36th SFS Defender champions resilience, readiness at 2026 Adaptive CrossFit Games

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36th SFS Defender champions resilience, readiness at 2026 Adaptive CrossFit Games

08.09.2026

Story by Airman 1st Class Kyle Jones 

36th Wing

36th SFS Defender champions resilience, readiness at 2026 Adaptive CrossFit Games
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ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam – U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Vincent Cavazos, flight sergeant for Bravo Flight assigned to the 36th Security Forces Squadron, represented the 36th Wing at the 2026 Adaptive CrossFit Games in San Jose, California, July 24-26, 2026

Cavazos secured back-to-back second-place finishes at the 2024 and 2025 games in the lower-extremity adaptive division, earning a fifth-place global finish out of 10 competitors this year in his division pushing through a bicep strain mid-competition to complete the event

His progression to the global competition follows an extensive physical recovery process

On January 1, 2014, and only five years into his active-duty career, Cavazos was assaulted by approximately 20-30 people, resulting in a six-story fall that left him with two broken legs, spinal damage and a traumatic brain injury

After undergoing months of intensive rehabilitation to relearn how to walk, talk and eat, his future in the military was uncertain

“To be honest, after everything happened, I had no idea where my life was headed or how any of it was going to turn out,” Cavazos said. “After being told I would never walk again, I went through multiple surgeries on both of my legs.”

The physical damage was only part of the battle. As the medical procedures mounted, he realized his recovery depended as much on his psychological drive as it did on physical therapy

“Looking back, I realize that many of the biggest obstacles weren’t physical, they were mental,” he said. “Once I changed my mindset, everything else started to change too.”

The shift in mental perspective guided him back to the physical foundation of his recovery

Twelve years later, he uses his training to highlight how physical fitness and resiliency directly impact military readiness

“The gym had always been my happy place before the accident,” he said. “It was the one place where I felt like myself, and somehow, even though I couldn’t do much at first, it became the place where I started finding myself again.”

Cavazos connects his athletic preparation directly to his role as a Security Forces Defender

The role covers base defense, law enforcement and emergency response operations which are subject to the Air Force mandatory fitness requirements across all ranks

He integrates functional movements such as heavy lifting, rucking and high-intensity conditioning to ensure that physical fatigue does not compromise his capability to defend the installation and protect personnel

“High-intensity functional training through adaptive CrossFit prepares me not only for competition but also for my role as a Security Forces member,” he said. “The movements and intensity translate directly to real-life situations by building strength, endurance, agility and resilience that I rely on every day. Adaptive CrossFit has taught me to build those mental calluses to embrace discomfort, stay focused under pressure and keep moving forward even when things get tough.”

This commitment to readiness extends to his role as a leader

As a noncommissioned officer, he emphasizes that physical readiness is a collective responsibility rather than an individual pursuit. He regularly leads group training sessions and rucks, encouraging other Airmen to exceed baseline fitness standards and build the physical stamina required for sustained operations

That leadership style resonates directly with the Defenders who train alongside him on shift and in the gym

“As Airmen, we’re already held to a higher standard physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. As NCOs, that responsibility becomes even greater because our airmen look to us to set the example,” said Staff Sgt. Joshua Biles, base defense operating center controller assigned to the 36th SFS. “CrossFit’s emphasis on functional movements, endurance, strength and work capacity directly translates to what we do in Security Forces. Whether it’s sprinting to respond to an incident, carrying equipment, moving personnel or enduring long hours under physical stress; functional fitness prepares us for the unpredictable nature of our mission.”

Biles is a fellow 36th SFS defender that regularly trains with Cavazos during their time stationed together at Andersen AFB

Having witnessed Cavazos’ preparation firsthand, Biles noted Cavazos’ journey embodies the resilience required of modern service members

“If you watched him train or simply saw how he carried himself, you would never know everything he had overcome,” Biles said. “What stands out most about Cavazos is his ability to motivate everyone around him. Whether it’s his friends, the Airmen in his flight or his workout partners, he leads by example and inspires people to be better than they were yesterday.”

Cavazos’ transition from physical rehabilitation to international athletic competition reflects the physical readiness standards required for active-duty personnel stationed with the 36th Wing in the Indo-Pacific.
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