Editing Sapper (section)

== Specific usage ==
=== Commonwealth of Nations ===
[[File:Royal Engineers Working at FOB Shawqat MOD 45155378.jpg|thumb|A sapper of the [[Royal Engineers]] watches as soldiers reinforce security at FOB (Forward Operating Base) Shawqat in Afghanistan.]]
Sapper (abbreviated Spr) is the [[Royal Engineers]]' equivalent of [[Private (rank)|private]].  This is also the case within the [[Indian Army Corps of Engineers]], [[Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers]], [[Royal Canadian Engineers]], [[Royal Australian Engineers]],<ref>Jobson 2009, p. 96.</ref> [[South African Army Engineer Formation]], Jamaica Defence Force Engineer Regiment, and [[Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers|Royal New Zealand Engineers]].  The term "sapper" was introduced in 1856, when the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners was amalgamated with the officer corps of the Royal Engineers to form the Corps of Royal Engineers.

During the course of the First World War, some [[Royal Marines]] also took the rank of sapper. This was adopted as tradition in the Royal Marine Divisional Engineers of the [[63rd (Royal Naval) Division|Royal Naval Division]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/277952/plater,-frederick-john/|title=Sapper PLATER, FREDERICK JOHN|website=Commonwealth War Graves Commission}}</ref>

=== Australia ===
{{Main|Royal Australian Engineers}}
[[File:Benat Yakub bridge.jpg|thumb|Jisr Benat Yakub repaired (September 1918)]]

During the [[Sinai and Palestine Campaign]] of World War I, Australian sappers repaired a bridge at the [[Battle of Jacob's Ford|historic crossing]] of the [[Jordan River]] at Jisr Benat Yakub (also known as [[Jacob's Ford]]). Here the retreating Ottoman and German rearguard had blown up the bridge's central arch, which was repaired in five hours by sappers attached to the [[Australian Mounted Division]]. While the light horse brigades forded the river, continuing the [[Desert Mounted Corps]]' advance to [[Damascus]], the sappers worked through the night of 27/28 September 1918, to repair the bridge to enable the division's wheeled vehicles and guns to follow on 28 September.<ref>Preston pp. 261–2</ref><ref>Carver 2003 p. 242</ref><ref>Falls 1930 Vol. 2 p. 568</ref>

===Canada===
{{Main|Royal Canadian Engineers}}
In the Canadian Forces, sappers exist both in the regular force and reserve force.  The rank of sapper is used instead of private trained to signify completion of the basic Engineer training course.  Canadian sappers have been deployed in many major conflicts in recent history including World War I, World War II, the [[Korean War]], and the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|War in Afghanistan]].  The roles of a sapper entail: Bridging with the ACROW or [[Medium Girder Bridge]] as well as non-standard bridge construction; obstacle and defensive construction; enemy obstacle reduction and clearance, mine warfare; explosive ordnance disposal; water supply using the reverse-osmosis water purification unit; building and maintaining roadways and airfields; combat diving; tactical breaching; and camp construction.  Ultimately, the objective of the sappers is to facilitate the living, moving, and to fight for friendly troops on the battlefield and denying the same to enemy forces.  The motto of the Canadian Military Engineers is ''Ubique'' ({{langx|la|everywhere}}) a motto shared with the [[Royal Canadian Artillery]].

=== Indian Army ===
{{Main|Indian Army Corps of Engineers}}
The term "sappers", in addition to the connotation of rank of engineer private, is used collectively to informally refer to the [[Indian Army Corps of Engineers|Engineer Corps]] as a whole and also forms part of the informal names of the three combat engineer groups, viz. [[Madras Sappers]], [[Bengal Sappers]] and the [[Bombay Sappers]]. Each of these groups consist of about twenty battalion-sized engineer regiments and additional company-sized minor engineer units. The three sapper groups are descended from the sapper and miner groups of the [[East India Company]] and later the [[British Indian Army]] of the [[British Raj]].

=== Israel ===
{{Main|Israeli Combat Engineering Corps}}

In the [[Israel Defense Forces]] a sapper (in [[Hebrew]]: פלס, ''palas'') is the military profession of a combat soldier who went through basic [[combat engineering]] training. Most of the sappers are soldiers of the [[Combat Engineering Corps]], but there are also infantry sappers, who are part of the [[infantry]] [[brigade]]s and are organized in engineering [[Company (military unit)|companies]] called פלחה"ן (''palchan''). These companies are integral part of the infantry brigades. Combat engineering corps sappers are arranged in battalions.

