Staff Sgt. Jason Grieco bent over in the cold, driving rain as he struggled to start a Homelite Pro. The chainsaw refused to start.

"You try it," he gasped to his battle buddy, Sgt. Elvis Linares.

Linares leaned over and pulled and pulled and pulled on the starter cord. The saw remained as silent as the stopwatch measuring their time.

But the rain and wind had lessened.

Both soldiers serve in the 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion (BEB), 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

Equipment failures - to say nothing of the weather and physical challenges - were standard as Linares, Grieco and 10 other soldiers competed in JBLM's Best Sapper Competition last week.

Moments later, the chainsaw coughed to life.

Grieco measured the log in six-inch increments, and Linares cut five rounds in quick succession. That's when the stopwatch stopped and their time was recorded.

"It's tough," quipped a tired-looking 1st Lt. Logan Bell, 23rd BEB, 1st Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, as he prepared for the event. "But we'll get through this."

For the second consecutive year, the 555th Engineer Brigade hosted the competition.  A dozen soldiers from the 864th Engineer Battalion, the 14th BEB and the 23rd BEB formed six two-soldier teams.

"This competition is a great idea that we hope becomes a tradition here at JBLM," said Capt. Bryan Perrenod, the brigade's public affairs officer.

Sgt. 1st Class Tyler Means and Sgt. Philip Politio spent three months coordinating the competition. They constructed a meat grinder.

"Engineers clear the way," Politio pointed out, "and the weather and obstacles don't matter."

The six teams faced three days of nonstop challenges designed to determine the top three teams to represent JBLM at the Army's Best Sapper Competition at Fort Leonard Wood in April 2016.

Sappers (the word comes from the French saper, which means "to dig") are combat engineers who perform a myriad of duties to include bridge building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defense and general construction, as well as road and airfield construction and repair.

When not engaged in engineering tasks, Sappers support offensive and defensive infantry operations.

To live up to the Triple Nickel's legacy, the teams began the competition with a modified physical fitness test. In short order, a written examination, a day and night land navigation challenge, and six lanes comprised of physical and mental objectives put the teams to the test.  The competition ended with a 10- to 15-mile road march.

"This is a great opportunity to learn and grow," concluded a wet and cold Grieco as he slowly walked away from the cut log. "And I think Linares and me will be going to Fort Leonard Wood."

He was right; they are.

Team finishes were as follows:  1st Place:  1st Lt. Travis Emery and 1st Lt. Brian Elliot, 864th Engineer Battalion; 2nd Place:  Capt. Isaac Freel and 1st Lt. Cary Hooper, 864th Engineer Battalion; 3rd Place:  Staff Sgt. Jason Grieco and Sgt. Elvis Linares, 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion.