It happens every time the Olympics come on.
Americans gather to cheer on our athletes in every event, because they represent our country. Every now and then—especially when it involves watching Olympic shooting—you hear the same, misguided phrase: “That’s it? I can do that!”
Related: This Olympic event is based on soldier skills
Sure, 50 meters with a .22 seems easy enough considering the amount of range time your average infantryman spends shooting at a 300-meter target, but there’s a lot more to it.
Luckily for those cocky soldiers, there’s a program through Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) that’ll give them a chance to prove they can do it, too: the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program. To be considered, a soldier must be in good standing, have completed Advanced Individual Training or the Basic Officer Leader Course, apply for an Olympic sport, and reach a high enough national ranking to justify their application. The WCAP is not a developmental program. You have to already be a world-class athlete before entering the program.
How the Army World Class Athlete Program Works
Army World Class Athlete Program
Since 1948, when the Army first began providing Olympic support, 451 soldiers have competed for the United States in the world’s most watched athletic competition. Of that select group, 112 have returned with medals.
Much of the training is done at Fort Carson, Colorado. Once there, soldiers can expect to train day-in and day-out for their chosen event. If you’re selected, this doesn’t mean you neglect your soldierly duties. Although the training is rigorous, it’s still extracurricular.
For marksmen interested in shooting events, there’s also the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit out of Fort Benning, Georgia. Sgt. 1st Class Glenn Eller represented Team USA in every Summer Olympics from 2000 through 2016. He earned the gold medal in double trap in 2008 and still holds the Olympic record in that event.
After the 2012 London Olympics, Eller deployed to Afghanistan, where he taught marksmanship to American troops and the Afghan National Army.
Army Program Well-Represented at 2026 Winter Olympics
Six soldiers from the Army World Class Athlete Program qualified for the 2026 Winter Olympics in northern Italy.
Staff Sgt. Deedra Irwin and Spc. Sean Doherty will compete in biathlon, a sport that combines skiing and shooting. Sgt. Frank Del Duca and Spc. Azaria Hill made the USA bobsled team, Sgt. Ben Loomis will compete in his third Olympics in Nordic Combined, and Pvt. Spencer Howe will make his Olympic debut in pairs figure skating.
Loomis serves in the Utah National Guard after enlisting in the Army in 2019 so he could take advantage of the WCAP.
“It has been such a positive experience: the National Guard, WCAP, and the Army as a whole,” Loomis told the Army. “Now I want to stay in after my athletic career, maybe even for a full career. My reasons for joining and my reasons for staying are completely different now.”
Two other WCAP competitors, Cpl. Hakeem Abdul-Saboor (bobsled) and Spc. Dana Kellogg (luge doubles), were picked as Olympic alternates. Lt. Col. Chris Fogt will coach the U.S. bobsled team and will be assisted by Lt. Col. Garrett Hines and Sgt. 1st Class Shauna Rohbock.
‘A More Complete Soldier’
Irwin has a chance to compete in six events as a biathlete. Her seventh-place finish in the 15-kilometer women’s individual biathlon at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing gives her hope that she can ascend to the medal podium in February.
“If you look at my last Olympics, I was unranked, and if I had shot 20 of 20, I would have medaled,” Irwin told the Army. “So the chances are there. It depends on shooting and skiing that day, and on what everyone else does.”
The 2026 Winter Olympics will run from February 6 through February 22. Each soldier on Team USA appreciates how much they have developed, not just athletically, because of the World Class Athlete Program.
“It’s made me a more complete soldier, athlete, father, and husband, and I’m performing at a higher level because of the skills and examples I’ve gained,” Del Duca said.