The Bomb Suit Ride Across America is a fundraiser event for the benefit of the EOD Warrior Foundation. Retired Virginia State Police Bomb Technician, Bobby Klepper will be traveling across the United States on a Harley Davidson motorcycle, wearing a bomb suit the entire way. The event kicked off yesterday at GSS Gear in Virginia Beach, and is scheduled to continue for 15 days through the month of November.
On Sunday November 1st, retired Virginia State Police Bomb Technician, Bobby Klepper, will climb on his Harley Davidson motorcycle in Virginia Beach, VA and take off on the journey of a lifetime, traveling across the United States to San Diego, all while wearing a bomb suit. Bobby is a 34-year veteran with the state police and has over 30 years in the EOD community, and is no stranger to adversity and intense challenges, yet wearing a bomb suit while riding a motorcycle cross-country could be his biggest challenge yet.
This “Ride Across America” is a fundraiser benefiting the EOD Warrior Foundation, a 501c3 organization that serves the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Community by providing assistance to active-duty wounded, injured or ill warriors, wounded veterans and their families, and families of fallen warriors. The organization also maintains the EOD Memorial Wall in honor of fallen EOD warriors. The Foundation believes the EOD family is for life and is committed to providing the necessary assistance and ongoing support to military families stationed around the world.
When asked why he would take on such an incredible feat, Klepper said, “I am doing this fundraiser to show respect and to help my EOD brothers and sisters. I will be riding a motorcycle in a bomb suit, across the U.S., to raise awareness and funds for this worthy organization and to draw attention to the dangerous job that EOD technicians do every day.
Due to the incredibly strenuous task of not only riding a motorcycle cross-country, but doing so in a bomb suit, the journey will require numerous stops and will take approximately 15 days. Bobby and his team will make time to stop at the EOD Memorial Wall at Eglin Air Force Base in FL, to conduct a wreath laying ceremony in honor of the 314 military EOD warriors whose have died while carrying out an EOD mission since WWII.
The final leg of this trip will take him from Scottsdale, AZ to San Diego, CA where he will be met by EOD families, law enforcement officials and friends for a party at Strategic Operations. When asked what she thought of Bobby’s Ride, Nicole Motsek, Executive Director for the EOD Warrior Foundation said, “What Bobby is setting out to do is an incredible feat, and will be extremely challenging. We are so grateful to Bobby and his team for their commitment to help raise awareness for those that perform the most dangerous job in the military.” The ride is scheduled to conclude at a public ceremony in San Diego on Sunday, November 15th.
Detailed schedule of events:
– 24 OCT – Pre-Event: Tidewater Tactical (2022 Pleasure House Rd, Virginia Beach, VA)
– 01 NOV – iFLY BREAKFAST EVENT (2412 Pacific Ave, Virginia Beach, VA)
– 01 NOV – GSS Gear Send-off party (2037 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach, VA)
– 01 NOV – Ashland, VA: Richmond Harley Davidson
– 04 NOV – Nashville, TN: Boswell Harley Davidson
– 05 NOV – Redstone, AL: FBI Hazardous Devices School
– 06 NOV – Eglin AFB, FL: EOD Memorial Wall (Range Rd. Niceville, FL)
– 07 NOV – Shreveport, LA: VETERANS FOR VETERANS – (3232 E 70th St, Shreveport)
– 11 NOV – Albuquerque, NM: Thunderbird Harley Davidson VETERANS DAY
– 13 NOV – Scottsdale, AZ: Harley Davidson of Scottsdale
– 15 NOV – San Diego, CA: Strategic Operations (4705 Ruffin Road, San Diego, CA)
www.eodwarriorfoundation.org
