Air Force athletes balance Olympic ambitions with wartime duties
Air Force members in the World Class Athlete Program are training for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics while the service remains engaged in operations against Iran.
Through the World Class Athlete Program, the U.S. Air Force sponsors active-duty personnel to train for top-level sport while continuing to represent the service. The initiative has taken on added significance as U.S. Central Command conducts Operation Epic Fury against Iran, a conflict that began in February and remains unresolved. Athletes including Airman First Class Anita Alvarez, who entered the Air Force after earning three Olympic medals, have earned multiple World Cup and World Aquatics podium finishes since 2025.
Thrower Texas Tanner, a recent Academy graduate, claimed the U.S. discus title in July and aims for the Los Angeles Games, while wrestler Wyatt Hendrickson, a two-time Pan American champion, secured his spot on the senior world team for a second year. Retired combat rescue officer Chad Senior, a former modern-pentathlon Olympian, argues that the program’s true value lies in the transferable skills athletes bring back to operational units. The Air Force views the scheme as an investment that benefits athletes, the service and taxpayers alike, hoping the discipline required for Olympic success will enhance future military duties.
Why it matters
It shows how the military leverages elite athletes to boost morale, recruitment and future operational effectiveness during an ongoing conflict.
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