Aug. 17, 2026 - "I think everyone sees me as like the OG is what they call me, like the veteran," U.S. Navy Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Christie Ayers says with a grin. As a player who’s been through it all, Christie embodies the kind of leadership that only comes from decades of dedication to both basketball and service. She earned that nickname from 10 years of past teammates playing for Armed Forces Sports. Her journey started at just five years old in her hometown in Pearl City, Hawaii, where she was always in some sport, dragging her parents to every sporting event on the island. “Since I was little, I was just in the game,” she says. “My brother was into sports too, so we were always active year-round, just doing something competitive.”

Aug. 12, 2026 - Nearly a decade ago, on a clear morning, Mike Connors stepped toward the plane’s hatch and took a deep breath.

Aug. 7, 2026 - Trailing Navy 17-15 on a rain-drenched U.S. Naval Academy Rugby Field with the 2026 Armed Forces Rugby Championship on the line, the All-Army women’s rugby team delivered when it mattered most.

Aug. 7, 2026 - As the buzzer sounded on the final match of the day, Navy players let out an emphatic yell as they embraced and hugged on the field, following the program’s defeat of defending Armed Forces Women’s Rugby champion, Army, Saturday.