FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Two 75th Ranger Regiment Soldiers dominated the Best Sapper Competition, earning the title of Best Sappers during the 19th Lt. Gen. Robert B. Flowers Best Sapper Competition held April 18-24, 2026, at Fort Leonard Wood.
1st Lts. Christopher Barrett and Bryce Sullenger squared off against 41 other teams covering nearly 54 miles through eight events to become this year’s victors.
Hosted by the U.S. Army Engineer School, the competition serves as the regiment’s ultimate test of skill, stamina, ingenuity and fortitude for the Army's elite combat engineers.
Col. Timothy Hudson, U.S. Army Engineer School commandant, said the competitors represent the “very best of the best” in the Sapper profession.
During the opening ceremony, held off post in Waynesville to allow community members to attend the first official graded task, a non-standard physical fitness test, Hudson welcomed competitors and spectators to the event.
“Competitors are here from around the globe, representing active duty, Reserve and National Guard,” Hudson said, noting a pair of British Royal Engineers from the United Kingdom participating this year.
Throughout the competition, Soldiers are pushed to their physical and mental limits. They cover miles of terrain — running, swimming and rucking — while navigating obstacle courses and demonstrating their proficiency with weapons. Amidst this physical toll, they are tasked with solving complex engineering problems, breaching obstacles and proving their expertise with battlefield explosives.
Barrett and Sullenger credit their endurance focused training for their win.
Barrett said the duo ran into a difficult lane during Sapper Stakes and they “made a couple of mistakes,” but showed resilience and dominated the next event, a nearly 14-mile ruck march, pushing them ahead of the pack.
“It put us in a challenging spot because we knew the competition was close,” Barrett said. “We went out there, trusted our training, leaned on each other, and crushed the ruck march.”
By finishing the weighted march through rugged terrain in just over three hours, the team claimed the 2026 Best Sapper title, marking the second consecutive year the 75th Ranger Regiment has won the competition.
“We really enjoyed the ruck; it was a testament to our training,” Barrett said. “It was fulfilling to see our endurance training pay off, even after days of competition.”
Highlighting the multifaceted nature of the branch, he said he is proud to be a Sapper because the discipline “requires more than a singular strength.”
“You can’t be just strong. Or just be smart. You must be physically fit and be able to overcome multiple challenges while you work through complex situations,” Barrett added.
Sullenger agreed and said clinching the victory was a profound professional achievement.
Reflecting on the significance of winning during U.S. Army Engineer Regimental Week, Sullenger said, “It’s a great honor to earn the tab, wear the tab and be able to showcase what it takes to be the Best Sappers.”
Second place went to 1st Lt. Aron Taylor and Staff Sgt. Nicholas Schill, 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division.
Third place was awarded to 1st Lts. Lucas King and Duncan Day, 65th Engineer Battalion, 25th Division Sustainment Brigade, 25th Infantry Division.
To view more photos from the competition, visit Fort Leonard Wood’s Flickr page.
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