Several of the nation’s leaders in research, military wellness, and sports gathered at the Stars & Stripes offices in Washington, D.C. to take part in a Military Wellness Symposium that was hosted by M&F Senior Military Editor, Honorable Rob Wilkins. This was the fourth edition of the symposium that is designed to educate, inform, and inspire those in attendance with ways to improve the fitness and well-being for America’s warriors and veterans.
Wilkins said, “This was my fourth symposium since ’25, and the impact is undeniable.” Among the topics covered were training, recovery, the importance of fitness as a matter of national security, and why it all matters to every generation of service members and citizens alike. Stars & Stripes publisher Max Lederer provided the opening remarks for the day. Throughout the six-plus hour event, there were five key takeaways that had the invite-only audience captivated throughout the day.
America 250, Decade of Sport, and Ukraine War Updates
There has been a lot of attention placed on the 250th anniversary of the United States as well as the “Decade of Sport” that includes the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Summer Olympics, and the 2034 Winter Olympics, all of which are set to take place on American soil.
Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House Task Force for FIFA World Cup 2026, spoke to the audience about how they are coordinating the efforts to maximize safety and efficiently work through the visa process so fans can travel to the United States to enjoy the festivities and competition. He also provided updates about how the military and veterans are involved in the support of that process. Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Koby Langley provided updates on the preparation of the 2028 Olympics and spoke on the importance of programs like the World Class Athlete Program, which he said allows those in the military to volunteer twice and represent the U.S. as an athlete. These men and women that serve as “Warrior and Olympian” are likely to be the subject of a lot of media attention as the Olympics approach, and he shared how to best support these competitors in ways that can target the largest audiences.
Former Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova also shared lessons that Ukrainians have learned and applied during their four-plus-year struggle against Russia, including lessons in preparation, fitness, and recovery. She also shared a positive message that the country’s resolve is strong, which is thanks in part to the support of Americans.
Sleep Is More Important Than Ever
Throughout the day, several speakers included the importance of sleep as part of their presentations. Quality rest and recovery was emphasized as a necessity for service members and Americans in general. Dr’s. Tina Burke and Sara Alger of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research were the top experts in the room on the matter, and they covered both the downside of lacking sleep (such as how 5 hours or less for five days can be the same as being legally drunk) as well as strategies on how to improve quantity and quality. Some of Burke’s tips include keeping the room cool, dark, and having a set routine every night to ensure consistency.
Paying Attention To The Supplement Market
There are more supplement brands and products on the market than ever, and three out of four service members use them. The downside to this is that because they don’t face many of the same requirements of the Food and Drug Administration as prescriptions or food, they could be at risk to take something they shouldn’t and compromise their health or fail a drug test.
Andrea Lindsey, Senior Nutrition Scientist and Director, Operation Supplement Safety shared the risks of taking supplements, such as excessive dosages, other ingredients not being listed, lack of third-party testing, and more. While nothing can be fool-proof, Lindsey provided a list of guidelines that could potentially verify a supplement to be generally safe.
Among those are confirmed and independent third-party testing, less than six ingredients, a fully transparent label with no proprietary blends or complexes, no more than 200 milligrams of caffeine per serving, no questionable claims, if ingredients are easily pronounceable, and if any ingredient has less than 200% of daily value. The scorecard is available on the OPSS website.
Get Kids More Physically Active
Michael Jarka of Defense Health Agency addressed the concerns of how over 70% of American children would not be eligible for service and it could be a multi-billion-dollar issue for the country in the future. 1984 Olympic silver medalist and chair of the National Fitness Foundation Judi Brown Clarke contributed to that discussion by suggesting reasons such as too much screen time, not enough time outside, and lack of quality nutrition are in part to blame. She also offered solutions such as making healthier choices more rewarding, teaching the importance of goal-setting, and stronger systems in schools and communities.
“It takes all of us,” she stated emphatically.
Dr. Gabriel Paoletti addressed holistic strategies for improving human performance as well as how being present in children’s lives and devoting more attention to them can also be a way to help prepare them for the future and maintain confidence within themselves as parents.
Future Veterans Need to Prepare Now
Aside from the importance of preparing the next generation to be their best selves in adulthood, experts addressed how crucial it is for veterans to pay attention to their health and fitness once they get out of service and for the rest of their lives.
According to VA Chief Veterans Experience Officer Lynda Davis, Ph.D., that requires preparing for the transition while they are still wearing the uniform. Knowing what benefits and responsibilities they have early can help make that transition as seamless as possible so they can enter the next chapter of life with confidence. Davis provided information on how to undergo that process now and emphasized it was just as important for the family of the veteran as it is for the person exiting service. Michael “Sully” Sullivan of Team RWB was also there to share how they are working to keep service members and veterans connected and active so they can continue to be their best and make differences after they take the uniform off for the last time.
Kinesiology expert and Rutgers University professor Matt Brzycki closed out the symposium by covering sarcopenia, the progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function. He showed MRI imagery of seniors that did not train versus those that did, and the results were staggering. Those that trained had more muscle tissue, less body fat, delayed muscle loss, and maintained function versus those that did not. The results were clear; If you want to live a long and healthy life when you get older, you need to start while you are younger.
Future Wellness Symposiums are expected to be held, but details have not been announced as of this writing.