FORT LEWIS, WA -- The Warrior Transition Battalion on Fort Lewis, WA, is hosting a Paralympics Military Regional Sports Camp to give wounded Army soldiers the opportunity to compete in sporting events while working on their rehabilitation.

About 30 to 40 wounded soldiers and veterans were expected to participate in the first-time event, which began Tuesday and ends today.

Competitions include adaptive rowing, sitting volleyball, track and field and swimming. Organizers said the camp will expose participants to adaptive sports as part of their recovery and continued transition in life.

"For warriors in transition, we sometimes have challenges in helping them find their new normal of what their life is going to be, and through sports, we are able in a different way get them out and active and understanding, 'Yeah, I can do that,'" Army Lt. Col. K.C. Bolton, Warrior Transition Battalion commander, said in a Pentagon Webcast. "And, getting over that mental block ... it is easier when we are throwing them into the sports environment."

The Warrior Transition Unit was outlined in the Army Medical Action Plan to develop a holistic, sustainable system where soldiers are supported, treated and vocationally rehabilitated to prepare them to successfully return to duty or transition to civilian life.

U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, offers Military Sports Camps in partnership with community groups and military installations for wounded troops. Additionally, U.S. Paralympics is helping to connect injured military personnel with sports programming in their local communities so they can continue to participate when they return home.

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