Each sapper goes through high level infantry training, which qualifies him as [[Rifleman|rifleman 06]] (רובאי 06). Combat engineering sappers are qualified as "sapper 06" (פלס 06). They are skilled in [[infantry]] combat, basic [[sabotage]], [[landmine]] planting and [[demining]], use of [[explosives]], breaching and opening routes, [[trench warfare]], and operating the [[IDF Puma]] [[combat engineering vehicle]]. Combat engineering commanders are qualified as "sapper 08" while combat engineering [[Officer (armed forces)|officer]]s are qualified as "sapper 11". Both go through additional advance training to gain the skills needed for high level sapper profession.

The [[Israel Police]] also maintains a bomb disposal specialist unit. All police sappers must graduate from a 10-month training program at the bomb disposal training center in [[Beit Shemesh]], which includes operational exercises, theoretical studies, and fieldwork.<ref>{{cite news | first=Omri | last=Efraim | url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4125018,00.html | title=Israel Police get 1st female sapper | newspaper=Israel News | date=20 September 2011 | access-date=12 March 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402100347/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4125018,00.html | archive-date=2 April 2015 | url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Japan ===
[[File:Gen-Oleu-Emperor-Taisho-Gen-Uehara-Yusaku-LCCN2014700979.jpg|thumb|[[Emperor Taishō]] and Gen. Uehara in 1915 (Taishō 4).]]

==== Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) ====
In Japan, ''Kōhei-ka'' ({{ill|工兵科|ja|工兵|vertical-align=sup}}, 工 means "engineer" and 兵 means "soldiers"), or Engineer Branch in English, was a branch (兵科) of the [[Imperial Japanese Army]]. General [[Yūsaku Uehara]], who introduced the French ''[[sapeur]]'' or ''[[ingénieur]]'' system to IJA and authored the ''Kōhei Sōten'' (工兵操典, "Engineers' Manual"), is known as the "father of Japanese ''Kōhei''" ("日本工兵の父").

Engineer Branch officers were considered technology specialists along with Artillery Branch (砲兵科) officers in IJA, except Technical Branch (技術科) officers who have an academic degree in science or engineering and developed military technology.

Selected Engineer and Artillery officers were educated at the [[Imperial Japanese Army Artillery and Engineering School|Army Artillery and Engineering School]] ({{ill|陸軍砲工学校|ja|vertical-align=sup}}). Artillery and Engineering School's ''Kōtō-ka'' (高等科, "Higher Course") was equivalent to the [[Army War College (Japan)|Army War College]]. Some ''Kōtōka'' graduates, like Lt. Gen. [[Takeo Yasuda]], continued their studies as ''Rikugun Ingai Gakusei'' (陸軍員外学生) at Imperial University of Tokyo's Engineering Faculty and Science Faculty and obtained degrees. Due to the apparent importance of science and technology, Artillery and Engineering School was renamed Army Science School during [[World War II]] and was also studied by non-artillery and non-engineer officers.

Ordinary personnel at Engineer Branch are educated at the [[Imperial Japanese Army Engineer School|Army Engineer School]] ({{ill|陸軍工兵学校|ja|vertical-align=sup}}) and other schools.

==== Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) ====
[[Japan Ground Self-Defense Force|JGSDF]] ''Shisetsu-ka'' ({{ill|施設科|ja|vertical-align=sup}}, "施設" literally means "facilities"), or Engineer Branch in English, is equivalent to the IJA ''Kōhei-ka''. In accordance with the JSDF's nomenclature, this title was devised to avoid the character for 'soldier', which evokes the military.

JGSDF Engineer Branch personnel are educated at [[JGSDF Engineer School]] ({{ill|陸上自衛隊施設学校|ja|vertical-align=sup}}).

=== France ===
[[File:Génie-béret.jpg|thumb|right|100 px|Insignia of French military sappers]]
In France, sapper (''sapeur'') is the title of military [[combat engineer]]s and [[firefighters]], both civil and military, (sapper-fireman or ''sapeur-pompier''). Military sappers fall under the umbrella of the [[Engineering Arm]] or ''Arme du Génie''. A related title is [[pioneer (military)|pioneer]] (''pionnier''), used only in the [[French Foreign Legion|Foreign Legion]].

* Sapper : title of combat engineers in most Engineer Regiments (3rd, 13th, 19th and 31st), except in the Foreign Legion ([[1st Foreign Engineer Regiment]] and [[2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment]])
* Air Sapper (''sapeur de l'air'') : title of the privates of the 25th Air Engineering Regiment, an Army regiment seconded to the Air Force.
* Parachute Sapper (''sapeur parachutiste'') : title of the privates of the [[17th Parachute Engineer Regiment]], the combat engineering unit of the [[11th Parachute Brigade (France)|11th Parachute Brigade]]
* Marine Sapper (''sapeur de marine'') : since 2006, title of the privates of the [[6th Engineer Regiment (France)|6th Engineer Regiment]], the combat engineering unit of the [[9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade (France)|9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade]].
* Sapper firefighter (''sapeur-pompier'') : title of the firefighters in the civilian fire services and the Paris Fire Brigade. 
* Sapper-miner (''sapeur-mineur'') : since the Napoleonic Wars, combat engineers specialized in [[demining]].

