Prince Harry’s Invictus Games are transforming veterans’ lives globally

Prince Harry is set to be honoured for his significant contributions to the veteran community through his Invictus Games Foundation.

The Duke of Sussex, 39, will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service at this year’s ESPY Awards. Reflecting on the honour, he stated, “This one is for our entire service community.”

Having served a decade in the British Armed Forces, including two tours in Afghanistan, Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2004 to empower wounded, sick, and injured servicemen and women through sports. The event has since grown into a global phenomenon, transforming the lives of soldiers in numerous countries.

“I truly believe that we are at our best when we’re in service to others, and Invictus is all about upholding that value," Prince Harry told PEOPLE in 2022.

“[Harry’s] a veteran, and like all vets, when we get together, we talk, laugh, joke, and tease each other. He’s just like one of the guys,” retired Chief Master Sgt. Garrett Kuwada, who competed for Team USA at the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 2023, previously told PEOPLE. “He makes you feel like you’ve known him forever."

Garrett Kuwada of Team USA celebrates after winning in the Mixed Team Wheelchair Rugby Gold Medal match between Team United States and Team United Kingdom. Lukas Schulze/Getty

“I’m so grateful that Prince Harry put this together for us veterans to come together and use this as part of our healing process. And we are, we’re healing, because everybody is smiling,” Kuwada added.

“It’s a deeply personal cause for him. He makes himself really accessible to all the competitors – he is involved in every aspect of the Games,” retired U.S. Army Captain Will Reynolds told PEOPLE.

The Invictus Games “are really important. They are really making a difference in people’s lives,” said Katie Kuiper, a former Army staff sergeant who served in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.

(Left) Gabriel George takes part in archery practice for the Invictus Games Team U.S. Training Camp at Fort Belvoir via WJXT

“Every conversation that I've had with him has been just like I'm talking to a friend, a brother, maybe because of the military connection that we have,” Gabriel “Gabe” George of Team USA told PEOPLE about connecting with the Duke of Sussex. “We share where we just left off. The conversation just continues to go on.”

"He's genuinely interested in your journey. His focus is on understanding the athletes. It's about recognizing those embarking on a journey of recovery. That's what drives him," Mike Bourgeois, who served as a member of Canada's archery team at the 2020 Invictus Games in The Netherlands, told PEOPLE.

“Creating the Games involved listening to military and veteran families — and hearing directly from them about their lives — and that offered so much perspective. It’s been a lesson in serving a purpose greater than ourselves, and the benefit that comes from that extends to both the individual and the community,” the Prince Harry told PEOPLE in 2022.