USSOCOM Warrior Care Program All-Sports Camp and annual conference kicks off in Orlando

By: Michael Bottoms - Office of Communication - 10/24/2019

  • Army Gen. Richard D. Clarke, commander U.S. Special Operations Command, gives opening remarks at the Warrior Care Program (Care Coalition) annual conference in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 22, 2019. The three-day conference will cover topics including prosthetic innovation, suicide prevention, and special operations forces well-being. The Warrior Care Program focuses USSOCOM’s wounded, ill and injured service members and their families. The program provides advocacy and care coordination services to more than 15,000 participants. Photo by Michael Bottoms, USSOCOM Office of Communication.
  • Army Gen. Richard D. Clarke, (left) commander U.S. Special Operations Command stands with the USSOCOM Warrior Care Program’s (Care Coalition’s) 2019 Patriot Award recipients in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 22, 2019. The Patriot Award recognizes exceptional and enduring contributions to the welfare of USSOCOM’s wounded warriors and their families. From left, Chris Carter Charity for Life founders Drs. Stanley Carter and Beth Zimmer-Carter, Kenneth Fisher of Fisher House, Members of the Duluth, Ga., Police Department accepting for Lt. Bill Stevens from Operation One Voice and H. Kelly Ammerman, acting director of USSOCOM’s Warrior Care Program. Photo by Michael Bottoms, USSOCOM Office of Communication.
  • Army Gen. Richard D. Clarke, commander U.S. Special Operations Command, receives instruction in archery at the opening of the USSOCOM Warrior Care Program (Care Coalition) Military Adaptive All-Sports Camp in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 22, 2019. More than 30 athletes are expected at USSOCOM’s fall camp for adaptive sports. Adaptive sports programs and reconditioning activities help with mental, emotional, spiritual, physical and social healing as service members and veterans develop camaraderie and mentor one another. Photo by Michael Bottoms, USSOCOM Office of Communication.

​U.S. Special Operations Command’s Warrior Care Program (Care Coalition) hosts its All-Sports Camp for military adaptive sports participants in Orlando, Florida, Oct. 21-24. More than 30 athletes are scheduled to participate in cycling, shooting, archery, rowing and golf. Concurrently, the Warrior Care Program holds its annual conference Oct. 21-23.

The conference kicked off with Army Gen. Richard D. Clarke, commander USSOCOM, giving opening remarks and presenting four Patriot Awards. The Patriot Award recognizes exceptional and enduring contributions to the welfare of USSOCOM’s wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans and their families. This year’s recipients are the Chris Carter Charity for Life founders Drs. Stanley Carter and Beth Zimmer-Carter, Kenneth Fisher of Fisher House and Bill Stevens from Operation One Voice.


“This community remains as dedicated as ever to our most enduring SOF truth: Humans are more important than hardware,” said Clarke. “It's a long battle but with the continued support from people like you and an enduring emphasis from this command, it's a battle that we will win.”


Care Coalition leaders and staff will discuss topics including prosthetic innovation, suicide prevention, and Special Operations Forces well-being during the three-day conference. The Warrior Care Program focuses on wounded, ill and injured USSOCOM service members and their families. The program provides advocacy and care coordination services to more than 15,000 people.

Many of the innovations and program improvements discussed during the conference will directly benefit the athletes who will participate in the fall adaptive sports camp. The more than two dozen athletes in attendance will also benefit from the sports program’s reconditioning activities which help with mental, emotional, spiritual, physical and social healing as service members and veterans develop camaraderie and mentor one another.

The camp will help familiarize participants with the sporting events included in the upcoming 2020 Warrior Games scheduled for Sept. 21-28, 2020 in San Antonio, Texas. Tryouts for Team SOCOM 2020 will be held at USSOCOM’s spring camp Feb. 28 – March 6 at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Spring camp participants will be able to experience all Warrior Games sports, and results achieved in each sport will be used in the team selection process. Selected athletes and mentors will meet next summer to train for Warrior Games 2020.

Participants in USSOCOM’s military adaptive sports program do not have to compete in Warrior Games sports. There are also recreational opportunities available. Upcoming events include the Warrior Sailing Program Basic Training Camp in St. Petersburg, Florida, Dec. 3-5. The sailing camp trains participants in sailing and sailboat racing. Training is facilitated by world-class coaches using techniques and equipment adapted to meet the varying needs of the participants.

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