LEITNER AMBASSADOR: TRAVIS KENNEDY
Former Navy SEAL and current Leitner Designs ambassador Travis Kennedy, while growing up in Huntington Beach, California, knew he wanted to be in the military and serve his country — even from an early age. His parents, though, weren’t as enthusiastic.
One day, though, Kennedy’s dad relented. He handed his son a pamphlet about the Navy SEALs, saying, “If you're going to join the military, it better be for a good reason.”
“Once I was exposed to these warriors and this kind of job and the US Navy,” Kennedy recounted, “that's when I became hooked.”
Kennedy and tailored his life to becoming the ideal SEAL candidate. With his parents’ blessing to join the Navy, with the aspirations of becoming a SEAL, he enlisted during senior year of high school in 2006. By the end of 2007, Kennedy was a SEAL.
As a SEAL, Kennedy was assigned to SEAL Team Four at Fort Brag, North Carolina. From there, Kennedy was deployed to Afghanistan for two tours of duty, 2010-2011 and 2012-2013.
In 2013, Kennedy was assigned to be a BUD/S instructor.
“Before becoming Navy SEALs, candidates are put through some of the most mentally challenging and physically demanding training in the world,” the Navy SEAL website explains. “Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, or BUD/S, is designed to find and develop men of the strongest character who give everything they have to accomplish their mission and support the men on their team.”
In 2015, Kennedy returned to SEAL Team Four, this time as a Leading Petty Officer, and was deployed to South America, specifically Columbia.
Kennedy separated from the service in 2019. Kennedy founded his company, Kennedy Defensive Solutions, and his wife and he moved to Arizona.
It was around this time that Kennedy and his father discovered overlanding and embraced the hobby. He bought a 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor and outfitted it with the latest overlanding gear, including a Leitner Designs Active Cargo System (ACS) Forged.
Before leaving SoCal, Kennedy had seen the Leitner ACS Forged on some friends’ rigs. And, as he put it, he “fell in love with it.”
“I just love the modularity of it, how you could just add to it, take away from it, etc. And aesthetically, I think it looks great on my truck,” Kennedy said. “I like the open aspect, too. I couldn't be happier with it.”
Fully outfitted for adventure, Kennedy goes on extensive overland expeditions, including through the Tetons in Wyoming and two weeks in Moab.
If you want to follow along with Kennedy’s travels or pick up some firearms pointers from him, you can follow him on Instagram or YouTube @TravisKennedy267.
