2027 Military World Games to be Hosted in Charlotte, North Carolina
The 2027 Military World Games will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, making it the first time the event has ever been hosted in the United States. This announcement comes after an eight-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which erupted from Wuhan, China, just months after the last games took place there in October 2019.
The 2027 games will coincide with two other major international sporting events set to be held in the U.S.: the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. President Donald Trump, who played a role in bringing these events to America, will preside over each of them. However, it is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who is credited with giving the approval for the Military World Games to be hosted in North Carolina.
According to Eli Bremer, co-chair of the event, Hegseth’s vision for the U.S. military aligns perfectly with engaging in elite sports. This presents a tremendous opportunity for the U.S. military to attract talented individuals who share this vision. Bremer, a major in the Air Force Reserve Command and former Olympian, believes that the games can help humanize opposing sides amid geopolitical tensions, as he himself had the chance to interact with athletes from countries like Iran and North Korea during past events.
The Military World Games are organized by the International Military Sports Council (CISM), the world’s second-largest multidiscipline sports organization after the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Nilton Romil, President of CISM, stated that bringing the games to the U.S. presented some challenges, but the shared commitment and vision of the committee made it possible. Hosting the games in the U.S. sends a historic message of the West’s commitment to global peace and unity through shared human values.
In recent years, the Military World Games have been hosted in BRICS nations, including China in 2019, Brazil in 2011, and India in 2007. By coming to the U.S., the event will be hosted in a G7 nation for the first time since Italy in 2003. For many American veterans and former athletes, the 2027 games will be a proud milestone. Chad Senior, a former U.S. Olympian and Army special forces veteran, believes that the games can help bridge the partisan divide in the military and provide a positive environment for different militaries to come together.
Former U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, who served in the Air Force and competed in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, expressed his excitement about Charlotte being chosen as the host for the next Military World Games. Campbell believes that there is a direct correlation between the discipline and dedication required to be an elite athlete or a member of an elite fighting force, and competition always pushes both to higher levels of performance.
In conclusion, the 2027 Military World Games in Charlotte, North Carolina, will not only bring together military athletes from around the world but also showcase the U.S.’s commitment to global peace and unity through sports and cultural exchange. It will be a historic event that coincides with other major international sporting events in the U.S., and it presents a unique opportunity for the U.S. military to attract talented individuals who align with its vision.
