Showing Up for the Nation's Wounded Warriors

Booz Allen recognizes the importance of resilience and camaraderie, particularly among the nation's service members and veterans. That’s why we’re celebrating the courage and determination of warrior athletes as a proud sponsor of the inaugural 2023 Department of Defense (DOD) Warrior Games Challenge. As a tech provider, we’re also bringing innovative technology to the heart of the competition to boost athletic performance and cognitive health.

More than 200 wounded, ill, or injured warrior athletes representing all branches of the military, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and U.S. Special Operations Command, came together to compete. An extension of the traditional Warrior Games, the DOD Warrior Games Challenge was held from June 2-12, 2023, at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California. 

The event drew a crowd of more than 3,000 people in person, including athletes’ family members and friends, as well as leaders from across all the services who came to cheer them on. And online, up to 60 million viewers tuned in to the livestream during the 10-day event.

Among the spectators gathered to see the action firsthand were many people connected to Booz Allen. That’s because nearly 30% of our employees are deeply rooted in the nation’s military community. Whether they’re currently active guard or reserve, veterans, military spouses, or parents of a service member, the event was highly anticipated and very close to the hearts of many of our employees.

The athletes competed in 11 different adaptive sports, including track, field, swimming, cycling, wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, and wheelchair rugby. Access to adaptive sports programs is designed to be inclusive for athletes with disabilities. 

Adaptive sports help wounded warriors find new ways to enhance their recovery journeys. Their injuries can be visible or invisible. By bringing greater recognition to invisible injuries, such as those associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), organizers hope to remove some of the stigma connected to them. 

Resilience is critical as athletes strengthen their purpose and resolve to reach elite performance goals. Booz Allen stands alongside them—innovating for the DOD community with data-driven insights that power human performance. 

Uniquely operating at the intersection of mission and technology, we outfitted 70 athletes with Oura Ring wearables at the Warrior Games Challenge. Gleaning personalized physical and physiological metrics from the wearables, our onsite human performance coaches then helped the athletes assess, optimize, and customize their training through real-time feedback. It’s the same integrated approach to data analytics that the team uses to assess the readiness, wellbeing, and performance of warfighters in the field.

This year’s sponsorship and support is the first in our enduring partnership with the DOD Warrior Games Challenge. As warrior athletes continue to come together with a champion’s heart and in the spirit of competition, we applaud their resilience, dedication, and determination. By recognizing the sacrifices of warrior athletes and providing innovative tech that empowers them to succeed, we’re giving back to the military and veteran community that has given us so much—as a company and a nation.