Royal Engineers Sapper Steven Joyce and Lance Cpl. Ben Crimmins, with the 42 Engineer Regiment of the British Army, participate in the Mapper Trials event of the U.S. Army Engineer Regiment’s 2026 Best Mapper Competition held at Fort Leonard Wood March 27–30, 2026.

The winners of the U.S. Army Engineer Regiment’s 2026 Best Mapper Competition pose with the Best Mapper guidon during an award ceremony March 30 held in the Engineer Regimental Room. From left: Col. Timothy Hudson, U.S. Army Engineer School commandant; Royal Engineers Cpl. Ben Crimmins and Sapper Steven Joyce and Lance, with the British Army’s 42 Engineer Regiment; USAES Command Sgt. Maj. David Palmer; and USAES Chief Warrant Officer 5 Willie Gadsden Jr.

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — A team of geospatial engineers from the United Kingdom have earned the title of Best Mappers during the U.S. Army Engineer Regiment’s 2026 Best Mapper Competition held at Fort Leonard Wood March 27–30, 2026.

The winning duo, comprised of Royal Engineers Lance Cpl. Ben Crimmins and Sapper Steven Joyce, geographic technicians with the 42 Engineer Regiment of the British Army, were announced March 30 during an award ceremony in the Engineer Regimental Room.

“We are the Best Mappers. It is incomprehensible. It hasn’t hit me yet,” Joyce said.

This year marks the third iteration of the competition, featuring a record 36 military members, in 18 two-person teams, participating. Four of the teams were from international partners, including Germany, Denmark and two teams from the United Kingdom.

During remarks at the award ceremony, Col. Timothy Hudson, U.S. Army Engineer School commandant, thanked the international teams for participating.

“Our partnership goes beyond this competition. Thank you for being here, for being part of our team,” he said.

Over three days, competitors' physical fitness, geospatial skills and communication abilities were put to the test in a series of time-constrained challenges. The core of the competition required teams to demonstrate a technical mastery of 30 different institutional and operational aptitudes to accurately analyze unfamiliar battlefield terrain.

For Crimmins, success at the U.S. Army competition was meaningful because it underscores a critical principle — the ability for the entire geospatial community to collaborate effectively, no matter their origin.

“Competitions like this are great for cohesion. It has been great to meet other people who do the same thing, but differently. I have learned a lot from my American, Danish and German cohorts over the last few days,” Crimmins said. “We are allies, just one huge team really.”

Geospatial Engineer Staff Sgt. Warren Watkins, with the 75th Ranger Regiment, agreed. He said it is important for the geospatial community to “always be learning” and “always be ready.”

“It is critical that we keep our standards high and maintain a mission ready posture versus needing to train up or get ready for missions. In the world we operate in today that is paramount,” Watkins said.

Watkins and his teammate, Staff Sgt. Quadry Wilson, secured second place in this year’s competition.

Staff Sgts. Quadry Wilson and Warren Watkins, geospatial engineers with the 75th Ranger Regiment, prepare to give a brief on a geospatial product during the U.S. Army Engineer Regiment’s 2026 Best Mapper Competition held at Fort Leonard Wood March 27–30, 2026. The duo went on to finish the competition in second place.

No stranger to success, Watkins returned to the competition after being part of last year's winning team and said he is proud to be a geospatial engineer.

“I truly believe we are force multipliers. Terrain is one of the biggest factors of today’s battlefield and our technical ability to quickly analyze terrain and accurately communicate that to a commander is unmatched,” Watkins said.

Watching the teams complete the competition’s 12 events, Hudson said he was impressed by all the competitors, especially while briefing their geospatial products to a panel of judges, that included leaders from the U.S. Army Engineer School and 169th Engineer Battalion.

“You were put on the spot during the brief, you had a short amount of time, you were under duress and tired. But you did as expected and produced products. Your effort was tremendous. I appreciate that,” Hudson said.

Joyce, who has been in the British Army for a year and a half, said he enjoyed all the physical fitness events, but his favorite experience was briefing the geospatial product his team created during the competition.

“Standing there in front of all those higher ups, having to tell them about a product I had to put together quickly was a lot of pressure on me. Once I found my flow while trying to explain it to them, it was exhilarating,” Joyce said.

Crimmins’ favorite event was an early morning physical endurance test on Demolition Avenue.

“The Car Wash Hill run was a memory game as well as tested our physical fitness.” Crimmins said. “It was a fun task.”

Crimmins and Joyce are cherishing their first American visit, a memorable opportunity they are truly thankful for.

“America is phenomenal and the best thing about it is its people,” Joyce said.

Crimmins agreed.

“Visiting the U.S. was on my bucket list. It is beautiful here. I love the scenery,” Crimmins said. “The people here are lovely. Americans are so welcoming and so kind.”

Crimmins said he's leaving America with two victories — the Best Mapper award and new friendships.

“I have only been here for a few days for the competition, but the conversations I have had with the people here make me feel like I have been here for weeks,” Crimmins said.

The third placing team was also from the British Army’s 42 Engineer Regiment — Royal Engineers Lance Cpl. Harry Daubney and Sapper Lucas Green.

More photos from the competition can be viewed on Fort Leonard Wood’s Flickr page.