OCW honors paralympic athletes
An American Legion Operation Comfort Warriors team handed out backpacks to athletes preparing for the 2014 Army Warrior Trials at the United State Military Academy Preparatory School on Monday, June 9, 2014. Hosted by the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Command (WTC), the trials determine which athletes will compete at the 2014 Warrior Games this fall in Colorado Springs, Colo. (Photo by Tom Bushey)

OCW honors paralympic athletes

Participants in the recent Army Warrior Trials at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point received recognition and gifts from The American Legion’s Operation Comfort Warriors (OCW) program.

The Army Trials, similar to the Marine Corps Trials, are a multi-sport paralympic-style invitational made up of more than 100 wounded servicemembers and veterans. They participated in archery, basketball, cycling, track and field, swimming, shooting, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball. Participants included athletes with spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairment, serious illnesses and amputations.

American Legion Family members handed out about 200 OCW backpacks with water bottles and baseball caps on two nights preceding the opening ceremonies for the games, which concluded on June 19.

More than $17,000 worth of donations were allocated for the wounded warriors for the gifts, as well as medals, plaques and trophies that were awarded.

The U.S. Army Warrior Transition Command hosted the trials, which determine the Army athletes who will compete at the 2014 Warrior Games this fall in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Warrior Games, a unique partnership between the Department of Defense and the U.S. Olympic Committee Paralympic Military Program, is a sports competition for wounded servicemembers and veterans representing all branches of the military.


Operation Comfort Warriors

Operation Comfort Warriors

This program provides comfort items for wounded, injured or ill military personnel. All donations to this fund go directly towards the purchase of these comfort items.

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