Sgt. Tanner Kane, Fort Carson, Colorado
- Sgt. 1st Class Jay Martin, Fort Belvoir, Virginia
- Spc. Christopher Mask, Fort Stewart, Georgia
- Sgt. 1st Class Shannon McLimans, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- Sgt. Gleimarie Mendoza, Fort Hood, Texas
- Capt. Shirley Morales, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
- Spc. Desiree Price, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
- Staff Sgt. Paul Reifke, Fort Belvoir, Virginia
- Sgt. Jorge Rodriguez, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
- Sgt. 1st Class Tiffany Rodriguez-Rexroad, Fort Huachuca, Arizona
- Sgt. Brent Sixkiller, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- Capt. Casey Turner, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- Sgt. Katherine Young, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Veterans:
- Retired Staff Sgt. Ross Alewine, Williamston, South Carolina
- Retired Capt. Tim Bomke, Bainbridge Island
- Retired Spc. Angela Euson, Jacksonville, Florida
- Retired Spc. Brent Garlic, Atlanta, Georgia
- Retired Sgt. Sean Hook, Summerville, South Carolina
- Retired Staff Sgt. Beth King, Deming, New Mexico
- Retired Staff Sgt. Matthew Lammers, Fairmont, North Carolina
- Retired Spc. Brandon Nielson, Olalla
- Retired Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Olson, Spokane
- Retired Staff Sgt. Joel Rodriguez, Tampa, Florida
- Retired Sgt. Jonathan Weasner, New London, Ohio
- Retired Capt. Dandy "Alex" Wilson, Alexandria, Virginia
- Retired Spc. Angela Euson, Jacksonville, Florida
- Retired Spc. Brent Garlic, Atlanta, Georgia
- Retired Sgt. Sean Hook, Summerville, South Carolina
- Retired Staff Sgt. Beth King, Deming, New Mexico
- Retired Staff Sgt. Matthew Lammers, Fairmont, North Carolina
- Retired Spc. Brandon Nielson, Olalla
- Retired Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Olson, Spokane
- Retired Staff Sgt. Joel Rodriguez, Tampa, Florida
- Retired Sgt. Jonathan Weasner, New London, Ohio
- Retired Capt. Dandy "Alex" Wilson, Alexandria, Virginia