Combat Engineer
Combat is not something to be taken lightly. Battlefields are hectic places where things need to get done quickly and efficiently so that the mission can be completed. This is what combat engineers specialize in.
Combat engineers are military soldiers who specialize in construction and demolition during combat situations. This physically and mentally demanding job focuses on facilitating troop movement and stopping enemy forces. Essentially, these jack-of-all-trades help their teams accomplish their mission.
Every military around the world employs combat engineers to help support infantry troops during combat. Combat engineers work in teams to accomplish specific tasks that enhance troop mobility, focus on counter-mobility, setup and remove explosives, increase survivability, streamline assaults, and improve defense. Without a combat engineer, the battlefield would be a disaster zone.
Combat engineers analyze, assess, and react to battle situations. They give and receive orders that can help their platoon or squadron complete their mission. Combat engineers may be tasked with things like building, repairing, or destroying roads, power supplies, or communications. They may have to clear minefields, breach tanks, construct bunkers, clear obstacles, erect bridges, run water, demolish enemy support, obstruct enemy movement, lay concrete, establish fighting positions, build helicopter landing zones, set up explosives, remove land mines, identify booby traps, camouflage resources, dig anti-tank ditches, establish shelters, or lead an assault alongside infantry troops. It’s demanding work in one of the world’s most dangerous “offices.”
Combat engineers must be prepared for any situation. Working as a team, they are given the tools and the vehicles that they need to support the troops and outwit the enemy. This may include things like shovels and bulldozers or things like bomb disposal robots and deployable bridges – whatever it takes to get the job done.
As you can imagine, doing any of these things while under fire or on a high stress battlefield is an impressive task. Combat engineers are highly trained soldiers that are essential component to winning battles and wars.
To become a combat engineer, you must join the military. In the US Army, you must score at least an 87 on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test. This is followed by 14-weeks of training that includes basic combat training and advanced individual training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. The process is different for different branches of the Armed Forces.
Once the Army, or other military branch, like the Marines, recognizes you as a combat engineer, you are ready for combat. Where you are stationed and what you do will ultimately depend on where the military sends you, the mission that you are on, and your direct orders.
The military provides the average active duty soldier with benefits AND compensation of around $99,000. Approximately 60% of this sum is benefits like health care, retirement, childcare, subsidized food, housing, and education.
Working as a combat engineer sets you up for success in post-military careers too. Many combat engineers ultimately find jobs in construction, building engineering, demolition, inspection, or other similar industries.
Combat engineers play an important role in military operations and combat zones around the world. Joining the military to become a combat engineer is a honorable career choice. This dangerous job helps to save lives and win battles. Are you ready to serve your country? Become a combat engineer.
Quick Facts About Combat Engineers
Job Title: Combat Engineer, Field Engineer, Pioneer, Sapper
Office: Battlefield
Description: Support troops through construction and demolition
Certifications/Education: Score 87 on ASVAB test, Specific military training
Necessary Skills: Demolition expert, Construction expert, Ability to follow orders
Potential Employers: Army, Marines, and other Armed Forces
Pay: Benefits and compensation of around $99,000