====History====
[[File:Sapeurs du génie de la Garde impériale, 1810_crop.jpg|thumb|right|French Imperial Guard sappers, 1810]]
The French Corps of Engineers was created under the command of [[Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban|Marshal Vauban]] during the late 17th century. Its members were called sappers if their function was to destroy enemy fortifications by using [[trench]]es or ''sape'' and miners if they engaged in [[tunnel warfare]] or ''mine''. The Corps of the Engineers was suppressed during two short periods (1720-1729 and 1769–1793) and sappers and miners were part of the Artillery regiments. In 1793, the Corps was reorganized into companies of miners and battalions of sappers, each assigned to a particular division.

Eventually, as the missions of the Corps grew more diversified, additional titles were used by combat engineers, such as [[Conductor (military appointment)|Conductor]] (''sapeur-conducteur'') in 1810, entrusted with the logistics of the Corps, Firefighter (''sapeur-pompier'') in 1810 or [[telegraph]] sapper (''sapeur-télégraphiste''). In 1814, the companies of miners were integrated into the sapper battalions, themselves organized in Engineers Regiments (''régiments du génie''). In 1875, the distinction between miners and sappers was abolished and all members of the Corps of Engineers were titled sappers-miners, though only sapper was used in common usage. In 1894, the ''pontonniers'' or bridgemakers were transferred from the Artillery Corps to the Engineers, thus creating the title ''sapeurs-pontonniers''. In 1909, the Engineering Arm of the Army Staff was entrusted the burgeoning Air Service (''Aérostation militaire''), its personal was titled sapper-airman (''sapeur-aérostier''). The titled was disused in 1914 when the Air Service took its independence from the Engineering Arm.

====Firefighters====
[[File:BSPP section Bastille Day 2008.jpg|thumb|right|''Sapeurs-pompiers de Paris'' ([[Paris Fire Brigade]]) on parade]]
{{See also|Fire services in France}}
The first fire company created by [[Napoleon|Napoléon I]] was a military sapper company of the [[French Imperial Guard]], created in 1810. This company was tasked with the protection of the Imperial palaces after the tragic fire of the Austrian embassy in Paris on 1 July 1810. The Paris Fire Service (''gardes-pompes''), a civilian institution, was re-organized as a military unit in September 1811, becoming the Paris Sappers-Firefighters Battalion. Other cities kept or created civilian firefighters services but used the military ranks and organization of the Paris Battalion. In 1831, [[National Guard (France)|National Guard]] engineers companies became the reserve components of the Fire Services and kept their military organization even after the disappearance of the National Guard in 1852. Sapper-firefighter is the common title of the civilian and Paris firefighters in France, but the other military firefighters units, such as the [[Marseille Naval Fire Battalion]], do not use the sapper title, as they had no military engineers lineage.

====Pioneers====
{{main|Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers)}}
Since the 18th century, every [[grenadier]] battalion in the [[French Army]] had a small unit of [[Pioneer (military)|pioneers]], sometimes called sappers-pioneers (''sapeurs-pionniers''). They had the mission to advance under enemy fire in order to destroy the obstacles drawn by the enemy and to clear the way for the rest of the [[infantry]]. The danger of such missions resulted in pioneers having short life expectancies. Because of this, the army allowed them certain privileges such as the authorization to wear [[beards]]. In addition to their beards and axes, they traditionally wear leather aprons and gloves.

The pioneers units disappeared during the mid-20th c. century, their last appearance being the short-lived Pioneers Regiments of 1939–1944, a military public works service using the older draftees in the army. Only the Foreign Legion kept using a pioneer unit, mainly for representation duty. The [[Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers)|current pioneer unit]] of the Legion reintroduced the symbols of the [[Napoleonic era|Napoleonic]] pioneers: the beard, the axe, the leather apron, the crossed-axes insignia, and the leather gloves. If the parades of the Legion are opened by this unit, it is to commemorate the traditional role of the pioneers "opening the way" for the troops. The pioneer unit is made up for parades of selected men taken in both the Infantry and the Engineers regiments of the Legion.

