FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. -- Applications for engineers wanting the title of Best Sapper are now being accepted. The three-day competition is open to Army Soldiers serving in the 12-series career field or for any Soldier who wears a Sapper tab.

"We encourage all qualified teams to come out and compete in the competition.

Competing will make you a better Sapper and a better leader," said Capt. John Chambers, Sapper Leader Course chief of training.

The Best Sapper Competition began in 2005 as a means for engineers to show off their skills.

Sappers compete in a variety of events, testing them to their mental and physical breaking point. The events include events like a demo exam, a ruck march and land navigation.

"This competition will test Sappers on their physical fitness, technical and tactical competency, and their ability to think outside the box to accomplish the mission," Chambers said.

Teams must be made up of a two-person Sapper Buddy Team -- sergeant or above.

"The hallmark of a successful team is teamwork. You can't be a master of everything in this competition and there will be times when you have to rely on your teammate to accomplish the mission. Teams that do not work together or have one teammate who is not as strong as the other will not win this competition. The most successful teams are consistent throughout the competition and rely on each individual's unique strengths to succeed at the tasks embedded in the competition," Chambers said. "This is the seventh annual competition and, to date, we have only had three NCOs on winning teams. We want to challenge the backbone of the Engineer Regiment, the NCOs, to come compete and show off their skills."

Each participant must be either a Sapper School Graduate or 12-series MOS. One team member must be a Sapper School graduate.

"Sappers should compete for the title because they want to prove to themselves and the Engineer Regiment that they are masters of their profession. The Best Sappers are always striving to improve their skills and seek out challenges where they can demonstrate their tactical and technical competency to accomplish the mission. The Best Sapper Competition is one of those challenges and we want all Sappers who think they have what it takes to come out and compete," Chambers said.

Participants may not be a current Sapper Leader Course cadre or support personnel and there are no international competitors allowed.

Competitors must furnish a letter of preparedness signed by the first O-5 in their chain of command and will report to Fort Leonard Wood April 16, with the competition beginning on April 19.

For more information and to register, visit www.wood.army.mil/sapper/BSC. Registration is open until March 9.