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44 / SEPTEMBER.OCTOBER.2024 USICERINKS.COM REAL PROGRAMS Successful programs to consider adopting by BILL DUFFY PHOTOS: MIKE CARMO Uniting Veterans Through Hockey Warrior Programs flourish across the U.S. SA Hockey's Warrior Hockey discipline is dedicated to injured and disabled U.S. military veterans who have served our country and play the sport of ice hockey. As one of the Disabled Hockey Section's newest disciplines, Warrior Hockey has grown dramatically across the United States. While some of the participants played hockey prior to being injured, many try it for the first time for therapeutic reasons. Regardless of your level of play, Warrior Hockey is about getting like-minded individuals on the ice and building the camaraderie that is missed while being in the military. Warrior programs are not only giving an outlet for veterans but saving lives every day by giving them a purpose. To be eligible to compete in the Warrior Hockey discipline, participants must have a discharge under honorable conditions with the ability to provide official documentation from their designated branch of service. Also players need to have a minimum of a 10% disability rating through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Warrior Hockey was started in 2008 by the USA Warriors, who admirably took this concept and built it into a remarkable program. Several patients at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the District of Columbia started to skate at open ice sessions at the Gardens Ice House in Laurel, Maryland. They were noticed by