As Team Navy's 39 adaptive athletes competed in the 2015 Warrior Games, held June 19-28 at Marine Corps Base Quantico, a Navy Medicine team was on hand to provide them care as needed.

A joint service medical support team, including Navy Medicine personnel provided care and administrative support to almost 250 wounded warrior athletes.

According to Cmdr. John Biery Jr., senior medical advisor, Navy Wounded Warrior -- Safe Harbor, Commander, Navy Installations Command, it's important to have a Navy Medicine presence at the games.

"I believe it shows the range of capability of Navy Medicine," he said. "We provide the initial injury care. We then provide the recovery and rehabilitation in conjunction with Navy Wounded Warrior -- Safe Harbor for the non-medical assistance. And now we provide the medical coverage for the adaptive athletics program. All of these are essential parts of the recovery and reintegration process of our wounded, ill and injured Sailors."

The joint medical support team's officer-in-charge (OIC), Lt. Cmdr. Seth Flagg, United States Marine Corps Wounded Warrior regimental surgeon, worked closely with the medical OIC's of each team and medical system to ensure all athletes, staff and spectators received needed medical support.

"Having joint medical support allows for better quality care, while reducing the overall medical footprint," said Flagg. "Our medical tent is manned, at a minimum, by two Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences sport medicine fellows and multiple corpsmen and medics, as well as augmentation from each of the service team's medical support."

Flagg also mentioned the cooperative spirit among the various medical teams, resulting in a solid working unit.

"Each brought the right subject matter expertise to the mix to ensure that our wounded, ill and injured get the care they need and are able to safely compete as part of their recovery process," Flagg said.

Additionally, Team Navy had 12 hospital corpsmen compete in cycling, track and field, wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, archery, shooting, and swimming.

Hospitalman Katriana Durakovich, stationed at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, said she chose to become a competitor after learning about the games through Navy Wounded Warrior -- Safe Harbor.

"I was determined to get on the team this year because the attitudes of my teammates drive me to achieve my goals," she remarked. "It's about the connections you make and the bonds you create with the other teammates."

Durakovich said it's an honor to represent the Navy and Navy Medicine.

"I'm honored they picked me," she added. "I can honestly say that this is my biggest achievement besides learning how to walk again."

Navy Medicine is a global healthcare network of 63,000 personnel that provides health care support to the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, their families and veterans, in high operational-tempo environments, at expeditionary medical facilities, medical treatment facilities, hospitals, clinics, hospital ships and research units around the world.

For more news from Navy Wounded Warrior -- Safe Harbor, visit safeharbor.navylive.dodlive.mil/

For more news from Navy Medicine, visit www.navy.mil/