Very soon, members of the United States Olympic men’s basketball team will play games against other nations in Brazil, in an effort to win a trinket that goes around one’s neck that’s partially gold. It’s fine. It’s fun to watch. But it’s nothing more than cute and trivial in comparison to what retired U.S. Army Major Scotty Smiley went through for America, and his fellow soldiers.

A bunch of the more elite professional American hoopers opted out of the games, and turned down the invite, fearing the wrath of the Zika virus or violence — or poor accommodations (some made up excuses but … yeah). And that’s fine. It’s a free country (thanks to men and women like Smiley) but it just seems kind of silly when juxtaposed with what you’re about to see and hear in the following video, which features the former soldier talking about his experiences, and teamwork …

More on Smiley’s story from the Army Times:

Smiley retired in May 2015 and has toured the country as a motivational speaker, with stories stemming from a 2005 incident in Mosul, Iraq, that cost him his sight — and nearly everything else.

A car bomber detonated his payload about 30 yards from Smiley, who’d engaged the enemy from the hatch of his Stryker combat vehicle. He lost his eyes and a portion of his skull in the blast, but his actions prevented the explosion from reaching his fellow soldiers.

Despite losing his sight in action, Smiley stayed on as an active-duty soldier for years afterward. He eventually became a professor at West Point, his alma mater. In 2007, he was named “Soldier of the Year.”

This speech to Team USA was actually not his first. Mike Krzyzewski actually had him visit in 2006, where he talked to the squad during the Duke legend’s initial go-around as head coach.