Two wounded warriors captivated the audience as they shared their stories of recovery during a Warrior Care Month celebration held at Navy Installations Command headquarters on Washington Navy Yard Nov. 8.

Warrior Care Month highlights the accomplishments of wounded, ill, and injured service members, veterans, and those who provide care and support for them.

"I have had the privilege of meeting and getting to know our wounded warriors, and the resiliency of these men and women are phenomenal ... they are strong," said Commander, Navy Installations Command, Vice Adm. Dixon Smith, who opened the ceremony with words of hope and encouragement.

Though November is Warrior Care Month, the Navy assists wounded warriors year round. Navy Wounded Warrior-Safe Harbor (NWW-SH), the Navy's wounded warrior support program, cares for them and their families every single day.

Navy Wounded Warrior-Safe Harbor enrollees retired Petty Officer 1st Class Andre Shelby and retired Senior Chief Petty Officer Shari Chisholm were the keynote speakers for this event.

Shelby retired from the Navy in 2004 after a motorcycle accident confined him to a wheelchair. He won a gold medal for Team Navy in archery at the 2011 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has continued competing ever since. During the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games, he won the title in the compound men's open class for archery.

"Through the Navy Wounded Warrior program, I tried different sports and met different people and learned how they approached their situations," said Shelby. "We really don't do this for applause or awards. We do this because we love it and we have a special bond."

This year, Shelby won gold for Team USA at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games after beating his opponent from Italy in a closely contested final match.

Not all wounded warriors have physical disabilities to overcome. Chisholm made that clear as she took the microphone as the next speaker.

"Let me ask you one question," said Chisholm. "Can you see it? My uniform is sharp. My shoes have been shined. Can you see it?"

Chisholm has no noticeable physical impairments, and on the outside is just like any other healthy Sailor.

"I represent the invisible wounds; I represent PTSD; I represent depression; I represent anxiety," she added, "but I also represent recovery. I am a wounded warrior."

Currently, there are 4,545 wounded warriors enrolled in the NWW-SH program and the Navy runs the program for both Sailors and Coast Guardsmen who are casualties of conflicts, shipboard and training accidents, liberty accidents, or have serious medical and psychological conditions (e.g. cancer, PTSD). Sailors and Coast Guardsmen may self-refer to the program or be referred by family, command leadership or medical providers.

NWW-SH works to return a Sailor or Coast Guardsman to duty. When that is not possible, the program works collaboratively with federal agencies and local organizations to help them successfully reintegrate into their communities, easing their transition to civilian life and ensuring they are cared for throughout their lifetimes.

Many of the nearly 12,000 wounded warriors across the Department of Defense find strength, support, and healing through adaptive sports, which are featured in Warrior Game competitions such as the ones Shelby has competed in.

Next year, the Navy will host the 2017 DoD Warrior Games from June 30-July 8 in partnership with the city of Chicago. This will be the first Warrior Games to be held outside a military installation or a U.S. Olympic Committee facility.

The Warrior Games was created in 2010 as a way to enhance the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded warriors and to expose them to adaptive sports. For more information about the Warrior Games, visit the new website at http://www.dodwarriorgames.com/.

Navy Installations Command is comprised of approximately 52,000 military and civilian personnel worldwide responsible for the operations, maintenance and quality of life programs to support the Navy's fleet, Sailors and their families.

For more about the Navy's shore enterprise, visit http://www.cnic.navy.mil/.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Commander, Navy Installations Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/.