Subscribe

A team of 98 United States active-duty servicemembers and veterans will participate in the first Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, ill and injured servicemembers set for Sept. 10-14 in London.

“The courage and resilience of our military athletes is an inspiration to all of us," Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Jessica Wright said in a Department of Defense press release. "We are very proud of their service, their accomplishments, their spirit, and are pleased that they are representing us to the world."

The U.S. team will compete against 13 other nations in nine events, including cycling, swimming, track and field, archery, wheelchair rugby, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, indoor rowing, powerlifting and a driving challenge.

The American roster includes 53 active-duty servicemembers and 45 veterans, the release said, drawing 22 competitors each from the Army, Air Force and Navy along with 20 from the Marine Corps and 12 from U.S. Special Operations Command.

Each service branch chose its representatives after a year-long evaluation process. The selected athletes have persevered through injuries and illnesses including post-traumatic stress disorder, brain and spinal cord injuries and amputations.

"The men and women representing the United States and the other 13 nations at the Invictus Games, are the embodiment of precisely what Invictus means: unconquered," James Rodriquez, deputy assistant secretary of defense, warrior care policy, said in the release. "The athletes, despite their wounds, injuries, and illness, have chosen to be the masters of their fate and the captains of their souls. They are an inspiration to the global community."

The Invictus Games will feature teams from Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand and the host United Kingdom. Prince Harry, a veteran of the British military, was inspired to launch the event after attending the similar U.S. Warrior Games in 2013.

Visit invictusgames.org for more information on the event and to purchase tickets. The United States roster for the Invictus Games:

Army Sgt. 1st Class Jorge Avalos Spc. Shawn Cheshire (veteran) Col. Patricia Collins Lt. Col. Daniel Dudek Staff Sgt. Carlton Duncan 1st Lt. Kelly Elmlinger Staff Sgt. Chanda Gaeth (veteran) Master Sgt. Rhoden Galloway Sgt. Robbie Gaupp (veteran) Master Sgt. Daniel Sgt. Sean Hook (veteran) Spc. Geoff Hopkins (veteran) Staff Sgt. Michael Kacer (veteran) Sgt. Delvin Maston Sgt. Ryan McIntosh Sgt. Kawaiola Nahale Capt. Michael Phillips (veteran) Capt. William Reynolds (veteran) Sgt. Monica Southall (veteran) Sgt. Erin Stewart Spc. Elizabeth Wasil Staff Sgt. Jessie White (veteran)Marines Sgt. Charles Anderson Sgt. Lakin Booker Maj. Richard Burkett Lance Cpl. Johnny Canizlopez Sgt. Jesse Clark Cpl. Dustin Gabehart Cpl. Robert Hamilton Gunnery Sgt. Matthew Hammond Sgt. Kevin Hoffman Gunnery Sgt. Tyrone Judge Sgt. Jeremy Lake Master Sgt. Ben LeCour Cpl. Joshua Lopez Staff Sgt. Jeremy Mendiaz Staff Sgt. Jacob Rich Sgt. Brian Scarbrough Sgt. Micihael Touraille Gunnery Sgt. Jason Tumbleson Master Gunnery Sgt. William VanHoy Staff Sgt. Christopher Whittemore Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Adviento Petty Officer 3rd Class Angelo Anderson Petty Officer 1st Class Jim Castaneda (veteran) Seaman Steven Davis (veteran) Seaman Ching Dressel Lt. John Edmonston (veteran) Petty Officer 2nd Class Jacob Emmott (veteran) Petty Officer 2nd Class Isaac Francois (veteran) Petty Officer 3rd Class Jaime Garza (veteran) Lt. Cmdr. Maria Gomez-Mannix Petty Officer 2nd Class Shericka Goza - Veteran Petty Officer 3rd Class Donald Jackson Petty Officer 1st Class Paul Johnson (veteran) Petty Officer 1st Class John Kremer (veteran) Petyty Officer 2nd Class Sonny Lemerande (veteran) Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephan Miller (veteran) Seaman Brett Parks (veteran) Petty Officer 3rd Class Redmond Ramos (veteran) Seaman Javier Rodriguez Santiago Petty Officer 2nd Class Max Rohn (veteran) Lt. (jg) Laura Root (veteran) Seaman Hector Varela (veteran)Air Force Master Sgt. Christopher Aguilera Capt. Lewis Barasha Master Sgt. Matthew Burke (veteran) Senior Airman Cody Caraker (veteran) Staff Sgt. Melissa Conduti (veteran) Staff Sgt. Daniel Crane (veteran) Staff Sgt. Nicholas Dadgostar (veteran) Staff Sgt. Christopher D'Angelo Staff Sgt. Derrick David Senior Airman Colby Dean (veteran) Capt. Sarah Evans (veteran) Master Sgt. Benjamin Horton Staff Sgt. Mark Johnson Tech. Sgt. Chad Lukkes Staff Sgt. Jerimiah Means (veteran) Staff Sgt. Jonathan Olds Lt. Col. Daniel Oosterhaus (veteran) Senior Airman Scott Palomino (veteran) Staff Sgt. Dwayne Parker (veteran) Staff Sgt. Tatiana Perkins (veteran) Staff Sgt. Ryan Pinney (veteran) Senior Airman Marianne Reilly (veteran)USSOCOM Sgt. Roosevelt Anderson, U.S. Army (veteran) Chief Warrant Officer 2 - Daniel Carlton, U.S. Army Maj. Ivan Castro U.S. Army Lt. Col. William Cotty, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Alfredo De Los Santos, U.S. Army (veteran) Tech. Sgt. Israel Del Toro, U.S. Air Force Sgt. 1st Class Emilio Garcia, U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Livesay, U.S. Army (veteran) Staff Sgt. Keven Nguyen, U.S. Army Warrant Officer Anthony Radetic, U.S. Army (veteran) Sgt. Maj. Christopher Self, U.S. Army (veteran) Staff Sgt. Patrick Smith, U.S. Army

Sign Up for Daily Headlines

Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets from around the world.

Sign Up Now