Sapper Leader Course

[tomahawk6]

The US Army Engineer Center offer's a Sapper Leader Course whose graduates earn a tab similar to the Ranger tab.

http://www.wood.army.mil/sapper/SapperPage_files/SapperLeaderCourse.htm

 

[043]

Yes,

I know the 2 CER, from Petawawa has sent people down there in the past. One of them even topped it.

 

[Sapper6]

The US Army Engineer Center offer's a Sapper Leader Course whose graduates earn a tab similar to the Ranger tab.

http://www.wood.army.mil/sapper/SapperPage_files/SapperLeaderCourse.htm

T6,

I had a Sergeant in my Squadron who had the SAPPER Leader course.  It proved big dividends when we were OPCON to 3d Bde (RAKKASANS) 101st AB Div (Air Assault) on Op APOLLO in 2002 in some godforsaken place called Kandahar, Afghanistan! ;-)  I only hope that our Army can continue to fund sending a few Canadian soldiers on the course each year.

S6 

 

[SprCForr]

What sort of big dividends? The links just give the impression of a trade (U.S.) refresher with a solid CLC type content. Is it familiarity with US procedures? Does it provide a skill(s) that is not available through current CF courses?

 

[Sapper6]

What sort of big dividends? The links just give the impression of a trade (U.S.) refresher with a solid CLC type content. Is it familiarity with US procedures? Does it provide a skill(s) that is not available through current CF courses?

CForr,

Perhaps I should have expounded a bit more, the dividends I was referring to was SOPs working with a "light" Infantry Brigade.  Most of our operations were air assault and the SAPPER Leader course spends a fair amount of time working with both Chinooks and BlackHawks.  Since we don't have either of these aircraft in our air force, it was good to know how the Americans like to load, what kit to bring, etc.  Further, the Sect Comds that I had which were SAPPER Leader qualified had seen the "Gold Book" before which is the 101st AB Div's SOPs.

Finally, I must say that I had a few soldiers that had time in the Canadian Airborne Regiment and that too proved to be a great dividend... for obvious reasons.  'Tis a shame it doesn't exist anymore.  Hopefully the new White Paper supports a Tier 2 unit as I think Canada could you use a force like this.... but I digress...

S6

 

[SprCForr]

Ahh, Thanks. I assumed it was primarily SOPs and the like, and yes I heartily agree that training like that is lacking. It's always handy to know how the neighbours do things. I wonder if the Airforce would consider reconstituting the UTTH groups like they had in the RVs to revitalize that type of training for the field units. Nothing fancy, annually get as many hels as you can get together controlled by the Bde Sqn, select a couple of units for the training and "descend" on them. Pun intended. Airforce gets some training in hel ops on a larger scale and troops get "rides" training.