The Wounded Warrior Pacific Invitational recently concluded after a three-day Olympic-style competition in Hawaii, announced Air Force officials. Thirty Air Force wounded warriors joined 90 other athletes from all services and the US Coast Guard for a recognition ceremony and luau at the Hale Koa Hotel in Honolulu on Jan. 11. Representatives from each service branch attended the ceremony and presented their service athletes with a participation medallion, states a Jan. 14 release. Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Hawk Carlisle congratulated the Air Force wounded warriors and told them, “You are an inspiration to us all.” Participants included Active Duty and retired service members with injuries to upper body, lower body, or spinal cord; serious illnesses; traumatic brain injuries; visual impairment; and post-traumatic stress disorder. They competed in cycling, seated volleyball, swimming, track and field, and wheelchair basketball. The Wounded Warrior Pacific Invitational served as preparation for the US Olympic Committee’s Warrior Games, which will be held in April in Colorado Springs, Colo. (See Wounded Warriors Compete at Pacific Invitational.)
As commander of Air Forces Central, Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich has been at the heart of almost all U.S. military action in the Middle East, from overseeing airstrikes against Iranian proxy groups to protecting troops as America’s air defense commander for the region. Just before handing over his command to…