Air Force wounded warriors attend adaptive sports camp

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Staff Sgt. Lara Ishikawa explains the functions of a recumbent bike during an adaptive sports program camp March 21, 2013, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. The goal of the Air Force Wounded Warrior Adaptive Sports program is to introduce adaptive sports early on in the healing process in order to promote physical, social, emotional and spiritual healing. Ishikawa is assigned 359th Medical Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Westin Warburton)
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Air Force wounded warriors attend adaptive sports camp

Posted 3/28/2013 Updated 3/28/2013

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by Staff Sgt. Alexandra Hoachlander
Air Force Public Affairs Agency

3/28/2013 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) -- More than 50 wounded, ill or injured Airmen from the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Patient Squadron participated in a two-day adaptive sports camp here March 21-22.

The camp was provided by the Air Force Wounded Warrior Adaptive Sports Program, which introduces wounded, injured and ill Airmen to adaptive sports, such as wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball, as early in the healing process as possible, and to get them interested in competing locally, or even at the national level at the Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The program is meant to help Airmen heal not only physically, but socially, emotionally and spiritually.

"Competition, camaraderie, testing physical limits; those things become forgotten in the recovery process and some warriors develop an 'I can't' philosophy," said Tony Jasso, the Air Force Wounded Warrior Adaptive Sports Camp Program manager. "We are here to show them that they can."

In December 2012, the program transitioned from an Air Force Services-run program, to an Air Force Personnel Center, Air Force Wounded Warrior program that reaches Air Force wide. This made it possible to merge the program with the intended population. Since that time the program has tripled the amount of new participants from 27 to more than 100 new athletes.

"Since transitioning to this new program, we have had a lot of success with informing Airmen, and it has been a grand benefit to those in their recovery process," Jasso said.

"This program saved my life," said retired Staff Sgt. Larry Franklin, who has been involved in the Air Force Wounded Warrior Adaptive Sports Program for more than a year. "Being part of a team again gives me a sense of pride and makes me feel like I'm a part of something. It took me two years to stop being a tough guy and let people help me, and I encourage everyone else to do the same - to become a part of this program - because once you do, you're a part of a family."

Identification, education and participation have made adaptive sports opportunities another method the Air Force can use to help warriors heal, and sets a new standard of care.

"I will keep participating as long as they will let me," Franklin said. "The hope the people running the program give me goes above what sports alone could ever do."

For more information about this and other programs for wounded, ill or injured Airmen, visit www.woundedwarrior.af.mil.