Army Spc. Shawn Porter will compete in the 10-meter air rifle standing/non-supported and the 30-meter recurve-bow open events.The 136th Military Police Battalion soldier deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. While recovering from surgery at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany in November, Porter was diagnosed with PTSD and transported to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where has been undergoing treatment when he’s not at the shooting range.“The intense six- to eight-hour rifle and archery training is helping me to quiet my brain,â€Â he said. “When I shoot, I can only focus on one thing, and I believe the sport has helped me therapeutically.â€Â Porter said he used to be one of those soldiers who don’t believe in PTSD. “This has been a real eye-opener for me,â€Â he said. “The PTSD did not manifest itself after I returned from Iraq, but was [was] diagnosed when I returned for surgery from Afghanistan during my second deployment.â€Â Porter said he wanted to return to Afghanistan after his surgery, but the PTSD prevented that from happening. “It is an illness, and because I am seeing my psychologist twice a week, I am making great progress,â€Â he said. “When I returned home, I could not cope with being a dad and husband, and my family deserves that I get good treatment.â€Â The sport is a healing aid, Porter said, because it has allowed his competitive nature to come to the forefront. “I am confident that I will bring back medals,â€Â he said, “and I want my fellow soldiers to know that I will be doing it for the 136th MP Battalion in Tyler, Texas.â€Â Porter is a part-time soldier. When he’s not activated for military duty, he manages an outdoor sports warehouse in civilian life. He has been training with archery coach Skip Dawson. “He has the patience and intelligence to do it,â€Â Dawson said of Porter’s ability to compete in archery events. “He is physically in very good shape, and his stance and form are very good.â€Â Competition comes naturally to Porter, who likes to hike, fish, hunt and ski. He trains every day. I can’t stand to stay home and do nothing,â€Â Porter said. “I just have to stay busy.â€Â The Warrior Games, which kick off today, feature some 200 of the most athletic wounded active-duty members and military veterans in Paralympic-style competition. The U.S. Olympic Committee is hosting the games at the Olympic Training Center. Events will include shooting, swimming, archery, track, discus, shot put, cycling, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball. May 10, 2010: By Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Gonda Moncada- Texas National Guard

The U.S. military has been providing mentors and advisors to Liberia's security sector reform initiative since 2006 through a U.S. State Department-led initiative. Morris, a reservist, was serving as a platoon leader in an antiterrorism unit in Billings, Mont., when he accepted an assignment as a military advisor in Liberia.Morris arrived in Liberia on January 2009, where for six months he served as a mentor to the 2nd Battalion of the newly formed 23rd Infantry Brigade of the Liberian armed forces. He returned home to Dallas, only to receive a call shortly afterward asking if he would return to Liberia.Morris agreed to return to Liberia, and served another two months as a mentor. He then moved to U.S. Africa Command's office of security cooperation at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia. He works there as the Liberia defense-sector reform liaison and assists all U.S. military personnel in Liberia with logistical support. Morris said he has learned a lot about Liberia and its people because he has taken the time to talk to people and get to know them. He said the Liberian people will tell him about the devastating civil war that ravaged their country for 14 years. The Liberian children he has met seem mature beyond their years, Morris observed. "Kids here don't get a chance to be kids," he explained. "That's what strikes me. Four and 5 year olds are out working and earning money for their families." To Morris, who has a 6-year-old son, "It is a fascinating place and a very humbling place." On top of his regular duties, Morris has regularly visited a small Monrovia school for more than a year, and he recently started teaching a weekly physical education class at the American International School in Monrovia. In March 2009, Morris met a group of children who watched as he offered assistance to the driver of a Liberian military truck that had broken down near Camp Edward Binyah Kesselly Barracks, where the battalion is based. He was approached by their teacher at the Margretia School, who invited Morris to visit. During his visit to the school, Morris learned that unless the students brought their own food, they didn't get lunch. Perhaps it was his own experience as a child in Jamaica, walking to school in his bare feet and picking fruit from the trees for breakfast, but Morris knew what the children needed. He began making regular trips to the school, bringing bags of rice and cooking oil and providing all the items needed to provide lunch for the children. In an effort to create a connection between the Liberian armed forces and the school, and hoping others would continue to support the school after he leaves, Morris brought Liberian soldiers to the school and invited fellow U.S. servicemembers to accompany him on his visits. In January 2010, Morris was invited to teach a class on exercise and nutrition at American International School in Monrovia. This morphed into a standing appointment every Friday, where he teaches a 90-minute physical education class to 24 students in grades 4 through 9. A certified trainer, Morris owns and operates his own personal training and corporate fitness business back home in Texas. Many of the students at American International School are children of parents serving in Liberia as diplomats or nongovernmental organization employees. Some are children of Liberians who are returning to the country after leaving because of the civil war. The diverse student body represents France, Ghana, Holland, Korea, Lebanon, Liberia, Nigeria, Niger, Sierra Leone, Spain, Syria, the United Kingdom and the United States. Teachers report noticing a change in the students since Morris started teaching physical education. The school's director, Gary Eubank, and his wife, Rory, who is the upper school team leader, praised Morris on his interaction with the students. "They are more attentive in class and have been asking about the nutritional value of snacks and food," Rory Eubank said. "The kids love his classes." Her husband noted that Morris has set benchmarks, incorporating the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports into his program. He encourages the children to set goals, he said, and conducts periodic assessments so they can see how they are improving. Morris also has engaged the students in leadership activities, having them lead exercises and giving them an example to emulate. In particular, Rory Eubank commented on changes she has seen in a 7th-grade student from Niger. "He is a superb student and a bit of jokester," she said. "We've seen him becoming a leader, becoming more serious but still retaining his fun side." Morris views his time in Liberia as volunteerism. While he misses his son, he said, he tells him what he is doing and why it is important. "The U.S. military is having a very positive impact here in Liberia," he said, adding the biggest compliment he has received as a Marine came when he was leaving the United Nations Liberian mission’s headquarters here and a gentleman told him, "When I see U.S. Marines, it brings me peace." Morris said the future of Liberia is bright. "I remember the president telling the [armed forces] that they are the future of Liberia," he said, reflecting on a Feb. 11 Armed Forces Day ceremony. "I can feel the pride [the Liberian servicemembers] feel, and at the Armed Forces Day, I could feel the pride that Liberians have in their armed forces." May 7, 2010: By Nicole Dalrymple-U.S. Africa Command

