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It’s all about being a part of the team

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sean Campbell
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Brett Campfield, 336th Training Group volunteer strength coach, was selected for the Air Force Warrior Games Team back in February when he competed in the Warrior Games Trials and competed in the Department of Defense Warrior Games June 2-9.

Campfield was selected back in February to compete with the Air Force team in the Warrior Games. He competed in indoor rowing, cycling, archery, track and sitting volleyball. He left the competition having earned ten gold medals and one silver.

“You can’t compete if you don’t show up,” said Campfield. “I did very well for my team, which has always been my mindset; what can I do to bring home more medals for the team? So, if I get gold in something and I do well for myself, that’s a bonus.”

The focus for Campfield and his teammates was not on how they, as individuals, could be successful but how they could make the team successful.

The Air Force Team earned more medals than any other team, bringing home 70 gold medals, 56 silver, and 39 bronze.

“While the games were going on, it was all about the team working together not as individuals,” said Capt. Hunter Barnhill, 14th Flying Training Wing instructor pilot. “Brett is the type of guy to not let barriers, neither mental nor physical, get in the way of the team’s success.”

This year, the games were hosted by the Air Force in Colorado Springs, Col. The event brought together members from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Australian and British military.

“I felt that the comradery across all of the services was there, to include the Canadians, Australians and the Europeans,” said Campfield. “The biggest thing that stood out to me was everyone coming together and understanding that everyone is coming from the same place of injury or stress.”

Down the road, Campfield is working toward returning to the Warrior Games in 2019 which will be in Tampa Bay, Fla., hosted by the United States Special Operations Command. After that, he plans on trying for the 2020 Invictus Games, in The Hague, Netherlands. Invictus is an event created by Prince Harry for wounded, injured or sick armed service members from around the world who compete in a fashion similar to the Warrior Games.

Campfield also signed up for the Air Force Wounded Warrior ambassador program so that he can further learn and give back to the program, and the military as a whole. The original reason for participating in the Warrior Games was so that he can learn more information about the program and athletics to bring back to the Airmen of the 336th Training Group that he coaches.

“The program has done a lot of good things for me and it has done even more good things for other people,” said Campfield. “So anything I can do to help out and support, I will.”

Read about Campfield’s time in the Warrior Trials here: https://go.usa.gov/xUTqm