Editing Sapper (section)

=== United States Army ===
{{see also|Sapper Tab}}
[[File:COMBAT ENGINEER SETTING A CHARGE.jpg|thumb|upright|US combat engineer setting a charge in World War II]]

In the [[United States Army]], sappers are combat engineers who support the front-line [[infantry]], and they have fought in every war in U.S. history. For example, after the [[Siege of Yorktown|Battle of Yorktown]], General Washington cited [[Louis Lebègue Duportail]], the chief of engineers, for conduct that afforded "brilliant proofs of his military genius."

Designation as a "sapper" is also earned as an additional proficiency. The U.S. Army authorizes four skill tabs<ref>[http://www.apd.army.mil/jw2/xmldemo/r670_1/main.asp#p029-1 AR 670-1: Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716141913/http://www.apd.army.mil/jw2/xmldemo/r670_1/main.asp#p029-1 |date=16 July 2011 }} U.S. Army, revised: 11 May 2012.</ref> for permanent wear above the unit patch on the left shoulder (Army Regulation 670-1 Chapter 29–13, Sub-Paragraph f). Along with the [[Sapper Tab]], the [[Special Forces Tab]], [[Ranger Tab]], and [[President's Hundred Tab]] identify soldiers who have passed a demanding course of military instruction and have demonstrated their competence in particular specialties and skills.

To wear the Sapper Tab, a soldier must graduate from the [[Sapper Leader Course]], which is operated by the [[U.S. Army Engineer School]] at [[Fort Leonard Wood (military base)|Fort Leonard Wood]], [[Missouri]]. The Sapper Leader Course is a demanding 28-day leadership development course for combat engineers that reinforces critical skills and teaches advanced techniques needed across the army. It  is also designed to build ''[[Esprit-de-corps|esprit de corps]]'' by training soldiers in troop-leading procedures, demolitions (conventional and expedient), and mountaineering operations. The course culminates in an intense field-training exercise that reinforces the use of the battle drills and specialized engineer techniques learned throughout the course. The course is open to enlisted soldiers in the grades of E-4 (P) (Army specialists and corporals on the list for promotion to sergeant) through E-7, cadets, and officers O-3 (Captain) and below. The course is primarily for U.S. Army and [[United States Marine Corps|USMC]] combat engineers, but may be attended by all service members with an approved waiver.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.wood.army.mil/sapper/course.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060909052300/http://www.wood.army.mil/sapper/course.htm |archive-date=9 September 2006 |title=Sapper Course |publisher=US Army}}</ref>