Service members find healing through Warrior Games, share recovery journey battling invisible wounds

Long after the gunfire stopped, Chief Master Sgt. Jeremy “Mop” Mapalo continued fighting.

The San Antonio native, now serving as the senior enlisted leader for the 49th Security Forces Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, spent years carrying the invisible wounds of combat after surviving multiple deployments, including the Jan. 5, 2020, terrorist attack at Manda Bay, Kenya.

For years afterward, nightmares, survivor's guilt and isolation followed him home.

“PTSD wanted me to itself, tucked in and suffering in silence, reliving the past and carrying the responsibilities of the three Americans that died that day,” Mapalo said.

The emotional toll nearly cost him his marriage and left him questioning his identity beyond the uniform.

“I lost my identity,” he said. “Ninety percent of people knew the rank and uniform, but they didn't know Jeremy. My family missed me, and my goal on this recovery journey was to find myself again.”

That journey began to change when Mapalo was introduced to the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program, known as AFW2.

While often associated with Warrior Games, AFW2 is much more than a sports program. The congressionally mandated initiative provides personalized support to wounded, ill and injured Airmen and Guardians through recovery care coordinators, caregiver resources, mentorship, adaptive sports opportunities and transition assistance.

For Mapalo, one of the program's greatest benefits was discovering a community that understood invisible wounds.

“The community was a reminder that I'm not alone,” he said. “That's what I was missing. There was no judgment, just people who understood.”

That support extended beyond him. Through AFW2, his wife became part of the program's caregiver network, gaining access to education, resources and other spouses navigating similar challenges. The AFW2 caregiver program supports family members and loved ones who provide daily care and assistance to recovering service members. Caregivers are invited to the games where they receive education, resources, lodging, and meals, provided by the Fisher House Foundation.

"The families are the unsung heroes,” said Jose Martinez, caregiver lead for AFW2. “It’s about the warrior, but if it wasn’t for the caregivers, they wouldn’t want to be here. They don’t want to be anywhere without their families.”

The caregiver support helped rebuild communication and understanding at home, something Mapalo credits as a turning point in both his recovery and marriage.

Adaptive sports soon became another powerful tool in that recovery.

Each year, AFW2 hosts Air Force and Marine Corps Trials, where approximately 180 wounded, ill and injured athletes compete in adaptive sports ranging from track and field and archery to wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball and cycling. Coaches evaluate athletic performance, teamwork, resilience and leadership throughout the week-long event.

From that field of competitors, approximately 40 athletes are selected to represent Team Air Force at the Warrior Games.

Mapalo earned a spot and competed for Team Air Force in 2025 and 2026.

“Adaptive sports keep me present in the moment where I'm not reliving the past,” he said. “When I'm training, that's all I'm focused on. It gives me something to work toward, something to get better at.”

This year, his teammates selected him to serve as Team Air Force captain, a distinction that carries special meaning.

Unlike traditional military appointments, Team Air Force leadership positions are chosen by the athletes themselves. Team members cast votes for the individuals they believe best represent the team's values, resilience and commitment to supporting fellow warriors.

“I had no idea they would vote for me,” Mapalo said. “For so many years, I was just trying to figure out how to give myself grace. To see others trust me and vote for me was amazing feedback on how far I've come in my recovery.”

His fellow athletes also selected a co-captain to help lead the team throughout the competition: Master Sgt. Jason Ostberg, the explosive ordnance disposal flight chief for the 902d Civil Engineer Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

"I was dumbfounded and speechless," Ostberg said of the selection. "In that moment, I felt like I was enough. I felt like I was not alone."

Like Mapalo, Ostberg carried his own invisible wounds. A veteran of multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Ostberg competed in the 2025 and 2026 Warrior Games as part of his ongoing recovery.

“I saw a lot of things that nobody should have to see, and I lost some great friends," Ostberg said. "I started abusing alcohol and fell into a pretty dark hole. But the Wounded Warrior Program shined a light in that darkness. It showed me there was a ladder I could use to climb out.”

That turning point happened in the pool. Ostberg recalled his first adaptive swimming event, describing a profound sense of belonging he hadn't experienced in nearly two decades.

"I knew exactly where I was supposed to be," Ostberg said. "I finally fit in."

For Mapalo, the Warrior Games represent far more than medals or competition.

Athletes from across the Department of War gather annually to compete, but the event also serves as a visible reminder of recovery, resilience and shared experiences.

“It doesn't matter what service you're part of,” Mapalo said. “We're rarely shaking hands; we're giving each other hugs. We know what it feels like to struggle, and we're here to pick each other up.”

That support proved especially meaningful after a recent deployment to Jordan, where regional conflict triggered many of the same emotions he experienced years earlier in Kenya.

When those invisible wounds resurfaced, the people checking on him most often were fellow warriors.

“Eighty percent of my messages were from the Wounded Warrior family,” Mapalo said. “That's when I realized this is the family that's going to keep me alive.”

Today, both Mapalo and Ostberg continue their recovery journeys as AFW2 ambassadors, competing for Team Air Force and mentoring others facing similar struggles. Their message to service members battling invisible wounds is straightforward:you do not have to fight in silence.

“Don't be afraid to ask for help,” Mapalo said. “There's a community that will not judge you, that can relate and that will cheer you on toward recovery.”

Ostberg agreed, noting that taking that first step is often the most difficult part of the journey.

"Reaching out and showing up is the hardest and biggest step you can take in recovery, but it will be the best one you ever take," Ostberg said. "If I could do this forever, I would."

As Mapalo’s military career begins to wind down, he looks forward to returning home to San Antonio and spending more time with his family. He says the Warrior Games and the AFW2 program helped restore something he feared he had lost forever.

“The Warrior Games gave me back the Air Force pride I'd been struggling to accept for years,” Mapalo said. “I'm finally getting hope, and I'm finally learning to give myself grace.”

For more information on the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program, visit woundedwarrior.af.mil/.