On April 17, military athletes who work with the World Class Athlete Program to participate in the Winter Olympics in Italy met with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon. The visit was intended to signal the Pentagon's continued support for the World Class Athlete Program and the service members who participate in it.
"They represent the very best of our nation," Hegseth said.
Two of the athletes, bobsledders, Army Spc. Azaria Hill and Sgt. Frank Del Duca, explained how their training for the Olympics dovetails with the Pentagon's wider initiative to increase overall physical fitness in the military.
"We are definitely big on fitness," Hill said. "That's kind of the basis of what we have to do — what we do day to day."
Hill serves in motor transport and Del Duca is an infantryman.
"Fitness is a huge part of my performance as a soldier, as well as my performance as an athlete in the World Class Athlete Program," Del Duca said. "I do both, and I have to stay sharp and fit for both. And then there's also the positive benefits just to your general health as well. My obligations as a soldier require a high, high level of fitness, and that spreads to every part of my life."
Eli Bremer, who serves as the Air Force advisor to the World Class Athlete Program, explained that the program offers a lot of support and stability to the athletes, which they would not get in the civilian world. The military gives them time to train up for their sport, but also allows them to return to their normal jobs after the Olympic Games.
"It's really hard for them to hold jobs and have even consideration of a career while training for competition as a civilian," Bremer said. "That's why the military is such a positive aspect, because we have a program that allows them to pursue ... the Olympics for the United States, but after that, it's also an off-ramp into a real job."
