Engineers compete for USAREUR's Best Sapper

By Capt. Daniel Harder, 54th Eng. Bn. Public AffairsMarch 14, 2012

Engineers compete for USAREUR's Best Sapper
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capts. Thomas Hatfield (left), a native of Lake Wales, Fla., and Nassar Jabour, from Boston, staff officers for the 54th Engineer Battalion, 18th Eng. Brigade, run through an obstacle course lined with sharp concertina wire during the USAREUR Best S... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Engineers compete for USAREUR's Best Sapper
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capts. Thomas Hatfield (near), a native of Lake Wales, Fla., and Nassar Jabour, originally from Boston, both staff officers of the 54th Engineer Battalion, 18th Eng. Brigade, breach a door to cross the finish line during the USAREUR Best Sapper Com... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BAMBERG, Germany -- Engineers from across Europe battled here during U.S. Army Europe's Best Sapper Competition Feb. 13-16. A total of nine teams representing the 15th Engineer Battalion, the 54th Eng. Bn., the 565th (Provisional) Eng. Bn. and the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment took part in a grueling 72-hour contest.

Each team consisted of two-man buddy teams, made up of officers, noncommissioned officers, or Soldiers and not all were sapper qualified, or combat engineers. Some of the competing teams were comprised of construction engineers and heavy equipment operators.

"The competition is modeled after the regimental Best Sapper Competition held at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri each year," said Capt. Steve Warner, a plans officer with the 54th Engineer Bn. who coordinated the competition. "It's structured to push the teams to their limit physically and mentally, test their skills in combat engineering, and see what teams can still function after the stresses they are put through."

After an initial day of inprocessing, medical checks and inbriefs, competitors started off day two with a nonstandard physical fitness test. Teams had five minutes to perform as many push-ups and sit-ups as possible and three minutes to complete as many pull-ups as they could. As one team member was performing the exercise, the other member prepared to relieve them when they needed a break. The test included a three mile buddy run in the Army combat uniform with individual body armor and weapon.

Following the physical fitness test was a two-hour, 50-question written test on demolitions. Questions centered on calculating the net explosive weight of given charges, planning the charge size and placement for various obstacles, and determining the most efficient use of a set amount of explosives to destroy given targets.

"The test was not meant to be easy," said Capt. David Jennings, the company commander of the 370th Sapper Company responsible for the demo exam. "If a sapper wanted to do well, they would have had to study their field manuals for weeks prior to the exam."

After the mental exhaustion in the classroom, teams went outside where five incorrectly placed charges were placed on trees, steel beams, roads and concrete obstacles. Three minutes was the maximum time allowed for teams to identify all deficiencies in the charges or risk losing points. Capts. Nassar Jabour and Thomas Hatfield, operation staff officers from the 54th Engineer Battalion, placed first in this event.

As evening fell, it was time to pack rucksacks for the overnight road march. With rucksacks weighing over 60 pounds, teams marched through the training area over icy roads, and in the freezing weather with no idea how long the march would be. The team of Jabour and Hatfield finished first after completing a final distance of 14 miles and finishing around 2 a.m.

Day three brought on the main event, Sapper Stakes, consisting of 10 stations in which teams would be evaluated on their knowledge and skill of engineer and Soldier tasks. Stations such as building and placing demolition charges on targets, correctly identifying and marking anti-tank and anti-personnel mines and assembling weapons from stripped parts of U.S. and foreign weapons were some of the tasks teams had to navigate through. Jabour and Hatfield continued with their winning ways.

Nightfall made way for the Land Navigation event. While a basic Soldier skill, the course was more strenuous by providing teams only one point at the start of the course. Only after finding their first point did teams receive the additional grid coordinates to plan out the rest of their evening. By the end of the night, only five teams were left to compete on the last day for the title of Best Sapper. Once again, Jabour and Hatfield took first place.

The last event of the competition was a distance run of no predetermined distance. Teams had to traverse several obstacles along the way. During the run, competitors carried logs, water jugs, litters and ammo crates. Teams breached a door as the last obstacle to the finish line.

Once the event concluded, Col. Robert Gagnon, the deputy commanding officer for the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, presided over the awards ceremony. Gagnon presented coins, certificates and awards to the competitors.

Jabour and Hatfield finished in first place with the best overall score and will represent U.S. Army Europe Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. during the Army-level Best Sapper Competition in April.

Related Links:

21st THEATER SUSTAINMENT COMMAND