United States Air Force Trials Las Vegas 2024

US Air Force and Marine Corps Competition

On March 8, 2024, the United States Air Force Trials 2024 opened at Nellis Air Force Base, a U.S. Air Force base in Las Vegas. This is an adaptive sports competition for veterans and service members who have been injured or traumatized.

During the opening ceremony, the Ukrainian national team was the first to take the field. According to sports tradition, our athletes moved with the national flag and torch — a moment that is hard not to remember.

The Ukrainian column was led by:

• Yuriy Gaponchuk — team captain, National Guard from Ivano-Frankivsk
• Vadym Hilchuk — veteran of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine from Chernivtsi region
• Vadym Kirichenko — serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Sumy region
• Ruslan Sumin — serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Chernihiv region

In total, the Ukrainian team has 30 participants who competed in 11 adaptive sports:

• swimming
• cycling
• wheelchair basketball
• sitting volleyball
• wheelchair rugby
• archery
• powerlifting
• running
• shot put/discus
• rowing
• shot put

Ukraine’s participation in the United States Air Force Trials 2024 is organized by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs together with the Ukrainian Veterans Fund and the Stratcom Ukraine and Invictus Games: Team Ukraine.

Air Force Trials is about sports, endurance and returning to active life. And also about the visibility of Ukrainian soldiers on the international arena.