Wounded Warrior Games - Pacific
The first Wounded Warrior Pacific Invitational was held in Honolulu, Hawaii. Hosted primarily at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, this competition attracted a total of 150 participants. The Wounded Warrior Pacific Invitational was the largest joint-service competition, after the annual Warrior Games. At the event, service members from the Special Operations Command, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force and Marines took part in the various competitions.
The following year, the US Department of Defense folded the Pacific Invitational into the annual Warrior Games, held in various cities across the United States.
The goal of these competitions is to highlight the potential for wounded service members to take part in everyday life—including athletic events.
The Warrior Games Program
The Warrior Games program is based on the idea that engaging in adaptive athletic training and conditioning can be crucial to the successful reintegration of wounded, ill, and injured service members. This training, and the competition is leads to, are invaluable for the overall health—both physical and emotional—of the participants. Competing with others with similar injuries leads to a sense of belonging and acceptance that is vital to recovery and rehabilitation.
DoD Warrior Games 2016
From June 5 to June 21, 2016, the Warrior Games were hosted in West Point, New York at the United States Military Academy. A total of 250 athletes competed across eight sporting events. Every branch of the US military, as well from the United Kingdom's Armed Forces, were represented. Previously coordinated by the US Olympic Committee, 2016 is the second time that the Department of Defense coordinated and planned the event.
