NATICK, Mass. - Four parachute riggers assigned to the Combat Capabilities Development Command, or DEVCOM, Soldier Center recently competed in Leapfest 2025, the annual International Military Parachute Competition hosted by the Rhode Island National Guard at the Glen Rock drop zone in Exeter, RI. Leapfest is the world’s largest and longest-running international static line parachute competition, and this year was the 40th time the event was held.
Leapfest 2025 saw teams from the U.S. Army, Army Reserve, several National Guard units, and the U.S. Air Force along with 18 foreign countries compete for team and individual titles. DEVCOM Soldier Center’s team consisted of Chief Warrant Officer 4
Terry Wright, command airdrop advisor; Sgt. 1st Class Jose Amaro, airdrop equipment non-commissioned officer; Staff Sgts. Jovani Tankelewicz and Kavon Nieto, both inspector/testers.
The team placed 16th out of 53 teams, with Amaro as the top finisher for the DEVCOM Soldier Center team coming in 49th out of 212 jumpers.
“Getting the chance to jump at my final Leapfest with my team meant a lot. It’s more than just a competition, it’s about testing ourselves and representing DEVCOM SC,” Amaro said.
During the competition, teams of four jumpers make three static line jumps from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter from 1500 above ground level using an MC-6 semi steerable round canopy parachute, aiming for one of four targets marked on the drop zone. Timers start the clock once the jumper has landed and completed a parachute landing fall, and time stops when the jumper touches the X-shaped target.
“This is my third Leapfest competition and as always, the airborne community worldwide showed up in full force,” said Wright. “Being able to participate in such an event gives me a sense of pride in being a paratrooper that is unmatched,”.
DEVCOM Soldier Center has competed in the annual event for more than 30 years, and a rigger team won the overall competition in 2009.
“I think it’s important for Soldier Center’s rigger detachment to participate because it reaffirms our link to the larger airborne community and helps build partnerships with other units and other countries that we rely upon to accomplish our mission,” said Michael Henry, Aerial Delivery division chief. “It is also great for the organization to see our detachment compete in front of the whole world using equipment we helped develop.”
In this year’s competition, the U.S. Army placed first, with a team from Canada taking second and the Hungarian team coming in third. But it is not as easy as these experienced paratroopers make it seem. Wind and weather conditions vary greatly and change over the course of the competition, making it challenging to safely reach the target.
Despite the rigors of making three static line jumps within the course of the day, the jumpers enjoyed the event and the opportunity to jump and interact with fellow paratroopers from around the world.
“In my experience at Leapfest, I got to jump with my team and enjoy friendly competition with US and international teams. I participated to build team cohesion and meet with other paratroopers within the airborne community,” Tankelewicz said.
“I participated in Leapfest for the experience, comradery amongst the different countries, and to compete,” added Nieto.
About DEVCOM Soldier Center
The DEVCOM Soldier Center is committed to discovering, developing, and advancing science and technology solutions that ensure America’s warfighters are optimized, protected, and lethal. DEVCOM Soldier Center supports all of the Army's Modernization efforts, with the Soldier Lethality and Synthetic Training Environment Cross Functional Teams being the DEVCOM Soldier Center’s chief areas of focus. The center’s science and engineering expertise are combined with collaborations with industry, DOD, and academia to advance Soldier and squad performance. The center supports the Army as it transforms from being adaptive to driving innovation to support a Multi-Domain Operations Capable Force of 2028 and a MDO Ready Force of 2035. DEVCOM Soldier Center is constantly working to strengthen Soldiers’ performance to increase readiness and support for warfighters who are organized, trained, and equipped for prompt and sustainable ground combat.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) outreach and mentoring the next generation of scientists and engineers are also an important part of the mission of DEVCOM Soldier Center. The mentoring of students by Army scientists and engineers benefits the students and their communities. It also increases young people's awareness of potential Army job opportunities and helps provide the Army with potential new talent, helping to fuel innovative ideas that benefit the nation's warfighters and the nation as a whole.
DEVCOM Soldier Center is part of DEVCOM. Through collaboration across the command's core technical competencies, DEVCOM leads in the discovery, development and delivery of the technology-based capabilities required to make Soldiers more lethal to win our nation's wars and come home safely. DEVCOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command.
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