10 Best Shooting Army Games

Best Shooting Army Games in 2023

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US Army Iraq Vet, Leg Amputee Now a World Class Sprinter

The U.S. Army News Wire reports that Sgt. Jerrod Fields, a below-the-knee amputee sprinter in the Army World Class Athlete Program, won the 100 meters event at the Endeavor Games.

"This is my second season and my first real year of training", said Fields. "Everybody else that I'm competing against either was born without a femur or foot or something. I'm just coming on brand new. I'll catch them by the London Games (2020 Paralympics). I'll be ready."

Although Sgt. Fields lost his leg within months of enlisting in the Army due to injuries sustained in Iraq, he has never complained or dwelled on his situation. Sgt. Fields was forced to make the difficult decision to amputate when recovering from a roadside bomb that exploded beneath his humvee in Baghdad, 2005. After recovering, Fields has not skipped a beat in his life or Army career. He calls raising his two pre-school daughters his "real job" and now competes as a sprinter in the Army World Class Athlete Program.

The Army World Class Athlete Program offers soldiers and officers the support and training to compete in elite level international sporting events to include the Olympics and Paralympics while maintaining a professional Army career. Most sports in the World Class Athlete program are individual based sports that have yearly tournaments and Olympic events. The Army has an All-Army Sports Program for team sports such as soccer, basketball, and volleyball. All-Army sports convene once a year for tryouts, a training camp, exhibition games, and then a tournament against other armed forces both from the U.S. and the world. Depending on the sport and whether it is a World Military Games year, the All-Amy Sports Program usually only convenes from 1 to 3 months out of the year. Typically, Army World Class Athletes train year round and attempt to attend military training and schools around their events.

While competing against a field of able-bodied college sprinters at the Occidental Invitational in Los Angeles earlier this spring, Sgt. Fields finished second with a time of 12.0 seconds in the 100 meter sprint event. Fields' coach, the world renowned track coach Al Joyner, believes that Fields has the potential to achieve world record times in the 100 meter and 200 meter events. Joyner, an Olympic gold medalist himself, is famous for training his late wife, Florence Griffith-Joyner, and sister, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, to Olympic gold medals in their sprint and jumping events.

Although participants in the Army World Class Athlete Program and All-Army Sports Program devote many days of the year to training and participating in their sport, they still maintain proficiency in their Army specialty, attend required military schools, and are competitive with their peers for promotion. One soldier, Staff Sgt. Michael Artis, flew directly from Afghanistan in January 2020 to Ft. Eustis, Virginia to compete in the All-Army soccer trial camp. The Army World Class Athlete Program and All-Army Sports Program provide multiple benefits to the soldier and the Army to include establishment of a standard of excellence in physical fitness, a positive image for recruiting and public relations, motivation and morale boost for the Army, camaraderie between different armed services, and the ability for top-level athletes to maintain a career in the Army and their sport.

Sources:

Army News Wire, Morale, Welfare, amp; Recreation "Below-the-knee amputee Fields runs for berth in 2020 Paralympics" Tim Hipps

The NCO Blog "Great NCO's Lead By Example" William Bradner

Ft. Eustis Wheel "Ft. Eustis Hosts All Army Soccer Trial Camp 2020" Maj. Chris LeCron