FORT RILEY, Kan. — The 79th Ordnance Battalion hosted its Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team of the Year competition, testing EOD Soldier's their precision, teamwork and technical skills at Fort Riley, Kansas, Jan. 20-22, 2026.
The selected teams competed rigorous physical events like the 12-mile ruck march and complex EOD field problems lasting over 24 hours.
“The EOD’s Team of the Year competition is one of the best events that the EOD community puts on every year,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Wells, the Command Sergeant Major of the 79th Ordnance Battalion, 71st Ordnance Group, 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Command. “It brings our teams together from across the country, testing their skills and introducing competition.”
The teams started with the Army Fitness Test, a 12-mile ruck march and a rifle and pistol marksmanship challenge. Completing each event in sequence with limited time to recover before moving to the next.
“These events push the Soldiers individually, but they also reveal how well teams support each other right from the start,” said Lt. Col. James Alfaro, the Battalion Commander of the 79th Ordnance Battalion, 71st Ordnance Group, 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive Command “It’s a demanding start, but it gives us a clear look at each team’s physical readiness and mental resilience.”
Soldiers, without time to recover, begin 24 hours of incidents covering the full spectrum of explosive ordnance disposal training operations, rotating through tasks that require constant movement, rapid decision-making and the uninterrupted application of their technical skills.
“This is how we identify highly skilled professionals in the EOD field,” said Wells. “Our teams train for complex situations, adapt quickly and demonstrate the technical expertise required to handle any mission they’re given.”
The winning team for the competition comes from the 761st Ordnance Company at Fort Sill, which is led by Staff Sgt. Braden Dunson.
Competition scores remained close throughout the event.
Dunson noted that any of the participating teams could have taken the top spot. Despite the tight margins, the Soldiers led by Dunson consistently posted the highest marks, earning recognition as the best EOD team in the 79th Ordnance Battalion.
The team will advance to the 71st Ordnance Group competition in March for a chance to secure the title of the group’s top team.
“This competition brought out the best in my team and in every team that competed,” said Dunson.
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