Retired warrior earns new ‘heart’ award

  • Published
  • By Shannon Collins
  • Defense Media Activity
WEST POINT, N.Y. (AFRNS) --  Retired Air Force Capt. Chris Cochrane earned the newly established Heart of the Team award for this year's Warrior Games taking place June 15-21.

This honor is awarded to one member on each team who best exemplifies the camaraderie of the sport. The teams chose who receives the awards and surprises each recipient at the end of the games.

Cochrane, who medically retired Jan. 1, and his wife, Ashley, were definitely surprised.

"I was stunned," he said. "They see something inspiring in me and my wife and my life after the tragic circumstances. They just know we want to help and medals or not, it's all the friendships and the strength we've found together. We just try to press on and get more people involved and more focused on the visible and the invisible wounds."

Ashley said she was proud of her husband for overcoming adversity.

"Starting adaptive sports was a game changer for his recovery, and seeing what he did this week is just mind blowing," she said. "My heart is just bursting."

After a week of intense international competition, the 2016 Department of Defense Warrior Games drew to a close here June 21 with a medal ceremony.  A C-17 Globemaster III from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, conducted a flyover during the ceremony, while actor Gary Sinise performed a concert with his Lt. Dan Band for the athletes and their families before a fireworks display.  (Courtesy of Air Force News Service)