Sapper School
Sapper School
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Well, after I finish my portion of training and I'm back enrolled in school during the Fall semester. I'll be classified as a Junior and I'm planning on joining the ROTC program at the University that I'll be attending. I also found upon research that they send Cadets to certain specialized schools, and I'm intrigued with Sapper school. Is their anyone out there that has completed the program and could give me some insight? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Posted in these groups: 
Sapper Leader Course
Sapper School
Sapper Leader Course Sapper School
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 4
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Ruck run, ruck march, ruck land nav, ruck swim (poncho raft), flutter kicks, ruck pushups, more flutter kicks, I hope you're starting to get the point.
I went through the course in 1987, when I got back from the course I was in the greatest shape of my life.
All of my suggestions here are based on my experience in July 1987.
Google the school, last time I looked they had most of the curriculum on there. Start carrying a length of rope that is long enough for you to tie a Swiss seat. If you get 5 or 10 minutes start practicing your knots. The knot tests were timed at 10 seconds per knot, the rope you carry will give you something to practice with.
Land Nav failed 1/3 of my class. We tested on all this stuff but never got our scores til the end, 33 Soldiers went, 16 graduated. Do NOT use a gps!!!
Get used to reading a map with a compass and protractor, you will need to know how to use them.
You will have to know how to navigate at night, without a GPS.
My class was for Combat Engineers only, no other MOS's were allowed.
If you don't swim well, start swimming every chance you get. You Will go swimming, whether it be Helo Casting, or any other type of quick insertion they have going. We used Hueys and Bridge Boats.
I could go on and on, but just go to the schools page, you'll get a lot of info there.
But like I said, my experience was during the 2nd year of the course so there were still some wrinkles.
I went through the course in 1987, when I got back from the course I was in the greatest shape of my life.
All of my suggestions here are based on my experience in July 1987.
Google the school, last time I looked they had most of the curriculum on there. Start carrying a length of rope that is long enough for you to tie a Swiss seat. If you get 5 or 10 minutes start practicing your knots. The knot tests were timed at 10 seconds per knot, the rope you carry will give you something to practice with.
Land Nav failed 1/3 of my class. We tested on all this stuff but never got our scores til the end, 33 Soldiers went, 16 graduated. Do NOT use a gps!!!
Get used to reading a map with a compass and protractor, you will need to know how to use them.
You will have to know how to navigate at night, without a GPS.
My class was for Combat Engineers only, no other MOS's were allowed.
If you don't swim well, start swimming every chance you get. You Will go swimming, whether it be Helo Casting, or any other type of quick insertion they have going. We used Hueys and Bridge Boats.
I could go on and on, but just go to the schools page, you'll get a lot of info there.
But like I said, my experience was during the 2nd year of the course so there were still some wrinkles.
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As a cadet, hit Mountain Warfare. Doing this set me up for success in Ranger & Sapper Schools; and you won't be able to get it on active duty. You will learn a ton...
But, while Sapper Leaders Course is cool, because you get a tab.... it is no joke. Unless you have experience as a 12B, you will not be able to adequately prepare for that school. It's not just a suck fest where you can be strong & get through it..... it is an educational fire hose during General Studies, and if you can't get through that, then you don't move on to Patrolling. As a cadet, you're not going to have the time to recycle, so you need to be perfect.... in my class in 2005, more than 50 started, only 16 of us earned our tab.
Use your time as a cadet to build a foundation for success..... AMWS will do that for you.
But, while Sapper Leaders Course is cool, because you get a tab.... it is no joke. Unless you have experience as a 12B, you will not be able to adequately prepare for that school. It's not just a suck fest where you can be strong & get through it..... it is an educational fire hose during General Studies, and if you can't get through that, then you don't move on to Patrolling. As a cadet, you're not going to have the time to recycle, so you need to be perfect.... in my class in 2005, more than 50 started, only 16 of us earned our tab.
Use your time as a cadet to build a foundation for success..... AMWS will do that for you.
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1LT Kevin Chapman
Thank you for your response Sir. How was Mountain Warfare? I actually read about that also and I’m definitely interested at this time in pursuing that as well.
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CPT Ray Gilmore
AMWS was another educational fire hose; but in a different way. Sapper School is a crucible... AMWS is a "Big Boy School", meaning that the instructors will give you everything you need to know; but it is two weeks vs. four, so the suck fest isn't there.
My squad was stacked with RIs & SF, who made the instruction even more beneficial.
It was physically demanding, and a fair number failed out, but it is a gentleman's course where the focus is on learning.
I am still in contact with that school, almost 20-years later. One of my RIs was in my AMWS squad.... it is just one of those cool experiences where you learn a ton, that you don't get a chance to do, unless you are very specialized...
My squad was stacked with RIs & SF, who made the instruction even more beneficial.
It was physically demanding, and a fair number failed out, but it is a gentleman's course where the focus is on learning.
I am still in contact with that school, almost 20-years later. One of my RIs was in my AMWS squad.... it is just one of those cool experiences where you learn a ton, that you don't get a chance to do, unless you are very specialized...
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1LT Kevin Chapman
I have not. My ROTC brigade only slots out one Sapper slot and its highly competitive.
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