Fort Belvoir hosts Team U.S. training camp for 2023 Invictus Games

For the second year in a row, Fort Belvoir was the training site Sept. 1-4 for members of Team U.S. who will participate in the 2023 Invictus Games.

Held in Duesseldorf, Germany from Sept. 9-16, the games enable wounded, ill or injured service members from 21 countries to compete in adaptive sports competition. In total, 59 athletes representing the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard and Special Operations Command converged on Fort Belvoir this past week to prepare for competition.

Travis Claytor, communications director for Team U.S., described Fort Belvoir as a “great location” that provides the facilities needed for training in the 10 adaptive sports comprising the Invictus Games. During training sessions at Wells Field House Sept. 3, participants in the new adaptive sport of table tennis practiced their serves and returns, while the head of the Team U.S. delegation, David Paschal, provided motivation.

Team U.S. practices at Fort Belvoir's Wells Field House for table tennis competitions at the 2023 Invictus Games.

Paschal and Claytor are also involved with the Department of Defense Warrior Games, which — like the Prince Harry-founded Invictus Games — use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and cultivate respect for service members and their families.

Whether Team U.S. will again hold training camp at Fort Belvoir in 2025 is uncertain, said Claytor. The 2025 Invictus Games will be held in Vancouver, so it’s possible that an installation on the opposite coast will be selected. During their time in the DMV, athletes got to see the Washington Nationals play and on Sept. 5 attended a send-off dinner at the National Museum of the U.S. Army.

To follow Team U.S. as they compete in Duesseldorf, visit the Team U.S. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram channel. Photos and video clips from the Fort Belvoir training camp can be found on this feature page.