Engineers unleashed the Beast during Sapper Stakes

The event was originally designed as a basic demolitions certification range. However, Capt. Kevin Quigley, commander, realized his engineers were ready to train collectively to better prepare themselves to help facilitate the infantry units they would support during combat operations.

"Over the past couple of months I saw the company as ready for collective training," explained Quigley. "To train as a team and perform at the squad level, has really boosted moral. They see this as an opportunity to develop themselves and build cohesion within their teams."

Quigley also described how his decision to turn this year's sapper stakes into a competition falls in line with one of his command philosophies.

"What we are trying to build in Beast Company is a winning culture," he stated. "Everything we do is a competition, you build teams through mutual hardship and friendly competition. Being able to see the success you have through hard work and being recognized as a top performer is incentive enough for anybody."

In addition to self-fulfilling success, the winning team would receive certificates of achievement along with their teams photograph displayed on their company's Sapper Stakes' board."

To obtain these accolades five squads navigated one mile of training lane while negotiating nine physically demanding and realistic tasks that included: troop leading procedures, determining the percentage of a slope and radius of a curve, emplacing cratering, steel cutting, brazier, and improvised bangalore charges, identifying improvised explosive ordinance, and mine wire obstacle clearance.

While time was a consideration the team who displayed the highest level of competency and motivation would earn their spot within the winners circle.

Safety was paramount during the event as these were not benign tasks. Each squad completed their day and night missions while handling pounds of plastic explosives and multiple improvised charges designed to clear mine wire obstacles.

The latter Quigley described as the "bread and butter" of a combat engineers basic skills and noted the fatal consequences if executed during a time of war.

"The time standard is 10 minutes," stated Quigley. "Generally speaking when breaching you expect to lose 50 percent of your squad…that's why the standard is so short, they need to get through the breach as fast as possible to get that infantry company moving."

Quigley further described the mortality rate as one inflicted by enemy personnel likely to be guarding mine wire obstacles obstructing our movement.

Sgt. Ethan Carney, squad leader, understands the dangers associated with his craft and realizes the seriousness in training his team to standard.

"All it takes is once mistake, one miss step, and that could be your life," stated Carney. "We have a lot of new Soldiers in the company, so much of this training was to ensure their proficiency."

Although Carney's squad did not place first in the competition, he's pleased with their performance and feels the lessons learned while training are invaluable to his squad's future successes.

"Figuring out how my new Soldiers react under fire or during stressful situations gives me foresight on where they will optimally perform on our team," he said.

Pfc. Caleb March, combat engineer, described the event as a good way to check knowledge against practical application.

"It's good to learn and take information in, but executing is also important," stated March. "You could know everything and still be terrible at your job if you can't execute it."

Those executing their mission at the highest competency level were assigned to 1st squad, 3rd platoon who placed first during this sapper stakes competition.

Regardless of placement all Soldiers who participated helped to define and shape the future of Beast Company, 41st Engineer Battalion.

"This training event will help me shape platoon and company leadership level tactics techniques and procedures for planning, training and preparing for training," stated Quigley. "Actually building the standards out of doctrine, making sure we continue the tactical mindset when in the field and making reporting a priority at all levels."