FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Capt. Erwin J. Marciniak, right, logistics officer in charge, and 1st Lt. Jeremy Y. Matsumoto, assistant operations officer, both with 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conduct water borne operations, during the Best Sapper Competition at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., April 8-10, 2019, which they placed first out of 48 teams. (Photo by Spc. Marcus McKinney)
By Spc. Rommel Forde
1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — 1st Lt. Jeremy Y. Matsumoto, assistant operations officer with 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, completes a reverse low crawl under barbed wire during the obstacle course portion of the Best Sapper Competition at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., April 8-10, 2019. (Photo by Spc. Marcus McKinney)
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Capt. Erwin J. Marciniak, logistics officer in charge, and 1st Lt. Jeremy Y. Matsumoto, assistant operations officer, both with 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, teamed up to compete in the Best Sapper Competition April 8-10, 2019, at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
The competition challenged and tested combat engineers from both the Army and Marine Corps on a multitude of skills required to be a combat engineer. It wasn’t until June 2004 that the Sapper tab was authorized for permanent wear upon completion of the Sapper Leader Course. Since the first Best Sapper Competition in 2007, the 50 Best Sapper teams from across the country and world have had the chance to compete in this rigorous competition and earn the title of Best Sapper.
“When our nation needs a tough job done, they call the Army. When our Army needs a tough job done, they call on the Sappers,” said Retired Lt. Gen. Robert B. Flowers, 86th Commandant of the U.S. Army Engineer School and 50th Chief of Engineers, who played a key role in advocating for the authorized wear of the Sapper tab.
“Over the last 50 hours, Marciniak and Matsumoto lived up to our motto of ‘Proven Pioneers,’” said Command Sgt. Maj. Shade S. Munday, 299th BEB, 1st SBCT. “They proved that Pioneers will accept any challenge placed in front of them, leaving future Pioneers inspired.”
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — 1st Lt. Jeremy Y. Matsumoto, assistant operations officer with 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, crawls under a log during the obstacle course portion of the Best Sapper Competition at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., April 8-10, 2019. (Photo by Spc. Marcus McKinney)
Each team participated in a ruck march, written exam, team-building events, strength and endurance events, technical events, land navigation and an “X-mile run,” which consisted of running five miles while carrying water jugs and sand bags, while covering a distance of 50 miles.
“We prepared for this competition by running, rucking and we spent some time on the weekends studying our Sapper skills,” Matsumoto said. “We also followed the Mountain Technical Institute 13-week best ranger train up.”
Out of the 48 teams to compete, only 26 finished the arduous competition.
“To physically prepare for the competition, we followed the grueling 13-week Mountain Tactical Institute’s Best Ranger Train Up Plan,” said Marciniak. “And then we prepared for it technically by reviewing the published guidance and then receiving help from our battalion and the training aids.”
Even with months of training and preparation, the Best Sapper Competition still presented difficult hurdles for the candidates to overcome.
“I overcame the deadlift station by seeing my strong battle buddy, Chris, on the sidelines, silently judging me,” said Matsumoto. “That gave me the boost of confidence and encouragement I needed to get through that station.”
The pair quickly realized that having an encouraging teammate can mean the difference between success and failure.
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Capt. Erwin J. Marciniak, logistics officer in charge, carries 1st Lt. Jeremy Y. Matsumoto, assistant operations officer, both with 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, during the buddy carry exercise portion of the Best Sapper Competition at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., April 8-10, 2019. (Photo by Spc. Marcus McKinney)
“When times get hard, you can always get through by understanding the only thing that will make the pain stop is completing the tasks or event,” said Marciniak. “It’s amazing how by adopting this mindset allows you to break through the fatigue and keep a fast pace.”
Matsumoto said it was an honor just to be selected for the competition.
“But to be deemed one of the top three teams out of the group of the country’s best, that is a remarkable feat,” said Matsumoto.
The team said they learned a lot from the competition.
“The biggest thing I’ve taken away from the competition is the focus on the basics and just how broad that basis of knowledge is,” said Marciniak. “One of the things I like about the competition is you never know what is going to be tested each year and there are always a few events you didn’t prepare for. It’s humbling but at the same time extremely motivating when you get through those events, and it illuminates areas you need to work on in order to become a better Soldier.”
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Capt. Erwin J. Marciniak, left, logistics officer in charge, and 1st Lt. Jeremy Y. Matsumoto, assistant operations officer, both with 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, step off for their road march after completing the waterborne operations, during the Best Sapper Competition at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., April 8-10, 2019. (Photo by Spc. Marcus McKinney)
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Capt. Erwin J. Marciniak, left, logistics officer in charge, and 1st Lt. Jeremy Y. Matsumoto, assistant operations officer, both with 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, work as a team to carefully prepare a charge for a demolition exercise during the Best Sapper Competition at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., April 8-10, 2019. (Photo by Spc. Marcus McKinney)
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — 1st Lt. Jeremy Y. Matsumoto, assistant operations officer with 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conducts a weapons assembly during the Best Sapper Competition at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., April 8-10, 2019. (Photo by Spc. Marcus McKinney)
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Capt. Erwin J. Marciniak, right, logistics officer in charge, and 1st Lt. Jeremy Y. Matsumoto, assistant operations officer, both with 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conduct water borne operations, which they placed first out of 48 teams in during the Best Sapper Competition at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., April 8-10, 2019. (Photo by Spc. Marcus McKinney)
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Capt. Erwin J. Marciniak, logistics officer in charge with 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conduct water borne operations during the Best Sapper Competition at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., April 8-10, 2019. (Photo by Spc. Marcus McKinney)