ARLINGTON, Virginia –
The Army Recovery Care Program announced the selection April 19 of 45 athletes to represent Team Army at the upcoming 2021 Department of Defense Warrior Games in Orlando, Florida. Two members of the team are Staff Sgt. Gene Calantoc and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert Coleman of Brooke Army Medical Center's Soldier Recovery Unit.
The athlete Soldiers and veterans represent wounded, ill and injured from the program’s 14 Soldier Recovery Units, who competed in the 2021 Army Trials.
“I am extremely proud of all of our athletes who participated in Army Trials, and I’m excited to see what Team Army can do at Warrior Games,” said Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle, the 45th surgeon general of the United States Army and commanding general of United States Army Medical Command. “Regardless of the results, our athletes are winners for taking on this challenge. I look forward to cheering them to victory.”
The athletes were chosen based on their rankings within each sport and classification. Athletes must compete in at least three individual sports, and are selected based on a combination of their highest-ranked scores and ability to fill the maximum number of sport start rights.
More than 300 athletes will compete in the DoD Warrior Games 2021. They include active duty and veteran U.S. service members from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Special Operations Command, along with teams of international service members from Canada, Georgia and Ukraine.
Teams and individuals will participate in a total of 12 adaptive sporting events, including archery, cycling, field, golf, indoor rowing, powerlifting, precision air sports, sitting volleyball, swimming, track, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby.
Warrior Games will be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort. The games are expected to be open to the public, pending COVID capacity and mitigation measures at the time of the event.
Created in 2010, the DoD Warrior Games introduces wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans to Paralympic-style sports, and demonstrates the life-changing power of sports and therapeutic activities in their recovery and rehabilitation journey. The DoD Warrior Games showcases the resilient spirit of today’s wounded, ill or injured service members from all branches of the military.
The following athletes have been selected to represent Team Army at the 2021 Department of Defense Warrior Games:
- Sgt. Jose Alfaro (Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Maryland)
- (Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Maryland)Capt. Luis Avila
- Sgt. Jared Babinski (Fort Campbell, Kentucky)
- Sgt. 1st Class Rachel Baranek (Support Battalion Hawaii)
- Sgt. James Brennan (Fort Bliss, Texas)
- Sgt. 1st Class SFC Oshaonna Bryant (Fort Stewart, Georgia)
- Staff Sgt. Gene Calantoc (Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas)
- Sgt. Nathaniel Cargill (Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington)
- Retired Maj. Kristina Carney
- Retired Sgt. 1st Class Hyoskin Cha
- Sgt. Maj. Robert Clary (Fort Bliss, Texas)
- Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert Coleman (Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas)
- Retired Sgt. 1st Class Ian Crawley
- Maj. Adriana De Julio (Fort Carson, Colorado)
- Lt. Col. Kyle Eldridge (Fort Carson, Colorado)
- 1st Lt. Angelico Forero (Fort Benning, Georgia)
- Sgt. Maj.Jonathan Garand (Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington)
- Sgt. Tadaris Gardner (Fort Benning, Georgia).
- Retired Spc. Brent Garlic
- Retired Staff Sgt. Meghan Grudzinski
- Capt.Kristina Gscheidle (Support Battalion Hawaii)
- Retired Maj. William Hammac
- 1st Sgt.Troy Isom (Fort Campbell, Kentucky)
- Retired Staff Sgt.Beth King
- Retired Cpl.Frank Matzke
- Private 1st ClassJames McFadden (Fort Carson, Colorado)
- Capt. ShakaO'zie McKelphin (Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Maryland)
- Staff Sgt. Mark Menapace (Fort Carson, Colorado)
- Cpl. Julian Mitchell (Fort Bragg, North Carolina)
- Spc. King Solomon Moore (Fort Benning, Georgia)
- Retired Staff Sgt. Michael Murphy
- Retired Sgt. Jeanette Nichols
- Staff Sgt.Harold Nowden (Fort Benning, Georgia)
- Retired Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Olsen
- Retired 1st Lt. Chris Parks
- Capt. Susan Patton (Fort Hood, Texas)
- Retired Sgt. 1st Class Gregory Quarles
- Retired Sgt. Paul ReifkeStaff
- Retired Staff Sgt. Joel Rodriguez
- Spc. Zachary Secules (Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington)
- Retired Staff Sgt. Michael Shaw
- Retired Sgt. Jason Smith
- Retired Cpl. David Snypes
- Retired Capt. Anthony Storey
- Cpl. Mary Velis (Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington)
Alternates:
- Cpl. Carley Boleware (Fort Campbell, Kentucky)
- Retired Spc. Nathan Butler
- Retired Sgt. Maj. Aaron De Los Santos
- Staff Sgt. Shawn Sharpe (Fort Bliss, Texas)
- Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Sykes (Fort Hood, Texas)