Courtesy Photo | Capt. David B. Winne (carrying American flag), an Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal...... read more read more
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EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – A bodybuilding U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer brings guns to the bomb fight.
Capt. David B. Winne, an Army EOD officer and instructor at the Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal on Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, routinely demonstrates his commitment to physical fitness by participating in bodybuilding and Crossfit competitions.
While many people set new fitness goals at the beginning of a new year, Winne said the key to success is maintaining a sustainable training schedule and working out together with partners.
“Complacency kills but consistency compounds,” said Winne. “Establish a training regime that is sustainable for your schedule. Too often Soldiers will be overly ambitious with their training plan and crush it for a few weeks before tiring out simply because it isn’t sustainable.”
“It’s much easier to go for that early morning run or evening lift session when it’s with someone else that is going to hold you accountable and push you,” said Winne. “It’s also a great time to build relationships and friendships when you both are suffering through your workouts.”
Winne started his fitness journey with bodybuilding and later shifted gears to functional fitness.
“I’ve been seriously lifting for about 15 years and always had a passion for training and bodybuilding,” said Winne, a native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and graduate of Liberty University. “For a while my only goal was to lift as heavy as I can and be as big as I could but when I joined the Army, I realized I had to change my approach to training or else I could quickly become a liability to my team.”
Winne added that bodybuilding and functional fitness are almost on exact ends of the fitness training spectrum.
“They each demand a very different training methodology, nutrition and even mentality. While bodybuilding prioritizes form and physique above all else. Functional fitness and CrossFit aims to push the body to maximal human capacity and performance,” said Winne.
After spending half of the last year competing in local Crossfit competitions before qualifying for the Crossfit quarterfinals, Winne spent the rest of the year focused on bodybuilding and qualified for national competitions while almost earning a bodybuilding Pro card.
“Balancing the two within a year was extremely difficult but also rewarding,” Winne added. “Right now, I am training in a Hybrid method that combines multiple fitness modalities, including bodybuilding, Crossfit, running and Olympic lifting. I have found this to be the most sustainable, healthy and beneficial method of training.”
Fitness contributes to success during combat missions downrange when EOD techs confront and defeat explosive devices that are designed to imperil troops and impede missions.
Winne commanded the 18th Ordnance Company (EOD) when it served as the sole Explosive Ordnance Company company in Iraq in 2021. During the deployment, Army EOD techs from the 18th EOD Company completed almost 600 missions and defeated a wide variety of devices, including rockets, improvised explosive devices and one-way attack explosive drones that threatened U.S. and coalition forces.
The Fort Liberty, North Carolina-based 18th EOD Company is part of the 192nd EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. military’s premier CBRNE formation.
Winne said physical fitness is a critical component of the profession of arms.
“Fitness is a universal language,” said Winne. “It’s a language civilians, other units, military occupations and even other countries understand. When you have a passion for that, it opens doors that otherwise may have been closed. I can’t tell you how many relationships I have built through fitness with people, units and allies that I may never have had.”
Winne added that fitness helps to forge stronger relationships with supported combat units and allied forces.
He built relationships with Danish Soldiers in the gym during his deployment to Iraq that led to future training opportunities that improved unit readiness.
“As leaders, we may be the only point of contact those supported units know about EOD,” said Winne. “It is vitally important to represent my unit and the EOD field as a physically fit force multiplier so they know we can shoot, move and communicate and be an asset to their force.”
Winne said his focus on fitness improves every aspect of his life and helps him to deal with the inevitable stress that comes from serving in a dangerous and demanding profession.
“I have found training to be a healthy outlet for stress and for my mental health,” said Winne. “I’m able to think clearer, deal with work stress easier and even be a better husband and father. When you’re putting yourself through grueling training sessions, suddenly the stress of work or life becomes more manageable.”
Leaders must also live up to the standards that they expect others to follow, said Winne, adding that he likes to train together with Soldiers in his unit.
“There is nothing that motivated me more than when I would do physical training with Soldiers from my unit and a Soldier would beat me,” said Winne. “I always loved to see it but it also motivated me to step it up.”
Capt. Michael Villahermosa from Echo Company, 73rd Ordnance Battalion, said Winne serves as a great role model for the Army and the entire EOD community.
“He is one of the few EOD technicians who has graduated Ranger school at the top of his class,” said Villahermosa. “He also takes the time to build up those around him.”
| Date Taken: | 01.05.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 01.05.2024 07:44 |
| Story ID: | 461346 |
| Location: | EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 329 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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