Sapper Leader Course: A photo essay

By Mr. Stephen Standifird (Leonard Wood)February 23, 2017

Sapper Leader Course: A photo essay
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Sapper Leader Course: A photo essay
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Sapper Leader Course: A photo essay
3 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Sapper Leader Course: A photo essay
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Sapper Leader Course: A photo essay
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Sapper Leader Course: A photo essay
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The Sapper Leader Course is a 28-day class designed to train and evaluate Engineer Regiment Soldiers in both technical and tactical expertise, according to Capt. Robert Zimmerman, SLC chief of training.

Training is broken down into two phases; general subjects and patrolling. General subjects includes water, air, mountaineering and urban breaching operations.

The mountaineering module is designed to demonstrate the mobility aspect of Sappers in vertical or near-vertical operations, Zimmerman said.

Demolitions is the hallmark of being a Sapper, Zimmerman said. In urban breaching, students are taught a wide range of breaching techniques, including creating an entry. "It's not always as simple as kicking down a door," Zimmerman said.

Students are expected to demonstrate all of the skills taught during the first two weeks to plan and execute real-life scenarios during patrolling phase, Zimmerman said.

Part of the end state of SLC is to build technically and tactically competent engineer leaders, Zimmerman said. It's also about earning the Sapper tab.

"The right to bear the Sapper tab is a direct reflection of what we teach here," Zimmerman said.

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