Photo By Master Sgt. Anthony Hewitt | Capt. Jason Bahmer, a Paratrooper assigned to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne...... read more read more
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FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. – Forty-eight teams of the Army`s toughest engineers competed in the 2016 Best Sapper Competition at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, April 18-21.
Army engineers from Hawaii to Italy showed up to compete in the 10th annual competition, but in the end, only one team held the trophy high.
The early morning of April 19, teams began a three-day journey and faced an agenda consisting of 42 events, over a 50-mile distance and had 50 hours to complete it.
A steel bay door opens and teams move into action, three two-man teams are representing the 82nd Airborne Division.
Motivated screams explode on the scene and do not stop for 72 hours.
The events tested Sappers in technical and tactical skills and challenged their physical and mental strength.
Engineers moved all over Fort Leonard Wood on foot participating in a non-standard physical fitness test, a rappel tower, stress shoots, zip lines, door breaches, demolition charges, ingenuity task and the famous X-mile run that has been described as the Sapper Cross Fit games – a final event the 19 remaining teams experience before finally crossing through the red Sapper castle at the finish line.
“These guys are the best,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Green, command sergeant major of the 82nd Abn. Div. “They`ve dedicated blood, sweat, and equity to come out [here]; represent the division and show that they are the best of the best.”
Each passing day, handfuls of teams are eliminated depending on their performance.
“We push the competitors to their mental and physical breaking points to see what they are made of,” said Staff Sgt. Robert Moore, an instructor at the Sapper Leader Course. “ Teams that are strong will succeed and teams that are unprepared or fall behind will be cut.”
The six Paratroopers have been training for this week since January.
Master Sgt. Eric Prescott, assigned to the 307th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Abn. Div. was the primary coach for each team.
He says they have been doing fitness training three times a day. We trained in engineer skills training throughout the weeks to ensure proficiency.
He says we incorporated training events at Fort Bragg`s Pre-Ranger facilities, including multi-day events emulating the competition.
The competition`s schedule and events are kept confidential from the public; coaches and candidates can only anticipate the events.
“The task they are evaluated on differ from year to year so they don`t know what to expect,” said Moore.
On last day, the sun was glowing orange and gave the Sappers a hot morning.
Nineteen remaining teams stepped forward to compete in the X-Mile run.
In the end, holding up the first place trophy was Capt. Jason Bahmer, Paratrooper assigned to 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd BCT and Sgt. 1st Class David Rizo, Paratrooper assigned to 37th BEB, 2nd BCT, 82nd Abn. Div.
Placing third overall was 1st Sgt. Jose Casillas and Sgt. 1st Class Tim Shay, Paratroopers assigned to 307th BEB, 3rd BCT, 82nd Abn. Div.
“I`m ecstatic,” said Rizo. “We put a lot into this and were really confident going into the events with the chance to come out and represent the 82nd Airborne Division.”
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2016 22:32 |
| Story ID: | 196167 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 587 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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