Explosive Ordnance Disposal, referred to as EOD, technicians from the 710th EOD Company, donned their 75-pound bomb suits and walked up and down the steps in Tacoma, Washington's Stadium Bowl, a sports venue with more than steps than the Empire State Building.
"The event was a total of 1,628 steps, approximately 814 up and 814 down," said Sgt. Kathleen Wolf, a Tiffin, Ohio native. "Our fastest person in the bomb suit finished in about 23 minutes, and our last person finished around 40 minutes."
"It was a great challenge to see where you stood physically and mentally as a person," said Wolf, who served as a UH-60 Black Hawk door gunner before becoming an EOD technician. "But it was also a learning experience for all the civilians who were there to walk after us. People came up to us in the end and asked questions to better understand what we do for the Army."
Wolf said she hoped to find other events "where we can show our spirit and pride to be U.S. Army Soldiers."
The other participants in the event were 1st Lt. Frank Rego, Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Sims, Sgt. Jason Elias, Sgt. Miguel Perez, Sgt. Joseph Kehl, Sgt. Adam Abderrazzag, Spc. Jesse Juetten, Spc. Eryn Smith, Spc. Elijah Franck, Spc. Joseph Freemanmerna, Spc. Miles Schuler, Spc. Brian Goergen, Spc. Josh Kenee, Pfc. Ben Livesay, Pfc. Alexander Frankel and Pfc. Amanda Cornman.
The event raised around $13,300 for the Kindred Souls Foundation, an organization that supports abandoned cats and dogs.
The EOD Soldiers were from the 710th EOD Company, 3rd EOD Battalion, 71st EOD Group, 20th CBRNE Command (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives). Part of the U.S. Army's 20th CBRNE Command, the only Department of Defense formation that combats chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats around the globe, the 710th EOD Company is stationed on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
Lt. Col. Stephen Kavanaugh, the commander of the 3rd EOD Battalion, said his Soldiers strive improve the communities where they serve.
"We are very proud of all the extra work in the community that our Soldiers do," said Kavanaugh, a native of Roanoke, Virginia. "The 710th Soldiers went above and beyond to help raise both awareness and support for the Kindred Souls Foundation. This is part of the overall attitude within the battalion of doing your best and then pushing yourself a little harder to improve."
By Walter T. Ham IV, 20th CBRNE Command Public Affairs
http://www.army.mil/article/131861/Army_EOD_Soldiers_suit_up_to_help_abandoned_pets/
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