Photo By Molly Treece | Staff Sgt. Justin R. Bowman, Staff Sgt. Patrick J. Roonan and Sgt. Kyle B. Blauert,...... read more read more
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FORT LEE, Va. – U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal techs from the 52nd Ordnance Group EOD took top honors in the 2026 all-Army EOD Team of the Year competition, which was held on Fort A.P. Hill and Fort Lee, Virginia, April 20 - 24.
Staff Sgt. Justin R. Bowman, Staff Sgt. Patrick J. Roonan and Sgt. Kyle B. Blauert, EOD technicians from the Fort Stewart, Georgia-based 38th Ordnance Company EOD, 192nd EOD Battalion, received first place honors during the all-Army EOD competition.
Second place honors were awarded to Staff Sgt. Christen D. Wise, Staff Sgt. Alexis D. Lugo and Sgt Joshua A. Konja, EOD technicians, representing the 702nd Ordnance Company EOD, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade and U.S. Army Europe and Africa.
Staff Sgt. Tyler L. Orvik, Sgt. Timothy L. Ix and Sgt. Emmanuel Orozco, EOD technicians representing the 716th EOD Company, 303rd EOD Battalion, the 8th Military Police Brigade and U.S. Army Pacific, received third place honors.
The other top EOD team who competed in the competition were Staff Sgt. Braden C. Dunson, Sgt. Jedidiah B. Rankin and Spc. Adam D. Campbell, EOD technicians who represented the 761st EOD Company, 79th EOD Battalion and the 71st Ordnance Group EOD.
Staff Sgt. Hunter L. Roth and Pfc. Samuel Earl, EOD technicians, with the 110th Chemical Battalion and the 83rd Chemical Battalion, represented the 48th Chemical Brigade.
Staff Sgt. Raphael M. Riordan, Sgt. Gerald Harris Jr. and Sgt. Matthew E. Scofield, EOD technicians who represented the 387th EOD Company, 79th Troop Command and 1108th EOD Company, 501st EOD Battalion with the Massachusetts and New York National Guard.
Each team took on meticulously-designed training lanes that were built from real-world EOD missions in large-scale combat operations, which tested their physical endurance and mental agility.
The ability to render safe, enable lethality, solve complex high-stakes problems under extreme pressure, all while safeguarding U.S. forces on the battlefield, are cornerstone proficiencies of the EOD profession, according to Col. Phillip P. Murrell, deputy commanding officer of the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command.
“Over the last week we witnessed the absolute pinnacle of technical and tactical proficiency from the teams,” said Murrell. “You are all here because you have already proven yourselves to be the best of the best within your formations.”
“But let me be clear, this week wasn’t just about taking home a title or earning bragging rights,” Murrell said. “It was about forging a sharper, more lethal edge.”
Staff Sgt. Justin R. Bowman, team leader of the winning team and a Homeland, California native, demonstrated a sharp and lethal edge and a high-level of confidence in his team’s ability to win.
“Yeah I knew we were going to win, because we’re just better,” said Bowman.
Bowman not only led his team to victory, but he was recognized by the ceremony’s guest speaker for finishing his Expert Physical Fitness Assessment in under 17 minutes, which was considered to be exceptional given the assessment allows 27 to 30 minutes to complete.
Maj. Gen. Sean P. Davis, commanding general of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command and Sustainment Center of Excellence at Fort Lee, Virginia, was the guest speaker during this widely attended award ceremony, which was held at the Green Auditorium at the Army Sustainment University, April 24.
“You compete today, not as individuals, but as an organic team, because that’s exactly how you fight and win in combat,” said Davis. “EOD is the only career field capable of executing the rendering safe of explosive hazards across the entire spectrum of conflict.”
“You have to be right every single time, there is no second place,” Hill said. “It’s mission success or total failure.”
The 2026 all-Army EOD Team of the Year competition was hosted by the 20th CBRNE Command and the 52nd Ordnance Group EOD, however the planning, coordination and ultimate success of the competition required vital support from organizations like CASCOM SCOE, according to Col. George A. Hill, commander the 52nd Ordnance Group EOD.
Hill emphasized how a host of key partners such as the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Picatinny Arsenal, Missile and Space Intelligence Center, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the Utah National Guard's 85th Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team, the 2-224 Aviation Battalion Virginia Army National Guard, and the U.S. Army Ordnance School all played critical roles.
“The staff’s ability to orchestrate an event of this magnitude to such a high degree of excellence was one of the most impressive displays of professionalism I have seen in my career,” said Hill.
Brig. Gen. W Bochat, commanding general of the 20th CBRNE Command said, “This competition emphasizes that Army EOD technicians are highly skilled professionals who are vital to mission success, ready for any challenge, and are driven by a culture of excellence.”
The 20th CBRNE Command belongs to U.S. Western Hemisphere Command and is home to 75 percent of the active-duty U.S. Army EOD techs and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) specialists, as well as the 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory, CBRNE Analytical and Remediation Activity, Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordination Teams and Nuclear Infrastructure Exploitation (NIX) Teams.
| Date Taken: | 04.27.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.27.2026 14:49 |
| Story ID: | 563680 |
| Location: | ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
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