“My brother was my best friend growing up; he was all I had,â€Â said Army Pfc. Jessica Kimball, 20, a mechanic assigned to Company B, 82nd Division Special Troops Battalion out of Fort Bragg, N.C. “I didn’t have the picture-perfect childhood.â€ÂKimball was 11 when her grandmother died, and she was placed into her brother’s family for foster care. She said her brother, Army Pvt. Logan Yost, 21, an infantryman assigned to the same unit, always took her under his wing.Kimball said she planned to go to college, but couldn’t afford it. After hearing about GI Bill education benefits, she decided to see a recruiter. “The recruiter mentioned the opportunity to go Airborne, [and] being of competitive nature, it intrigued me,â€Â she said. “I talked it over with my brother. He did not want me to go alone, so we both joined the Army together.â€Â After basic training and Airborne School, the siblings were assigned to the same airborne unit. Soon, they deployed to Afghanistan, where they have been on several missions together and look out for each other. “Sometimes we would be outside the wire for several days in a row,â€Â Yost said. “At night, we would all take turns staying awake to pull security. When it was Jessica’s turn, I would go sit with her to keep her company so she wouldn’t be alone.â€Â His sister returned the favor when it was his turn for security detail, he added. “I feel for anyone who has siblings in the military,â€Â Yost said. “We are lucky to have gotten stationed together, because most of the time siblings get split up and sent halfway around the world from each other.â€Â The siblings already were close when they joined the military, they said, but their time in Afghanistan has made their bond stronger. “The deployment has brought us closer together,â€Â Kimball said. “It is like a hardcore friendship, and it is comforting to know someone has your back in a foreign country away from anything we’ve ever known.â€Â May 4, 2010: By Air Force Airman 1st Class Laura Goodgame, Regional Command East

Today, his son, Army Lt. Col. Scott Glass, the 3rd Army’s logistics operations plans branch chief, is serving in support of Lt. Gen. William Webster's drawdown in Iraq and buildup in Afghanistan.The colonel’s father was one of four brothers from Greensboro, Ga., who fought in World War II. He was a "replacement" in Patton's Own, which meant he would go into a unit after a soldier was wounded or killed. The elder Glass fought in many battles, including the Battle of the Bulge. He earned the Bronze Star for valor and two Purple Hearts in the European Theater and won the admiration of a son who knew he wanted to serve at a young age. "He lost his best friend, who was killed next to him," Glass said. "That is an inspiration from which we can all draw strength." Taking a job as butcher in small-town Georgia after the war, he said, his father became a devoted husband to his wife, Hilda, a loving father of three sons, a patient Little League coach and a man who never lost his temper - except that time his sons accidentally burned down his beehives. People in trouble and needing help could always call on him, day or night, he added. Glass is married and has two sons with military aspirations of their own. They are involved in the ROTC and Junior ROTC programs at their respective schools. "My wife, Paige, and I are so proud of our boys, Michael and Matthew," Glass said. "My daddy attended the commissioning ceremony for me and cried like a baby. I too, can see myself getting very emotional if one of my sons ever fulfills their goal of becoming a commissioned officer." Meanwhile, Glass said, he is drawing on his father’s inspiration in his own service. "My father was and still is the greatest man I ever knew," he said. "If I live to be as respected as he was, I think I will have done well." May 3, 2010: By Army Cpl. Brandon Babbitt- 3rd Army