RALEIGH — North Carolina’s Congressional delegation, led by Republican Sen. Ted Budd, is seeking to bring the 2027 World Military Games to the Tarheel State.
The North Carolina delegation expressed interest in hosting the event in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
“We write to you today expressing our support and requesting your initiation of the bid process of hosting the World Military Summer Games during the summer of 2027 in the great state of North Carolina,” the letter reads. “The World Military Games (WMG) is a sporting event hosted every four years which brings our world’s militaries together to promote friendly international sporting competition. The showcase of militaries from across the globe competing in sports is a noble cause and opportunity to highlight United States values and national pride.”
The letter says North Carolina is “strategically suited to host the WMG with our plentiful sporting venues, colleges, and transportation infrastructure.”
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) also signed the letter along with Reps. Dan Bishop, David Rouzer, Richard Hudson, Deborah Ross, Patrick McHenry, Greg Murphy, Virginia Foxx, Chuck Edwards, Alma Adams, Don Davis, Wiley Nickel and Jeff Jackson.
North Carolina is home to seven military bases, and the state has the fifth-highest population of veterans in the country with nearly 621,000 as of 2022.
The International Military Sports Council, a sports association founded in 1948, is responsible for organizing and holding the games, which occur every four years. The council’s motto is “Friendship through sport!”
The 2025 games will be held in Bern, Switzerland.
The last World Military Games were held in Wuhan, China, in 2019. The 2022 games were to be held in Germany, however, the event was canceled following the pandemic.
