The 2018 Department of Defense Warrior games are underway at the U.S. Air Force Academy outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. More than 300 athletes representing the Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy and Special Operations Command along with soldiers from Australia, Great Britain and Canada are competing in ten different adaptive sports competitions.
The games, open to the public, run through the end of the week.
Editor’s Note: Six Grady College students from the Sports Media Certificate and Visual Journalism programs, are in Colorado covering the Warrior Games as part of their summer capstone courses.
Veteran Robert Jones, a member of Team Marine Corps, of Vienna, Virginia, puts his hand on Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony DieliÕs shoulder, a member of Team Navy, of San Diego, California, after Jones won their race and turned around to finish the race with Dieli at the Warrior Games on Saturday, June, 2, 2018, at the Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado. Around 300 veteran and active duty service members will be competing throughout the 2018 Warrior Games. (Photo/Miranda Daniel, Grady Sports Bureau)Veteran Daniel Brown, a member of Team SOCOM, of Dallas, Texas, blows a kiss to someone in the crowd then points to them before competing at the Warrior Games on Saturday, June 2, 2018, at the Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado. Around 300 veteran and active duty service members will be competing throughout the 2018 Warrior Games. (Photo/Miranda Daniel, Grady Sports Bureau)Karah Behrend, 24, a member of Team Air Force, of Kingwood, Texas, competes in the womenÕs 4×100 relay at the Warrior Games on Saturday, June 2, 2018, at the Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado. Behrend had a group of supporters, which included her half-sister, whom she in person for the first time the day before. (Photo/Miranda Daniel, Grady Sports Bureau)
Safeena Alcocer, 45, from San Diego, her daughter, Karina Alcocer, 7 and Zoe Tretter, 8, from Denver, walk holding hands during the Department of Defense Warrior Games on Saturday, June 2, 2018 at the U.S. AirForce Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado. The group said they were cheering for no team in particular, just there to support all of the warriors. (Photo/Christina R. Matacotta, Grady Sports Bureau)Roxy and Ryan Telluride, husband and wife from Colorado, sit under an umbrella in the stands of the Department of Defense Warrior Games on Saturday, June 2, 2018, at the U.S. AirForce Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo/Christina R. Matacotta, Grady Sports Bureau)Special Forces Commander Brant Ireland, of Willow Spring, North Carolina, leans over Petty Officer Second Class Mario Ingram, of Orange Park, Florida, to give Sergeant Robert Jones, of Vienna, Virginia, a fist bump at the Department of Defense Warrior Games on Saturday, June 2, 2018, at the U.S. AirForce Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado. The three men were anchors for their respective relay team. (Photo/Christina R. Matacotta, Grady Sports Bureau)Corporal Romario Santiago-Lloyd, of Jacksonville, North Carolina, anchors the 4×100 meter relay at the Department of Defense Warrior Games on Saturday, June 2, 2018, at the U.S. Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado. Lloyd competed in several track events throughout the day. (Photo/Christina R. Matacotta, Grady Sports Bureau)Sergeant Ernesto Altamarino, from Pomona, California, holds his son, Eli, after finishing his track events at the Department of Defense Warrior Games on Saturday, June 2, 2018, at the U.S. Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado. Pomona’s family watched him compete in races throughout the day. (Photo/Christina R. Matacotta, Grady Sports Bureau)Navy Petty Officer Third Class Damion Hedington from Holden, Louisiana, catches his breath after he competed in the men’s 800 meters at the United States Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Saturday, June 2, 2018. Hedington is an athlete competing in the ninth edition of the Department of Defense Warrior Games. (Photo/Zoe L. Smith, Grady Sports Bureau)Air Force Technical Sgt. Michele Prindle, from Indianapolis, Ind., competes in the women’s shot put at the U.S. Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado on Saturday, June 2, 2018. Prindle is an athlete competing in the ninth edition of the Department of Defense Warrior Games. (Photo/Zoe L. Smith, Grady Sports Bureau)Air Force Senior Airman Karah Behrend (left), from Guilford, Conn., and Army Sgt. First Class Heather Moran (right), from Kenmore, Wash., wait to compete in the womenÕs shot put at the U.S. Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Saturday, June 2, 2018. Behrend and Moran are both athletes competing in the ninth edition of the Department of Defense Warrior Games. (Photo/Zoe L. Smith, Grady Sports Bureau)
