Photo By Sgt. DJ Borden | Members of the 720th Ordnance Company complete the EOD 133 Memorial Workout at the...... read more read more
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KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany -- Members of the 720th Ordnance Company came together for a special workout at the Rhine Ordnance Barracks Special Events Center, Oct. 20 to honor fallen comrades.
The EOD 133 Memorial Workout represents the 133 Explosive Ordnance Disposal techs lost in battle since Sept. 11, 2001.
“Since we are EOD techs it’s important for us to remember what they did for us and the legacy they left behind,” said Staff Sgt. Benjamin Arold, platoon sergeant of 720th EOD. “The workout represents the suffering that they and their family members have gone through.”
Sixteen 720th EOD Soldiers participated in the workout. Most wore their Improved Outer Tactical Vests with ballistic plates, making the workout even more grueling.
Kettlebell swings, weighted squats, pull ups, and burpees were just a few of the workouts conducted. The EOD techs worked in teams of two competing for the fastest time. Being in competition, while also honoring their fallen brothers, motivated all the participants to give their all.
The teams completed 400-meter runs around the facility after completing a number of heavy-lifting workouts and burpees with IOTVs weighing them down. The teams conducted the runs three times, each time in honor of a different EOD tech recently lost in combat.
The memorial was for all EOD techs from all four military branches who were killed in the line of duty, but the 720th specifically wanted to honor the most recent death of Navy Chief Petty Officer Jason Finan.
Finan died, Oct. 20, 2016 and was the first American killed during the taking back of Mosul from Daesh.
Being an EOD tech requires the knowledge and intellect to safely mitigate the risks of improvised explosive devices in order to protect others. Finan, and the EOD techs lost before him, made the ultimate sacrifice. Conducting the event on the anniversary of the death of Finan reminded the Soldiers of what was important.
“For us it’s a workout, but for the Gold-Star Families, they live with the pain every day,” said Capt. Nate Zermeno, commander of the 720th EOD. “It’s a small way that we can remember them.”
| Date Taken: | 12.12.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.12.2017 09:42 |
| Story ID: | 258381 |
| Location: | KAISERSLAUTERN, RHEINLAND-PFALZ, DE |
| Web Views: | 208 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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