One of the best/funniest moments of the Dusseldorf Invictus Games was when NATO Joint Force Commander General Luigi Miglietta brought a 1,100 contingent of veterans and active servicemen and women to the games. General Miglietta even did a special photocall with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the games, and they included the large NATO contingent. It was really cool, and it showed how NATO fully supports Invictus and everything they’re doing. Even better, Prince William FUMED about it for months, and I still believe that the big announcement of a “tour of Italy” was partially about William getting some kind of NATO photo-op too. To add insult to injury, when Harry was in the UK in May of this year, he had another meeting with NATO high command, including Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee. Well, guess who Zoomed into the NATO Military Committee’s meeting in Brussels on Wednesday?
Inspiring #NATOMC briefing by @WeAreInvictus & Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. ⁰
The unconquerable heroes of #Invictus symbolise strength, perseverance and resilience.
It is our responsibility to protect those who have so valiantly protected us.
More: https://t.co/cFhcdlETqE pic.twitter.com/pM9hiosvlF
— Admiral Rob Bauer (@CMC_NATO) October 30, 2024
What’s your favorite part? I think my favorite part is that Harry dressed up in a dark suit and tie, with a poppy, just to Zoom into his NATO meeting. The background is absolutely his home office too. As for the discussion, this is NATO’s briefing memo:
On 30 October 2024, the Invictus Games Foundation briefed the NATO Military Committee at NATO Headquarters on the role of Invictus in supporting wounded, injured and sick service members and veterans. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, addressed the Military Committee via VTC, with a delegation attending the meeting in person. The delegation included: Dominic Reid, Chief Executive of Invictus; Lord Allen, Chancellor of the Board of Trustees; and Richard Smith, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer.
The delegation briefed the Military Committee on the breadth and development of the Invictus programme and the progress it is making to expand the scope of its mission. The core purpose of Invictus is to support the recovery and rehabilitation of Wounded, Injured and Sick (WIS) Service Members through sport and adventure. The Invictus Games Foundation is working to continue establishing a global community where rehabilitation and recovery are better enabled and understood. This is primarily through the delivery of the Invictus Games, taking place in different host cities every two years around the globe, but also through a multi-layered programme beyond the games, which aims to build a network amongst global Wounded, Injured and Sick veterans and promote advocacy of Invictus.
Meeting with representatives of the Invictus Games Foundation provided a platform for the NATO Military Committee to explore and learn how Allied nations can establish or develop a relationship with the Invictus Games. Admiral Bauer emphasised the importance of protecting Allied wounded servicemen and women, veterans and their families. He highlighted the invaluable support and hope the Invictus Games Foundation provides to the unconquerable souls of inspirational wounded, injured and sick service members and veterans. ‘I believe the work of the Invictus Games Foundation to be very important – and it strikes at the heart of our shared values as military personnel’. Admiral Bauer conveyed the power of the Invictus Games Foundation in reaching far beyond the Games themselves, changing and sometimes even saving the lives of both the wounded soldiers and their families.
NATO also pointed out that Admiral Bauer met with Harry in London back in May. I love that NATO is getting more involved in Invictus, and it genuinely feels like an expansion of Invictus is in the works. Harry has grown Invictus in amazing ways in one decade. How much bigger will it get in the second decade?
Photos courtesy of Cover Images & Admiral Bauer’s social media.