Keesler chief represents Air Force in inaugural Warrior Games in May

Published April 7, 2010
By Tech. Sgt. Gregory Washburn
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Damian Orslene, 81st Training Support Squadron superintendent, is one of only 25 Airmen and veterans chosen from a pool of Air Force wounded warriors to participate in the inaugural Warrior Games, May 10-14 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

An estimated 200 athletes are selected proportionally from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard according to the Warrior Games Web site. Participants are chosen by each individual branch of service.

Orslene originally learned of the Warrior Games "sitting at my desk one day. I get the wounded warrior bulletin and in the newsletter it mentioned the Warrior Games."

Swimming was part of the therapy during his recovery from "multiple injuries sustained in Iraq," said Orslene. "Now I swim a mile three or four times a week."

Due to a lack of swimming participants for the Air Force, Orslene said the Air Force service representative was excited to learn that he's a swimmer.

"Yes, he's swimming a mile!" Orslene heard on the other end of the phone line while discussing his training with the Air Force service representative. "Then I got scared because I got excited too. I'm a triathlete, an athlete my whole life ... this would be great if I could be an athlete again."

These inaugural games are part of a joint effort between the Department of Defense and the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Athletes competing in the Warrior Games have sustained injuries including upper body injuries, lower body injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries and post traumatic stress.

According to the Warrior Games Web site, "The Warrior Games provide a focal event to empower the incorporation of athletics into military wounded warrior programs, and provide an opportunity to introduce paralympic sports to injured service members, while at the same time building camaraderie and raising awareness of paralympic competition and adaptive sports in general."

In addition to swimming, events include shooting, archery, sitting volleyball, cycling, track, wheelchair basketball, discus and shot put. In addition to winners in each event, there'll be an "Ultimate Warrior" competition in a pentathlon format and service team scoring for a rotating Chairman's Cup.