=== Greece ===

In the [[Hellenic Army]], there is the "mechanic" or "Corps of Engineers" (μηχανικό; ''michaniko'').{{clarify|date=August 2015}}

===Italy===
The Italian Army uses the term "Guastatori" for its combat engineers, "Pionieri" for its construction engineers, "Pontieri" for its bridging engineers, and "Ferrovieri" for its railroad engineers. 
*[[2nd Alpine Engineer Regiment]]
*[[32nd Alpine Engineer Regiment]]
*[[8th Parachute Assault Engineer Regiment (Italy)|8th Parachute Assault Engineer Regiment]]

=== Portugal ===
In Portugal, the term "sapper" is used both in the military and in the civilian environment. In the [[Portuguese Army]], a ''sapador de engenharia'' (engineering sapper) is a soldier of the engineer branch that has specialized combat engineer training. A ''sapador de infantaria'' (infantry sapper) is a soldier of the infantry branch that has a similar training and who usually serves in the combat support sapper platoon of an infantry battalion. A ''sapador NBQ'' (NBC sapper) is an engineer branch soldier specialized in [[nuclear, biological and chemical warfare]].

The ''bombeiros-sapadores'' ("sapper-firefighters") are the civil municipal professional firefighters that exist in the main cities of the country. The largest unit of this type is the ''Regimento de Bombeiros Sapadores'' ("sapper-firefighters regiment") maintained by the [[Lisbon]] municipal council. The ''sapadores florestais'' (forest sappers) are the professionals maintained by the [[Government of Portugal|government]], local authorities and large private forestry companies, who cleans and maintain forests and prevents and fights [[forest fire]]s.

===Pakistan Army===
In the [[Pakistan Army]], sapper officers perform combat and normal engineer duties. The Corps is led by the [[Engineer-in-Chief (Pakistan Army)|Engineer-in-Chief]] who is a [[Lt Gen]]. The current Engineer-in-Chief is [[Lt Gen]] Khalid Asghar. The [[Frontier Works Organization]], [[Military Engineering Service]] and the [[Survey of Pakistan]] is part of the corps. Initially part of the [[Indian Corps of Engineers]], it dates back to 1780 but came to its modern form in 1947 following the Independence of [[Pakistan]]. Since then it has taken part in all wars including [[1965 War]], [[1971 War]] and [[Kargil War]]. It has completed the [[Pakistan]] portion of [[Karakoram Highway]]. The corps is taking part in [[Operation Zarb-e-Azb]]

=== 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>

=== PAVN and Viet Cong ===
[[File:sapperorg.jpg|thumb|right|Sapper formation- PAVN/Viet Cong]]

[[Vietnam People's Army|PAVN (People's Army of Vietnam)]] and [[Viet Cong]] sappers, as they were called by US forces, are better described as [[commando]] units. The Vietnamese term ''đặc công'' can be literally translated as "special task". Thousands of specially trained elite fighters served in the PAVN and Viet Cong commando–sapper units which were organized as independent formations. While not always successful due to lack of appropriate personal weapon types for combat and assault like other [[special forces]], they were still capable of inflicting heavy damage with their non-firearms arsenal. During the Vietnam War, they were armed with various types of bombs, mines, explosive charges, grenades and even steel-pellet mines which proved especially devastating. These are still the main weapons of the ''đặc công''.

These elite units served as raiders against American/[[Army of the Republic of Vietnam|ARVN]] troops, and infiltrated spearheads during the final [[Ho Chi Minh Campaign]] in 1975, where they seized key road and bridge assets, destroyed installations, attacked command and control nodes located deep inside enemy territory, planted explosives on U.S. water craft, and otherwise helped the PAVN's rapid mobile forces advance. A typical PAVN/VC ''đặc công'' organization is shown in the diagram. The raiding force was usually grouped into assault teams, each broken down into several 3–5-man assault cells. Overall, there were generally four operational [[Echelon formation|echelons]].<ref>Ott 1975, pp.1–42.</ref>

An instance of a successful sapper attack conducted by the Viet Cong was the during the Battle of [[Battle of FSB Mary Ann|Fire Base Mary Ann]]. A small number of sappers, through surprise and deft coordination, conducted a successful attack on a superior US force. The battle was described as a "rampage of VC who threw [[Satchel charge|satchels]] at the command bunker, knifed Americans in their sleep and destroyed all communications equipment.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e9wUAQAAIAAJ|title=Sappers in the Wire: The Life and Death of Firebase Mary Ann|last=Nolan|first=Keith William|date=2007|publisher=Texas A & M University Press|isbn=9781585446438|language=en}}</ref>

=== Ottoman Empire ===
The [[Ottoman Empire]] had an infantry corp named ''Lağımcılar Ocağı'' (literally: ''Sapper Corps''). These infantries were used in most of the Empire's sieges, demolishing enemy fortifications and defences.