UNION CITY, Ga. \u2013 March 27, 2026 \u2013 For U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Xavier Rodgers, the Warrior Ethos has always been more than a creed; it has been a compass through hardship, recovery, and now, toward a new mission. Rodgers is one of 40 Soldiers and veterans selected to represent Team Army at the 2026 Warrior Games.<\/p>\n
His journey is a testament to the strength and discipline at the heart of the Army Recovery Care Program.<\/p>\n
In June 2025, Rodgers, a petroleum supply specialist from Crystal River, Florida, survived a life-altering gunshot wound that cost him his right eye. In the days that followed, his future was unclear, reshaping his perspective on service and recovery.<\/p>\n
“This isn’t just about recovery anymore; it’s about stepping back into the arena,\u201d Rodgers said.<\/p>\n
The values of the Warrior Ethos became deeply personal for Rodgers long before his injury, providing a foundation he would later lean on.<\/p>\n
“To be honest, I didn\u2019t have a lot of structure growing up,” he said. “So, when I joined the Army and heard things like \u2018I will never leave a fallen comrade\u2019 and \u2018I will never quit,\u2019 I took that to heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
That sense of belonging and commitment fueled his confidence throughout his recovery at the Joint Base San Antonio Soldier Recovery Unit. Through the ARCP, SRU\u2019s provide a Soldier-centric approach that is vital for restoring readiness with programs offering medical care, rehabilitation, and support services, with adaptive sports serving as a key component for rebuilding strength and purpose.<\/p>\n
For Rodgers, the motivation to compete extends beyond personal achievement. As a father who gained custody of his son a few years ago, his perspective on service and leadership has deepened.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiscipline and a role model are two things I looked for when I was younger,\u201d Rodgers shared. \u201cMy goal is to provide that for the Soldiers around me.\u201d<\/p>\n
As he prepares for the Warrior Games, Rodgers credits his progress to a strong support network, from the leaders at the SRU who placed their faith in him to his grandparents who help care for his son.<\/p>\n
Being selected for Team Army marks the culmination of one chapter and the beginning of another. For Rodgers, it\u2019s a powerful reminder that the mission of a Soldier never truly ends, it simply adapts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t take all the credit,\u201d he said. \u201cI appreciate everyone who\u2019s helping me on this journey.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"UNION CITY, Ga. \u2013 March 27, 2026 \u2013 For U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Xavier Rodgers, the Warrior Ethos…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":229722,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,30,29],"class_list":["post-229721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/229722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}