Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. (March 9, 2024): As early as the first World War, American servicemembers have laced up their gloves and gone a few rounds to demonstrate their warrior spirit. In this photo by Technical Sergeant Alexander Cook, Air Force Senior Airman Lian Espinoza, assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron, delivers a blow to her opponent during the Rumble in the Deid II boxing event. Espinoza belongs to a boxing fraternity who have served our nation including some of the sport’s brightest stars.

The military has long encouraged boxing as a form of self-defense training and as a means to build discipline or relieve tension among the troops. Its roots can be traced to President Theodore Roosevelt, an avid boxing enthusiast, who petitioned the senior military to hold boxing matches among the troops. During the World Wars, bouts were organized primarily among Sailors as a form of recreation and to boost morale.

Today, military boxers participate in base-wide, inter-service, and USA Boxing sanctioned amateur tournaments throughout the year and each service fields its own team.

Army Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy are required to take a boxing class as freshman and the West Point Boxing Team has produced a number of All-Army boxers. The Marines produced the first active-duty member to qualify for the Olympics in 1992 and the Air Force Falcons team has won an astounding 18 national championships.

Boxing will continue to be a vital tool to boost morale and fuel the warrior spirit in today’s military.