EXETER, R.I. – U.S. Army Airborne Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians participated in Leapfest 2025, at Exeter, Rhode Island, Aug. 2, 2025.
The 767th EOD Company and 722nd EOD Company from the 192nd EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, competed against 53 Army, Air Force and international teams.
1st Sgt. Drew R. Hawley, the senior enlisted leader from the 767th Ordnance Company (EOD), led a 767th EOD Company team that also included Staff Sgt. Avery Myers, Staff Sgt. Harrison Gay and Staff Sgt. Christopher Martin.
“The highlight of Leapfest this year, for me, was being there with my Soldiers,” said Hawley. “Being able to jump with guys you’re close with is always great, and the added competitive environment of Leapfest just made it that much better.”
Staff Sgt. Jorden Cook, Staff Sgt. James Bennett, Staff Sgt. Braxton Marbury and Staff Sgt. Davis Travin represented the 722nd EOD Company in the competition.
The Rhode Island National Guard’s 56th Troop command hosted the 40th iteration of the largest and longest-running international static line parachute competition in the world. Paratroopers from 18 countries participated in Leapfest 2025.
The teams jumped out of CH-47 Chinook helicopters from 1,500 feet and steered MC-6 parachutes toward an “X” on the ground.
Once the teams landed, the clock started until they reached the “X” and the team with the lowest time won.
The Fort Bragg, North Carolina-based EOD companies support the 82nd Airborne Division on the Immediate Response Force around the world. The Airborne EOD techs have to stay ready to deploy and jump into combat zones within 18 hours.
Army EOD techs from the 192nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD) also support local, state and federal civil authorities from east of the Mississippi River and north from South Carolina to Maine.
Hawley said competitions like Leapfest help the Airborne EOD techs to stay ready for their lifesaving and mission-enabling operations.
“Events like Leapfest improve our airborne capabilities by allowing us to really test our skills in air steering a parachute. The object of the competition is to hit one of four X’s on the drop zone. This forces a jumper to really practice landing on a specific point using the MC-6 parachute,” said Hawley.
The first sergeant said the competition was a great opportunity to bolster their relationships with Airborne and Special Forces units.
“The networking that happens at events like these is second to none. We’ve made relationships with other teams at Leapfest that have led to us being able to get on more jumps at Fort Bragg, which is huge for EOD paratroopers since we don’t have our own parachute lines,” said Hawley.
“We learned from the other competitors. When we go back next year, we have a real chance of winning,” said Hawley. “We just need to practice a little more with the MC-6.”
The 2nd Battalion, 134th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division, team won the competition.
Soldiers and Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command, the U.S. military’s premier multifunctional CBRNE formation, deploy from 19 bases in 16 states to confront and defeat the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and multifunctional operations.
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