Sappers are combat engineers who advance with the front-line
infantry, and they have fought in every war in American history.
For example, they played a vital role in securing Omaha Beach on
D-Day, and that incident is faithfully re-created in Saving Private
Ryan.
The invading Soldiers were unable to advance through the beach
obstacles, and were pinned down by the German machine guns. A group
of combat engineers crawled forward under heavy fire. Despite their
casualties, they assembled a bangalore torpedo (a long tube filled
with explosives), slid it under a barbed wire obstacle, and blew
the obstacle apart. The Soldiers behind the engineers then fought
their way through the gap, took the German defenses, and won the
battle.
The Sapper Leader Course is a fast-paced 28-day course designed
to train joint-service leaders in small unit tactics, leadership
skills, and warfighter tactics required to perform as part of a
combined arms team in a contemporary operating environment. The SLC
is open to enlisted Soldiers in the grades of specialist
(promotable) and above, and engineer officers captain and
below.
Phase I of the course lasts 14 days and covers general subjects
including medical techniques, land navigation, demolitions
(conventional and expedient), air and water operations,
mountaineering, expedient antennas, knots and rigging, and land
mines used by enemy forces.
Phase II is also 14 days. It covers basic patrolling techniques
and battle drills that emphasize leadership. The subjects include
urban operations, breaching, patrol organization and movement, and
recon/raid/ambush tactics.
The second phase of the SLC concludes with a three-day situation
training exercise, and five-day field training exercise. Training
missions conducted during the STX/FTX are a 60/40 mix of engineer
and infantry missions. Engineer missions include bridge
reconnaissance and demolition, covert obstacle breaching, road
cratering, minefields, and field expedient demolition.
Leadership is emphasized throughout the SLC, engineer officials
said. During Phase I the leadership positions are rotated daily.
During Phase II, the position of squad leader is rotated daily, and
the patrol leader and assistant patrol leader after each phase of
the mission. Each Soldier will be evaluated at least twice on
leadership during patrolling.
The results of the Sapper Leader Course are Soldiers who are
worthy to wear the new Sapper tab, officials said, adding that they
are hardened combat engineers who are qualified to fight and lead
on today’s battlefields.
There are no gates into and out of this area. The barbwire fence
(for the Spenceville Area only) is there to keep vehicles out not
people.
(The POC in Tim Caldwell, the manager for the CA Fish and Game
concerns for Spenceville (530) 624-8658)
You must practice non-destructive methods for crossing it though,
perhaps a thick material to avoid any scrapes or scratches, best to
err on the side of good judgment.
I’ve found that if you go to the center (Between posts) you can
twist the upper two strands together and push the third strand down
and easily squeeze between them then return the fence to normal
after I’ve crossed.
You can also find parking at 39 07.687N 121 18.513W.