Britain’s Prince Harry joined First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, on Wednesday to rally support for next year’s Invictus Games for wounded service members.
The prince, who hosted the international sporting competition for injured armed services personnel in London last year, crossed the Atlantic to endorse the 2016 Orlando, Florida, games and to call veterans with mental health issues out of the shadows.
“This fear of coming forward as a result of the stigma that surrounds mental health is one of the greatest challenges that veterans face today,” the prince said to a gymnasium of athletes and veterans Wednesday.
Prince Harry recalled his two tours of Afghanistan, including how his personal experiences in the military, knowing men and women who suffered mental health conditions as a result of serving, motivated him to bring more attention to the games.
He explained how programs like these teach the public that “invisible” mental health injuries and physical ones are equally devastating, but that with more attention to the issue and increasing care for individuals who are facing these conditions, the games can bring about more diagnosis and treatment.
The 31-year-old prince stuck around for the wheelchair basketball game after the address, watching the action in a seat between the Obama and Biden.
