Photo By Maj. Jon Allen | Spc. Mackenzie Talbot, combat engineer from 1st Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st...... read more read more
NEWODEBA, Poland -- Sappers from 1st Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, participated in the Polish Best Sapper competition, here, April 9-12, 2019.
The 14-day competition consisted of 14 rigorous events including a land navigation course that began with a 5k run in full gear, a mine removal operations lane, anti-aircraft trench emplacement, and an event where the Sappers assembled, rowed, and disassembled a boat for time.
“The hardest part was the day-two land [navigation] event that started with a run in full gear and turned into a course with 2.5 kilometers between points,” said Sgt. Salador Cota, dismount team leader from Bravo Company, 1st Eng. Bn. “It was a very physical day.”
The event was an opportunity for Sappers from allied countries to learn from each other and test their skills.
“The Polish were very professional, very physically fit,” said Cota. “The squad got to learn some of their [standard operating procedures] and use some of their equipment.”
Sappers train to operate on the most dangerous areas of the battlefield. They clear mines, dig trenches, and demolish obstacles so other combat Soldiers can maneuver to their objectives.
“It’s a rewarding job, you get to play with explosives and it’s physically demanding,” said Cota. “For the most part, it’s pretty fun.”
Cota is in Europe with the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, training with U.S. allies and partners to keep Europe safe and ready to respond to any threat.
| Date Taken: | 04.11.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 04.19.2019 01:55 |
| Story ID: | 318515 |
| Location: | NEWODEBA, PL |
| Web Views: | 128 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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