Warrior Games athlete and medically retired soldier, Randall "Blake" McMinn, remembers that during his Army career he was taught to leave behind the possibility of failure and the temptation of quitting.That crucial lesson sticks with McMinn now, nearly seven years after his medical retirement.Today, he continues to live with the limitations imposed upon him by the wounds of war, but is competing again this year in the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo.Despite amputation of his right leg below the knee, a series of painful reconstructive surgeries on his left foot, and constant neck...
Staff Sgt. Michael Lage may be loyal to his "Army Green," but he’s hoping to add some gold to his uniform when he vies for medals in cycling and shooting at the 2013 Warrior Games.It’s a quest he never imagined taking on six years ago when he first arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center, known as BAMC, as the sole survivor of a blast in Baghdad that killed four others.The explosion took Lage’s left hand, part of his nose and ears, and caused third-degree burns to nearly half his body.Still, the avid athlete never lost his competitive edge or determination to excel.Last month, Lage not only...
On Mother’s Day 2013, the mothers of many service members did not get to see their sons or daughters who are on deployments far from home.Fortunately, in the case of Marcelyn Berlo, this mother was being flown to Colorado Springs, Colo., where her son, Staff Sgt. Nathan Robbins, is competing in the 2013 Warrior Games.As Robbins represents Team Army in the games, Berlo, along with many other spectators, will witness the culmination of not only one soldier’s personal resilience and perseverance, but also the love and support between mother and son.From Robbins’ injury in Afghanistan to his...
Nearly 200 wounded, ill or injured service members from all service branches have gathered at the Air Force Academy to show their team and individual competitive spirits at the 2013 Warrior Games.One of those warrior-athletes with his eyes on a gold medal this year is Spc. Jon B. Brancheau, an infantryman from Grand Rapids, Mich., currently assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit, Fort Bliss, Texas.Brancheau is attending the games for the first time this year and will be competing in two events: archery and air rifle shooting."I really want to win," he said, as a smile etched its way across...
After doctors told her she’d never walk again, Spc. Elizabeth Wasil ditched her wheelchair and pushed herself into the swimming pool."Seeing that is something I will never forget," said Lisa Stratman, Wasil’s strength coach and World Class Athlete Program, or WCAP, assistant coach.Adding, "She used her arms and upper body to propel her through the water and started rehabbing herself."Wasil sustained bilateral hip injuries while she was deployed to Iraq in 2010.Through sheer determination she qualified for the Warrior Games as part of Team Army in 2012 and 2013."The Warrior Games changed my...
On a sunny Friday afternoon, Maj. John Arbino, sitting in a modified sports wheelchair, pushed himself up a ramp to the uppermost level of a parking deck. With the bright blue sky overhead, he turned around and sped back to the bottom.When he reached the spot where he’d started, Arbino picked up a piece of chalk – which he otherwise kept tucked away behind a pipe at the bottom of the ramp – and marked a tick on a concrete pillar to record the first of many laps he would do that day while training for the 2013 Warrior Games.Despite having been diagnosed with secondary progressive multiple...
Retired Sgt. Monica Y. Southall is working on her goal of finding missing people. But first, she had to find herself.In 2009, Southall was riding in a mine-resistant, ambush protected vehicle, or MRAP, near Forward Operating Base Shank in Afghanistan, when ordnance from an air strike landed too close.She fell off the MRAP, injuring her knees, shoulders and spinal cord.She also suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and severe depression.Throughout her hospitalization and before the start of her recovery process, she no longer wanted to be around people, she said. She just wanted to be...
The official start of the 2013 Warrior Games began when Navy Lt. Bradley Snyder, with the help of Prince Harry and Olympian Missy Franklin, lit the official cauldron May 11 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.From May 11-16, more than 200 wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans from the Marines, Army, Air Force and Navy, as well as a team representing U.S. Special Operations Command and an international team representing the United Kingdom, will compete for the gold in track and field, shooting, swimming, cycling, archery, wheelchair basketball and...
Two years ago, the U.S Army ran away with the wheelchair basketball gold medal, defeating the Marine Corps, 44-19, at the 2011 Warrior Games presented by Deloitte.Last year, the Army once again conquered the Marine Corps, 54-34, at the 2012 Warrior Games.In this year’s gold medal game held during the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., the Army posted yet another win against Marines – but this time, it was anything but a sure thing.Army pulled out the win in the final minute of the game, ending the night with a score of 34-32."I had no idea this game was going to be that close, I’m...
Five cavalry scouts from U.S. Army Alaska won the inaugural Gainey Cup Competition, earning the right to call themselves the best cavalry scout team in the Army.The five-day event held at Fort Benning, Ga., in early March tested the soldiers both physically and on the basics of being a cavalry scout.The competition was named for retired Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, who was the first senior enlisted adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – a position created in 2005."It re-established all of the fundamentals of my job with me," Staff Sgt. Justin Miller, a team leader with...
While the 38th Military Culinary Arts Competitive Training Event may be over, the experiences of the more than 200 service members will have a lasting impact on culinary programs across the military.With 500 judged entries, this event is a primary training opportunity for military chefs.The activities at Fort Lee, Va., showcase the talents of military chefs from around the globe in all branches of the U.S. military.The annual event includes live competitions and displays throughout the entire show to include public viewing dates at the Fort Lee Field House."Overall, this competitive training...
Summer has officially arrived, and with the rising temperatures we also usher in the permanent change of station (PCS) season.Relocation is definitely nothing new for military families, but even after the 10th move, some things never get "easier."But, as with most things in life, preparation is key. Orders in hand, what do you do next? First, split your move into two components: your family and your household goods.Here are some ideas to guide you from the moment you receive orders through the days of unpacking the maze of brown boxes at your new duty station. The houseAs the years go on, it’s...
Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-TexasMember, House Homeland Security Committee and Veterans’ Affairs Committee As a result of Congress’ failure to reach a long-term budget agreement, federal agencies continue to struggle with deep budget cuts and employee furloughs.The Department of Defense (DoD) alone faces $43 billion in cuts due to sequestration.Although DoD and Secretary Chuck Hagel acted quickly to try to soften the blow, service members will still feel the impact of the across-the-board budget cuts.Without careful consideration, these budget cuts will have serious repercussions for service members...
The Association of the United States Army’s Council of Trustees approved the AUSA 2013 Resolutions Committee membership at its spring meeting.Maj. Gen. Dave Kaucheck, USAR, Ret., Arizona Territorial Chapter was selected as the committee chairman. Assisting Kaucheck as subcommittee chairmen will be Lt. Col. Marc Jacobson, USAR, Ret., Redstone-Huntsville Chapter, and Col. Mike Neer, USA, Ret., of the Greater Kansas City Chapter.The committee will convene in Washington October 18 – 23 to compile resolutions which form the Association’s legislative agenda for 2014.The Resolutions Committee...
Association of the United Sates Army officials announced April 18 that the 2014 AUSA Winter Symposium and Exposition will be held, for the first time, in Huntsville, Ala.Traditionally, this symposium is conducted with support from a featured command, namely the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) or the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC).The Army Material Command, headquartered at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, is the featured command for the 2014 symposium.Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, USA, Ret., president of the Association of the United States Army, said, "Locating our 2014 symposium...