Bordes was inspired to attend the Sapper Leader Course by 1st Lt. Tyler L. Wetzel, a U.S. Army Combat Engineer officer and platoon leader in the Fort Liberty, North Carolina-based 57th Sapper ...

BBC adds that Korobkova referred to a story about a sapper platoon and an officer responsible for laying mines. Abaturov shared on social media that his grandfather was a sapper during the war.

McTighe’s previous operational assignments began at Fort Drum, New York, from 2002–05, where as a Sapper platoon leader he deployed with the 2-14th Infantry in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.