COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Volunteers from the 1st Space Brigade assisted in the preparation for the inaugural wounded Warrior Games taking place this week in Colorado Springs.
Approximately 200 wounded servicemen and women from all five branches are taking part in the five-day event through a joint effort between the Department of Defense and the U.S. Olympic Committee's U.S. Paralympics division.
Events include shooting, swimming, archery, sitting volleyball, cycling, track, wheelchair basketball, discus, and shot put.
The call went out for volunteers in the military community, and Staff Sgt. Gregory Tidwell from the 1st Space Brigade, also the president of the Pikes Peak Chapter of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club (SAMC), got the go-ahead from the brigade to help out.
Last Friday members from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Space Brigade (to include SAMC volunteers) went to the U.S. Olympic Training Center here. They were 1st Sgt. Anthony Manalo, Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Collins, Staff Sgt. Mark Bagwell and Spc. James Fennell.
Their mission was to organize clothing for the participants into categories such as item, service branch, gender, and size for distribution on Monday when the warriors arrived.
On Monday evening the Pikes Peak Chapter SAMC participated in the opening ceremony for the Warrior Games at the Olympic Center.
According to Manalo, "We were all in our Service Uniforms representing 'Team Army' and simply showed our support by cheering on the Olympians."
The volunteer participants for the Opening Ceremony were: Tidwell, Manalo, Bagwell, Collins (SAMC Candidate) and Staff Sgt. Benjamin Sharp (Pikes Peak Chapter SAMC Vice President.)
The occasion also proved to be a specials one for Bagwell. "One of my heroes, Roger Starbuck, legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, lit the flame during the opening ceremony," he said.
Bagwell pointed out that Army Space Soldiers were also prepared to provide escort services to VIPs should there be a need.
Manalo summed it up for the entire Army Space Soldier effort, saying, "For this occasion the volunteer work was well worth it.
"This is a phenomenal event to honor our nation's heroes who made their sacrifices to protect our nation and an awesome way to give back to our comrades in arms and to the men and women of our sister services.
"It is an honor to have served with these great Americans and it was also a tribute to give a little of our volunteer work to a life-long sacrifice that these men and women have given to our nation only to keep it safe."
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