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FORT CAVAZOS, Texas – A U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer proved his mettle by running a mile in a 62-pound bomb suit in 7 minutes and 4 seconds and setting a new Guinness World Record that is currently pending official verification.
U.S. Army Capt. Travis G. Chewning-Kulick, the commander of the 752nd Ordnance Company (EOD), accomplished the extraordinary feat at the Phantom Warrior Stadium on Fort Cavazos, Texas, April 25.
Mark Gibbs from Perth, United Kingdom, set the previous record of 7:24.21.
Chewning-Kulick completed the run more than 20 seconds ahead of the previous record. Many Soldiers were on hand to cheer him on, including the 752nd EOD Company senior enlisted leader, 1st Sgt. Edwin G. Vazquez, and his battalion commander, Lt. Col. James I. Alfaro, the commander of the Fort Riley, Kansas-based 79th Ordnance Battalion (EOD).
The Fort Cavazos, Texas-based 752nd EOD Company “Tejanos” are part of the 79th EOD Battalion, 71st EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S Department of Defense’s premier multifunctional and deployable CBRNE formation.
Soldiers and Army civilians deploy from 19 bases in 16 states to confront and defeat the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and multinational operations.
Chewning-Kulick has commanded the Tejanos since May 2023. He previously served as a platoon leader and operations officer for the 774th Ordnance Company (EOD) on Fort Riley, Kansas. After almost 23 months in command, Chewning-Kulick is nearing the end of his command tour at the 752nd EOD Company. Capt. Andrew Z. Bejean from Rockville, Maryland, is scheduled to assumed command in June.
Chewning-Kulick trained for the bomb suit run by including more track and interval workouts into his existing running plan.
“Two weeks before the event I conducted a time trial in the bomb suit to identify any required equipment adjustments and to gain confidence that I could break the record,” he said.
A native of Syracuse, New York, Chewning-Kulick graduated from the U.S. Military Academy where he studied mechanical engineering before commissioning in 2017.
Chewning-Kulick will soon return to West Point to serve as a professor in mechanical engineering following his command tour.
During his time in command, the 752nd EOD Company supported two National Training Center rotations and conducted numerous Very Important Personnel Protection Support Activity (VIPPSA) missions with the U.S. Secret Service. The EOD company also covers 184 counties in Texas during domestic response missions.
Chewning-Kulick said that physical fitness is a critical component for the U.S. Army EOD techs who go into harm’s way and confront and defeat explosive hazards to enable maneuver forces and support civil authorities.
“As a Soldier, physical fitness is important,” said Chewning-Kulick. “As an EOD technician, physical fitness is essential. The EOD Soldier must be able to easily keep pace with the conventional and nonconventional units they support so they can rapidly and safety mitigate any explosive threat to enable the uninterrupted completion of the mission.”
Chewning-Kulick said his Guinness World Record bomb suit run demonstrated that anything is possible with the right attitude and the right level of commitment, training and support.
“The EOD Soldiers in my current unit and those I served with previously motivated me to break the record,” said Chewning-Kulick. “Events like this give us the chance to show our support for one another and push each other to new heights all while building morale in the unit and community as a whole.”
Chewning-Kulick said the EOD community saves lives, protects property and enables victory on the battlefield.
“I became an EOD officer to lead the Army’s most intelligent and driven Soldiers and contribute to the tight knit community that supports each other in every aspect of their lives,” he said. “My advice for anyone thinking about joining EOD is to visit your local EOD unit and you will see why this is the best job in the Army.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Dave Silva, the senior enlisted leader for the 20th CBRNE Command and the senior U.S. Army EOD technician, said Chewning-Kulick demonstrated what makes the U.S. Army EOD community so well respected around the world.
“EOD techs are extraordinary by nature. You have to be to take on such a challenging career field. When one decides to do something extra, it’s usually something beyond most reasonable people’s comprehension,” said Silva.
“Captain Chewning-Kulick came to us special and then he proved just how special he really is,” said Silva, a native of Long Beach, California, who has deployed seven times and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. “His accomplishment is indicative of what makes our techs the best in the world, they chase challenges, and when you run as fast as he does … you catch them!”
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2025 10:28 |
| Story ID: | 496562 |
| Location: | FORT CAVAZOS, TEXAS, US |
| Hometown: | SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 162 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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