Kodiaks win Sapper gold: 84th Engineer Support Company earn Sapper Olympics laurels

  • Published
  • By Army 2nd Lt. Justin Smith
  • 6th Engineer Battalion
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  The 84th Engineer Support Company finished first out of five companies competing in the 6th Engineer Battalion's Arctic Sapper Winter Olympic Games, March 25, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

The competition started March 14 and consisted of 15 individual and team-based events over two weeks.

The goal of the games was two-fold, according to Army Lt. Col. Marc Hoffmeister, commander of the 6th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne): to foster unit cohesion and encourage Soldiers and families to participate in winter activities in Alaska.

"There is nothing more powerful than the fighting spirit of an Arctic Sapper - the same type of fighting spirit that enabled the 23rd Engineer Company to safely bring home all of its Soldiers from a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan," Hoffmeister said.
 
"We hope to channel our Soldiers' energy towards family-oriented events involving friendly competition."

The games opened March 14 behind the Buckner Physical Fitness Center with the lighting of a pyre by a torch.

Upon completion of the games, the pyre was extinguished in true engineer fashion, using a bulldozer to smother the pyre with snow.

The competition was fierce throughout the event. The second place finisher, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, remained tied with the 84th Engineer Support Company (Airborne) on the last day of the games.

The tie was ultimately broken with commanders of both companies competing in the Small Unit Support Vehicle skijoring event.

The skijor event was an obstacle course in which Soldiers on skis were towed behind the SUSV, a tracked all-terrain vehicle. Judges scored each competitor on a scale of one to 10, based on the number of obstacles completed and the overall technique.

Army Capt. Bradley Pietzyk, commander of the 84th ESC, was judged the best performer, winning the trophy for his company.

"The skijor event was a great way to end the two weeks of winter games," said Army 1st Lt. Megan Hedman, officer in charge of the event.

The event truly highlighted our winter skills, particularly the arctic proficiency of our commanders."

Despite finishing in second place, HHC had some notable individual performers.

Hoffmeister made a strong showing with three gold medals in downhill skiing, randonne (backcountry skiing) and cross-country skiing.
 
Also finishing strong was Army Capt. Chelsea Frehulfer, who won the biathlon and finished second in cross-country skiing.

The 84th ESC's star performer was Sgt. Richard Saincome with two gold medals in arctic orienteering and the SUSV Skijor, as well as bronze medals in biathlon and the snow tube race.

The 84th Engineer Support Company was particularly strong in team-based events, winning two gold medals, two silver medals, and a bronze medal in those events involving teams.

The Soldiers of 23rd Eng., having recently returned from 100 degree temperatures in Afghanistan, were not as current in their arctic skills.

However, the tenacity and competitive spirit of these Sappers were on display during the combatives tournament.

They took four gold medals, three silver medals, and three bronze medals. They also placed first overall in the tournament.

"The Olympic games was a great opportunity for Soldiers to demonstrate some of the arctic skills they had learned over the winter months," Pietzyk said. "It also serves as a transition from a winter mindset into the spring."

Although the Olympic flame was extinguished for the year, the flame is not out for good and will be reignited, according to Hoffmeister.

"The Arctic Sapper Winter Olympic Games was a resounding success, and we hope to continue it again next year," he said. "In addition to being a family-oriented event, the Olympic games has tremendous value in building the individual skill sets needed to maintain our capabilities as the only arctic engineer battalion in the Army."