USSOCOM Selects Athletes for the 2016 Invictus Games and Warrior Games

Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Jayson Price | Members of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Military Adaptive Sports Program (MASP) team participate in a weeklong training event Feb. 28 to March 4. Veteran and active duty Special Operations Forces are preparing for the 2016 Department of Defense Warrior Games June 15-21 at West Point, N.Y. MASP is designed to assist in both the physical and mental recovery process and works to improve the overall health and welfare of wounded, ill, or injured Special Operations Forces through exposure to adaptive team sports and recreation.  

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES

04.18.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Mark Shrewsbury 

U.S. Special Operations Command

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) selected the 16 wounded, ill and injured Special Operators and veterans participating with the U.S. team at the 2016 Invictus Games and the 42 wounded, ill and injured Special Operators and veterans representing Team SOCOM at the 2016 Warrior Games.

The SOCOM athletes will compete with the U.S. in ten sports against teams from Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, May 8-12, 2016 in Orlando, Florida at the Invictus Games and compete in eight sports against the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Army and United Kingdom Armed Forces teams, June 15-21, 2016, in the Warrior Games at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York.

The Special Operators and veterans competing at these prestigious events are:

2016 Invictus Games

• Col. (Ret.) Patricia Collins, U.S. Army
• Maj. Ivan Castro, U.S. Army
• Capt. (Ret.) Sean Walsh, U.S. Army
• Warrant Officer 1 (Ret.) Anthony Radectic, U.S. Army
• Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Shawn Mello, U.S. Army
• Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) David Neumer, U.S. Army
• Master Sgt. (Ret.) Mark Vomud, U.S. Army
• Sgt. First Class Yancy Taylor, U.S. Army
• Sgt. First Class Alfred Martinez, U.S. Army
• Sgt. First Class (Ret.) Sualauvi “Sua” Tuimalealifano, U.S. Army
• Sgt. First Class (Ret.) Joshua Lindstrom. U.S. Army
• Sgt. First Class (Ret.) Howard Sanborn, U.S. Army
• Staff Sgt. (Ret.) Patrick Smith, U.S. Army
• Staff Sgt. Lauren Montoya, U.S. Army
• Tech Sgt. Israel Del Toro, U.S. Air Force
• Sgt. (Ret.) Roosevelt Anderson, U.S. Army

2016 Warrior Games

• Col. (Ret.) Patricia Collins, U.S. Army
• Lt. Col. David O’hearn, U.S. Army
• Maj. Gerard Dempster, U.S. Army
• Maj. (Ret.) Robert Kilmartin, U.S. Army
• Lt. Ramesh Haytasingh, U.S. Navy
• Capt. (Ret.) Sean Walsh, U.S. Army
• Lt. (Ret.) Ralph Deconti, U.S. Army
• Warrant Officer 1 (Ret.) Anthony Radetic, U.S. Army
• Cadet Christopher Lofgren, U.S. Army
• Sgt. Maj. Jerry Hochstedler, U.S. Army
• Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Tyler Marciano, U.S. Army
• Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Jeremy Bruns, U.S. Army
• Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Edward O’neil, U.S. Army
• Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro, U.S. Army
• Master Sgt. (Ret.) David Neumer, U.S. Army
• Senior Master Sgt. (Ret.) Kimberly Hernandez, U.S. Army
• Sgt. 1st Class Lance Borman, U.S. Army
• Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Gonzalez, U.S. Army
• Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Harrison, U.S. Army
• Sgt. 1st Class Alfred Martinex, U.S. Army
• Sgt. 1st Class Yancey Taylor, U.S. Army
• Sgt. 1st Class (Ret.) Andrew Marr, U.S. Army
• Sgt. 1st Class (Ret.) Josh Lindstrom, U.S. Army
• Sgt. 1st Class (Ret.) Douglas Franklin, U.S. Army
• Sgt. 1st Class (Ret.) Sualauvi “Sua” Tuimalealifano, U.S. Army
• Sgt. 1st Class (Ret.) Fred Lewis, U.S. Army
• Sgt. 1st Class (Ret.) Howie Sanborn, U.S. Army
• Sgt. 1st Class (Ret.) Brian Lowen, U.S. Army
• Staff Sgt. Mark Shrewsbury, U.S. Army
• Staff Sgt. Mario Quinones, U.S. Army
• Tech Sgt. (Ret.) Jason Wakefield, U.S. Air Force
• Petty Officer 1st Class (Ret.) Stephen “Turbo” Toboz Jr., U.S. Navy
• Staff Sgt. (Ret.) Michael Boltz, U.S. Army
• Staff Sgt. (Ret.) Victor Sassoon, U.S. Army
• Staff Sgt. (Ret.) Ryan Murphy, U.S. Army
• Sgt. Mirko Brdr, U.S. Army
• Sgt. Lauren Montoya, U.S. Army
• Sgt. (Ret.) Roosevelt “RJ” Anderson, U.S. Army
• Sgt. (Ret.) Jesus “Chuy” Vasquez, U.S. Army
• Spec. (Ret.) Neal Fisher, U.S. Army
• Spec. (Ret.) Kim Ong, U.S. Army
• Spec. (Ret.) Kyle Butcher, U.S. Army

Wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans will compete in archery, indoor rowing, powerlifting, road cycling, sitting volleyball, swimming, track and field, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis at the Invictus Games and then in archery, cycling, field, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, track and wheelchair basketball at the Warrior Games.

To select the SOCOM athletes this year, USSOCOM’s Military Adaptive Sports Program (MASP), led by Master Sgt. Patrick C. Gilmore, held trials February 27 – March 5 on MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. The most competitive times and scores from the SOCOM trials helped determine which Special Operators and veterans would represent the SOCOM at both the international Invictus Games and the 2016 DoD Warrior Games.

USSOCOM’s MASP assists in both the physical and mental recovery processes and works to improve the overall health and welfare of wounded, ill, or injured SOF, through exposure to adaptive team sports and activities. For more information on the MASP or SOCOM’s Warrior Games team visit: http://www.socom.mil/Care%20Coalition/WWARP. aspx, follow the MASP on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ pages/USSOCOM-Care-Coalition/263764274552?ref=ts

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• Date Taken: 04.18.2016
• Date Posted: 04.18.2016 11:10
• Story ID: 195660
• Location: MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA, US
• Hometown: MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA, US
• Hometown: TAMPA, FLORIDA, US