Photo By Chief Petty Officer Torrey Lee | NAVAL BASE KITSAP (June 11, 2025) — Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Ben...... read more read more
The Navy continues to face the challenge of attrition and transition, and the mission to recruit America’s next generation of Sailors remains critical. In fiscal year 2025, the Navy has set its active-duty enlisted recruiting goal at 40,600 accessions, matching last year’s target and underscoring the ongoing demand for quality talent. However, some contracts demand even more.
The Warrior Challenge Program, which offers paths into elite communities such as Navy SEALs, explosive ordnance disposal, Navy diver, special warfare combatant-craft crewman (SWCC), and air rescue, is among the Navy’s most competitive and physically demanding pipelines. Preparing future Sailors for these roles is not just about meeting numbers; it’s about mentorship, grit, and transformation.
Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Ben Kunze, assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group Pacific Northwest, leads that mission across a sprawling four-state region. Based in Seattle, Kunze travels throughout Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska to identify and train candidates for the Warrior Challenge.
“Special warfare is not just SEALs,” Kunze said. “It consists of explosive ordnance disposal, Navy diver, special warfare combatant-craft crewman, air rescue.”
Kunze leads regional clinics where candidates undergo intensive preparation and perform the Physical Screening Test (PST), a baseline qualification event measuring swim, run, push-up, sit-up, and pull-up performance. For many Americans, particularly those not already involved in athletic programs, the PST can be a challenging experience. According to the Department of Defense, only 23% of Americans aged 17 to 24 meet the military’s eligibility requirements without a waiver, including standards for physical fitness, education, and legal qualifications. Special warfare coordinators now must consider additional standards when recruiting Warrior Challenge candidates. The mission is no longer to find future sailors; it’s to build them.
“The biggest determining factor when I first meet somebody, to see if they’re fit for this program, would be their attitude. They need drive to push themselves out of their comfort zone and they need to be determined to show up and put out everything that they possibly can,” said Kunze.
Kunze’s style isn’t about yelling or punishing. It’s mentorship-first, designed to inspire future Sailors to push through their limits and find their “why.”
“Coming out hot and pushing somebody in like a drill-type structure, you’re not keeping the motivation for future Sailors to find their own drive, their own mentality,” said Kunze. “This is the portion where we connect and we work to improve. We keep them motivated so that they’re prepared to get through boot camp and their special program.”
Assisting Kunze is Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Skyler Lee, a former Warrior Challenge applicant. Though he was medically reclassified during training, Lee chose to remain in the community and now brings first-hand insight to the team.
“I went through the SWCC pipeline,” said Lee, “It taught me was leadership skills and team orientation. All the stuff to be better and more resilient in the face of adversity. These are things that I like to train to my candidates, that even on your worst days, you can be trained to outperform yourself.”
Lee believes mental fortitude outweighs physical ability.
“Eighty percent of what we do comes from a strong mindset,” he said. “We can train you physically, but you have to have that mental toughness that’ll push you over the top.”
When a candidate struggles, Lee takes a personal approach to their development.
“I’ll just take them to the side, sit them down, see what’s going through their head, what’s really bugging them,” he said. “And then I’ll just tell them to use that as fuel to push through.”
Sophia Joers, of Silverdale, Washington, says she draws motivation from her family legacy.
“My recruiter asked me if I’d like a challenge, and I really do,” said Joers. “And I’ve always wanted to be a corpsman. My mom was a corpsman, grandpa was a corpsman, and I thought, why not be the best type of corpsman there is?”
Joers admits that not many people with her background typically pursue this path, and part of her motivation is to prove to herself and others that someone like her can do it. She especially wants to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Joers credits Kunze and Lee for their support and inspiration, saying that the mentors genuinely care about ensuring each candidate is pushing to do their best.
Lee said he noticed that many high school students see the Warrior Challenge as an opportunity to rise above the ordinary and become something greater, like a real-life superhero, and pursue a career unlike any other.
At Naval Base Kitsap, Kunze and Lee run alongside their new class of Warrior Challenge candidates. Active-duty Sailors cheer from passing cars and commands, recognizing the effort and the future, represented by the students sprinting down the street and diving into the water.
“You earn your contract, You show up mentally, physically prepared,” Kunze said. “This class is putting out everything they have, actually earning that contract.”
For Navy recruiters across the country, the goal isn’t just to fill ranks. It’s to forge leaders, challenge potential, and shape the next generation of Warrior Sailors, one candidate at a time.
Navy Talent Acquisition Group Pacific Northwest manages more than 34 enlisted and officer recruiting stations throughout Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. The command’s mission is to recruit the next generation of warrior Sailors from the Pacific Northwest, focusing on high-quality candidates who will enhance the readiness of America’s Navy and inspire future leadership.
| Date Taken: | 06.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.27.2025 15:21 |
| Story ID: | 501748 |
| Location: | SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 60 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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