Army Shooting Team Prepares Mentally and Physically for 2011 Warrior Games

Filed under Adaptive Sports, Staff Stories, Warrior Games by on May 11, 2011 at 8:03 pm {3 comments}

By Jim Wenzel, WTC Stratcom

Warrior Games Army shooter SSG Kory Irish trains at the Whispering Pines Gun Club in Colorado Springs, CO.

The Warrior Games is an annual competition featuring nearly 200 wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers from all branches of service and is less than a week away. Athletes are preparing to compete in several sports including, shooting, swimming, archery, track and field, cycling, sitting volleyball, and wheelchair basketball at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, on May 16-22.

For the Army’s shooting team, it is time to make the final preparations that may mean the difference in the competition. Part of those preparations includes the active assistance and encouragement of a trio of staff members dedicated to their physical, mental, and technical readiness.

The first member of the trio is the coach, MSG Howard Day. His role is to help the Army shooters acclimate to Colorado’s 6,000 feet of elevation, work with facilities and equipment, and guide them through any last minute shooting issues. The other two staff members are Performance Enhancement Specialist Lindsay Holtz, from the Army Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP), and Physical Therapist CPT Ritland Bradley from Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

One of the many Army shooters training with these coaches and staff assistants is SSG Kory Irish from the Fort Drum Warrior Transition Unit (WTU). Pictured above, Irish earned a gold medal at the Army Marksmanship Unit’s clinic this past January. Now in Colorado, he begins his training by first participating in mental exercises intended to improve his mental performance. Electrodes are first placed under his ears and are connected to an energy management software program on a computer. The program is designed to measure his heart rate, respiration, and levels of brain activity. By breathing deeply and relaxing mentally, Irish can achieve a “state of coherence” which can help him stay focused. Talking about these techniques and their effectiveness, Irish said, “The focusing drills help clear whatever is going on. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, the techniques work.” He is counting on this type of focus to allow him to take the competition one well-aimed shot at a time.

CSF-PREP focuses on increasing the performance of wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers, Veterans, and their spouses at ten sites located at posts and stations throughout the Army. When asked about the importance of mental preparation in the shooting competition, Holtz remarked, “The mental game is essential—each shot could be the tiebreaker.” When asked how these techniques can apply to other areas in individuals’ lives she added, “Tasks such as goal setting can be difficult to do alone. These techniques can apply to all areas of their lives.”

SSG Irish and his teammates, with the continued assistance of MSG Day, Bradley, and Holtz, plan to bring their best physical, technical, and mental game to the Olympic Training Center range next week. In a competition where the winner could be decided by mere tenths of a point, mental stress can build quickly. As the Army shooting team pulls together and good natured inter-service rivalry starts to warm up, they will need all of their training and techniques to ensure they meet their competition at the peak of their performance.

I am the Master of my Fate and the Captain of my Soul

Filed under Staff Stories, Warrior Games by on May 11, 2011 at 7:50 pm {no comments}

By Patricia Sands, WTC Stratcom

AW2 Soldier SGT Alonzo Lunsford coaches three 2011 Warrior Games wheelchair basketball players during training.

SGT Alonzo Lunsford is an AW2 Soldier and one of the coaches for the 2011 Warrior Games wheelchair basketball team. Much has happened since he was a coach last year for shot put and discus. Coach Lunsford was one of the survivors from the Fort Hood tragedy and was shot six times, resulting in blindness in one of his eyes. He is still recovering, but insisted on being at the Warrior Games for the players.

Asked why it was vital for him to return as a coach, he replied, “It is about the Soldiers and showing what is possible. These games are exciting and invigorating. The Soldiers feel alive and see progress with their mind and their bodies. Participating in athletics is very therapeutic. It releases negative feelings and gives an outlet for frustration. The Soldier can take the stress and tension out on the court and not on those in his or her life.”

Watching the players on the court, he added, “The teamwork builds friendships for life. We all have chewed the same dirt. These are my people and they have been through the same pain,” Lunsford said. “What we have been through is culture shock to those out of the military.” After listening to these words, I realized that it is therapeutic for him and the athletes to be together. It is another way to heal and is a reality about which civilians can sympathize, but cannot empathize.

He lives by the words in the title of this blog, “I am the master of my fate and the captain of my soul.” He will tell you that he may not be able to play basketball, but he can coach. He said life is about looking at what you have and making the most out of it. He is from a long line of military and law enforcement people. When I asked this father of five if he was planning on staying in the Army, he replied, “Of course, we are still at war. If I can be of service to the Army, I will stay. When the war is done, I will think about getting out.”

For now he hopes that Warrior Games will expand and more players will come forward. He believes the Warrior Games helps wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers and their Families, while educating and involving the public in a very positive way.

Go Army!

Becoming an AW2 Advocate

Filed under Advocate Story, Training by on February 3, 2009 at 2:16 am {no comments}

To all AW2 staff, Soldiers and Families,

I recently was provided the honor of becoming an advocate for the AW2 program.  I consider it an honor because of what we do everyday for the brave men and women who have sacrificed and their Families who have sacrificed right along with them.  This program, which is unlike any other, affords us the opportunity to give back in the form of a helping hand.   I have just completed the third day of training for new advocates, and so far have been impressed with the program and its functionality.

As a disabled retiree who worked his way from injury to separation hitting bumps in the road at each step in the process, I welcome the chance to provide service to our Soldiers and Families, to aid them in their journey as they transition back to duty or back to their community.  I have met many wonderful people within the organization, and can say with confidence that the Army Wounded Warrior Program is staffed with caring and passionate individuals who show genuine concern for the well-being of Soldiers and Family.  Our commitment to the program and to those we support is of the highest importance.  Without the dedicated personnel, the program would not be successful in caring for our severely wounded, ill and injured.

To the Soldiers and Families whom we support, know that we have your best interests at heart and wake up every morning with the desire to help you get where you deserve to be.  To the AW2 staff that have brought the program to the level that it is currently at, thank you, and continue to make great strides in all areas that our operation encompasses.  To the new advocates that I am currently training with, good luck to you all, and I can tell from our short time together that you will all do great things for our Soldiers and their Families.

Robert Lipp, AW2 Advocate

AW2 Advocate Training

Filed under Training by on February 2, 2009 at 6:14 pm {no comments}

- by Mark Stuart, AW2 Advocate -

I wanted to post a blog so my fellow advocates and AW2 Soldiers could get some insight into the training we have been receiving here in Alexandria, VA.

Although we have only been in training for three days, the wealth of information has been great. Now, I am not one with words, so please bear with me. I spent 23 years in the Army. That’s 23 years of giving and receiving training, so I think I am qualified to judge training. The training we are receiving has been outstanding – from those presenting the training, to the level of detail presented, and especially my classmates. It’s almost more valuable to hear the stories, experiences and opinions of my classmates than the actual presented class itself. Mike, Gerry and Patty have been an asset to this training. Meg, Mary, Jennifer and countless others have obviously placed a lot of time and effort into this, and there is still more to come. These Soldiers are going to benefit beyond measure from what we will be learning here. Thanks to all of the trainers and classmates that have made this an experience.

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