Air Force Featured Stories

2018 AF Warrior Games team announced

  • Published
  • By Shawn Sprayberry
  • Air Force Wounded Warrior Program
The U.S. Air Force Wounded Warrior Program is proud to announce the 2018 Air Force Warrior Games team. Forty primary and ten alternates were selected by a team of coaches and staff at the 5th Annual Air Force Trials at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, in late February 2018. The 40-person team will compete at the Department of Defense Warrior Games at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, June 2-9.

The DoD Warrior Games is a paralympic-style competitive event featuring 11 different sports: archery, cycling, track and field, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, track, wheelchair basketball and, for the first time in Warrior Games history, indoor rowing, powerlifting and time-trial cycling.

“While the Warrior Games is a competitive event, it is more about resiliency and recovery,” said Col. Michael Flatten, Air Force Wounded Warrior Program director. “These competitors are going out to show everyone how adaptive sports have helped them and will walk away with their personal bests in whatever sport they compete in. I am hoping they bring home a lot of medals but, in the end, I am really hoping they see themselves as part of a team that will help them achieve their very best.”

The team is made up of a mixture of active-duty, Guard, and Reserve Airmen and veterans.

“We’re really excited by this new team,” said Marsha Gonzales, AFW2 support branch chief. “Over 60 percent are AFW2 members who have never competed with us before. I certainly echo Col. Flatten’s comments. The Warrior Games is meant to highlight how important adaptive sports are in recovery. Our team will do well no matter what and we look forward to seeing them compete alongside their brothers and sisters in arms.”

The team captains are:

Master Sgt. William Lickman

Retired Tech. Sgt. Joshua Smith

The remaining primary athletes are:

Retired Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon

Capt. Hunter Barnhill

Senior Airman Karah Behrend

Airman 1st Class John Berry

Tech. Sgt. Alexandar Bustard

Retired Senior Airman Brett Campfield

Retired Senior Airman Heather Carter

Staff Sgt. Vincent Cavazos

Master Sgt. Michael Christiansen

Retired Staff Sgt. Justin Fuchs

Master Sgt. Lisa Goad

Senior Airman Matthew Gonzales

Master Sgt. Kenneth Guinn

Retired Master Sgt. Shanon Hampton

Retired Capt. Lawrence Hufford

Master Sgt. Linn Knight

Retired Tech. Sgt. Russell Logan

Retired Staff Sgt. Janelle Lykon

Lt. Col. Audra Lyons

Capt. Travis Manter

Col. Jacquelyn Marty

Retired Lt. Col. Melissa McAvoy

Staff Sgt. John Meyer

Retired Senior Airman Rafael Morfinenciso

Retired Capt. Kristen Morris

1st Lt. Ryan Novack

Tech. Sgt. Derrall Peach

Retired Staff Sgt. Steve Pearson

Retired Tech. Sgt. Michele Prindle

Retired Tech. Sgt. Ricardo Rivera

Master Sgt. Andres Rodriguez

Master Sgt. Benjamin Seekell

Maj. Teresa Sellers

Maj. Stacie Shafran

Retired Senior Airman Hannah Stolberg

Lt. Col Juliana Walker

Master Sgt. Brian Williams

Staff Sgt. Brent Young

The alternate athletes are:

Master Sgt. Miguel Acevedo

Master Sgt. John Angel

Master Sgt. Vincent Beck

Staff Sgt. Brian Biviano

Retired Staff Sgt. Kristina Coble

Retired Master Sgt. Vickie Lebrun

Tech. Sgt. Andrew Rivera

Retired Tech. Sgt. Cherise Vogel

Retired Staff Sgt. Amanda Vrba

Follow the action at www.dodwarriorgames.com and on AFW2 social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We’ll keep you updated throughout the weeks and days leading up to the competition with athlete profiles and information about upcoming competitions.