JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- The U.S. Air Force Wounded Warrior Program is proud to announce the 2018 Air Force Warrior Games team. Forty primary and ten alternates were selected by a team of coaches and staff at the 5th Annual Air Force Trials at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, in late February 2018. The 40-person team will compete at the Department of Defense Warrior Games at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, June 2-9.
The DoD Warrior Games is a paralympic-style competitive event featuring 11 different sports: archery, cycling, track and field, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, track, wheelchair basketball and, for the first time in Warrior Games history, indoor rowing, powerlifting and time-trial cycling.
“While the Warrior Games is a competitive event, it is more about resiliency and recovery,” said Col. Michael Flatten, Air Force Wounded Warrior Program director. “These competitors are going out to show everyone how adaptive sports have helped them and will walk away with their personal bests in whatever sport they compete in. I am hoping they bring home a lot of medals but, in the end, I am really hoping they see themselves as part of a team that will help them achieve their very best.”
The team is made up of a mixture of active-duty, Guard, and Reserve Airmen and veterans.
“We’re really excited by this new team,” said Marsha Gonzales, AFW2 support branch chief. “Over 60 percent are AFW2 members who have never competed with us before. I certainly echo Col. Flatten’s comments. The Warrior Games is meant to highlight how important adaptive sports are in recovery. Our team will do well no matter what and we look forward to seeing them compete alongside their brothers and sisters in arms.”
The team captains are:
Master Sgt. William Lickman
Retired Tech. Sgt. Joshua Smith
The remaining primary athletes are:
Retired Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon
Capt. Hunter Barnhill
Senior Airman Karah Behrend
Airman 1st Class John Berry
Tech. Sgt. Alexandar Bustard
Retired Senior Airman Brett Campfield
Retired Senior Airman Heather Carter
Staff Sgt. Vincent Cavazos
Master Sgt. Michael Christiansen
Retired Staff Sgt. Justin Fuchs
Master Sgt. Lisa Goad
Senior Airman Matthew Gonzales
Master Sgt. Kenneth Guinn
Retired Master Sgt. Shanon Hampton
Retired Capt. Lawrence Hufford
Master Sgt. Linn Knight
Retired Tech. Sgt. Russell Logan
Retired Staff Sgt. Janelle Lykon
Lt. Col. Audra Lyons
Capt. Travis Manter
Col. Jacquelyn Marty
Retired Lt. Col. Melissa McAvoy
Staff Sgt. John Meyer
Retired Senior Airman Rafael Morfinenciso
Retired Capt. Kristen Morris
1st Lt. Ryan Novack
Tech. Sgt. Derrall Peach
Retired Staff Sgt. Steve Pearson
Retired Tech. Sgt. Michele Prindle
Retired Tech. Sgt. Ricardo Rivera
Master Sgt. Andres Rodriguez
Master Sgt. Benjamin Seekell
Maj. Teresa Sellers
Maj. Stacie Shafran
Retired Senior Airman Hannah Stolberg
Lt. Col Juliana Walker
Master Sgt. Brian Williams
Staff Sgt. Brent Young
The alternate athletes are:
Master Sgt. Miguel Acevedo
Master Sgt. John Angel
Master Sgt. Vincent Beck
Staff Sgt. Brian Biviano
Retired Staff Sgt. Kristina Coble
Retired Master Sgt. Vickie Lebrun
Tech. Sgt. Andrew Rivera
Retired Tech. Sgt. Cherise Vogel
Retired Staff Sgt. Amanda Vrba
Follow the action at www.dodwarriorgames.com and on AFW2 social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We’ll keep you updated throughout the weeks and days leading up to the competition with athlete profiles and information about upcoming competitions.