Combat Engineer Explained - Is it for you?

This video describes what a combat engineer is in the U.S. Army. The other day someone asked me to tell them what a combat engineer was and if it was a good choice for someone joining the Army.

Well let me start off by saying, I was a combat engineer for a little over 20 years in the Army. I retired in 2019 so things could have changed since then.

Thanks for watching!

00:00 Introduction
00:24 Demolitions
01:35 Mine Detecting
02:48 Mobility & Countermobility
03:23 Digging
04:08 Bridges
05:07 Lifestyle
05:58 My Experience

[robertw]

Combat engineer units are basically a construction / demolition company with lots of guns 20th engineers, FT BRAGG NC .

[StanDick-hv]

I was a 12B40 in Vietnam in70 things have changed since I was in there was always proud of what I did the guys that I helped and the ones we lost , sucks

[judahmetz]

I was a Combat Engineer before switching over to 25 Series. Combat Engineers have a great culture in my opinion.

[lou]

As a former Sapper I can hoestly say that 12Bs are the gerber tool of the battalion commander and CSM. Sappers will conduct missions that Grunts can do and especially missions they can't do because of their lack of knowledge of demo.

[boringrelic]

I'm going in right after I'm done with high school this year. This is a pretty decent video, gave me a lot of good insight. I appreciate it, my dude.

[renebaker]

I was in the 13 combat engineer demo except at Fort Ord 85-88. We cleared the way for the grunts. Played with C-4 and other things to blow up any thing in our way

[felicianohernandez]

Operation Trailblazer!!! The original route clearance! Do you remember the first mission when we took off at 30 mph and Seville was really upset?

[thelog]

I was a 12c bridge crewman, we built the bridges.we also dealt with c-4, det cord, blastings caps ect. To setup obsticles. An engineer battalion would normally have 4 companys of 12b and 1 company of 12c soldiers. Sometimes when the battalion went to the field us 12c people didnt always have to go. We didnt spend alot of time in the field normally 3 or 4 days. 12b stayed longer. 12c was mostly support like using our trucks to move supplies because we had alot of down time, it took less than an hour to build a raft.

[SoldierBoii]

I was a Husky driver on my deployment back in 2012-2013. I now can entertain myself from doing RCP so many hours

[daltonwilson]

Enlisting next week as a 12 Bravo! Excited to start my journey

[Bongsmokerton]

You had the best safety briefs always peacocking

[AVZ]

3rd plt, C Co. 65th Eng Bn, 25th ID (Light)
I loved being a Sapper back when we weren’t in any wars, I loved going out to the field and practicing my skills and craft. I was a 60 gunner and I would carry the 90 sometimes too.
Demo days were awesome
Boat training by the Marines at Kaneohe was awesome.
Division runs were awesome.
Sapper school was awesome.
Air Assault school was awesome.
Lake of the Ozarks was awesome.
It didn’t pay, but being a 12B was a lot of work and a lot of fun.

[HLLRAZRMuGGZ-lqdb]

Sappers 4L ! We clear the way ! Your the bravest and the tuffest of the Army . We are the ones that Go in first, Am proud I was in a Heavy Combat engineer unit . Am a vetran now . If you can Go the extra mile DO it .I have and so has he . It's not for everyone but never doubt yourself . Ye shall I walk in the valley of death I fear no evil cuz as a Sapper I am the baddest in the land Hooray ! Be all you can be .

[Agreen-iwix]

Thanks for the great video! Do Combat Engineers get any tactical training? Also, what are the chances of getting to go to Airborne. Air assault, Ranger school etc?

[montetx]

You could start out as a 12b assigned to a engineering unit, and later decide to go full gung-ho, and try out for Special Forces to become a Green Beret as a 18c enlisted, or try out for the 75th Ranger regiment and be part of a Special Operations Ranger unit, they need 12b's.

Or, decide you want advanced combat leadership skills and enhance your military opportunities by attending Ranger school if your unit supports it to earn the Ranger tab and be a stronger leader in your unit.

Sapper school is also an advanced school option for engineers that sets you apart, best of the best kind of achievement that would be great for your military career.

Or if you obtain the academic credentials you could seek an officer commission and lead engineer units, or go into Special Forces, or Ranger Special operations leadership .

[chrisredline]

If you're considering joining the military (not limited to just to 12B [Army], this is any MOS in any branch), you need to have the right mentality. When I joined, I was surrounded by others who wanted to SERVE. They had a minset of being willing to sacrifice - their time, their bodies, basically they wanted to pay something forward. After finishing my 6x2, that slowly started to dawn on me.

Don't be one of the types going in looking for a GI Bill, or for skills that translate into the civilian world, or to put in their 20 years and get a pension, or anything like that. You're going to be surrounded by others who depend on you to have your crap together. They need to know you will be looking out for them - because, for the most part, they will be looking out for you. If your crap isn't together, one slip-up and you could get someone else hurt or killed. Everyone's safety, and even their lives, are on the line, not just (and including) your own. The military is a JOB - everyone has a mission to complete. Treat each other with respect, and value, and you should receive the same in kind. This is the sort of thing instructors in boot camp try to instill into recruits - teamwork. That those who only look out for themselves, or are in for selfish gain, or mess up on an individual basis, it hurts everyone else, this is the idea behind why if one person messes up everyone gets smoked.

And follow orders as told, don't risk NJP or otherwise, regardless of what everyone else thinks (or even what YOU think) of the SSG, the CO or XO, or Top, or the SPEC-4 in your own squad. Don't be one of those who stand out in a crowd, don't be "in it" for personal gain, because you could tick off a lot of people that way and it will make your brief tenure of service quite miserable. And on the other hand, you may make some lifelong friendships, ones that will outlast your time in the military.

[GutsAndGlory]

Hello there, regarding the Infantry and Combat engineers here, which MOS is better in terms of civilian job transferability, weather conditions, difficulty of tasks, injury risk, etc? Thanks.

[williamcooper]

Here we are at misery,
Ft Leonard Wood.

"File from the left, column left, " said the Sergeant,
We didn't know we could.

We're gonna to be Engineers, for our Uncle Sam.

So, we can fight those World War Twos, Koreas, Vietnams.

[Chorus]

Cause we are, Mountain Movers - Mountain Movers, Castle on fire.

Weapons and equipment and man-power.
Yeeaah!
Nothing is too hard for us and nothing can't be done.

Just tell us where we have to go, we'll do it on the run.

[Chorus ends]

Hey, Mr President, tell us that we can.

Fight for freedom and liberate oppressed lands.

Over hill, over dale, we hit the dusty trail.

Drive on Sergeant, you we'll never fail.

[Chorus]

[Cadence with marching background]

Drill Instructor:
Left, left, left right.
Troops:
Always first!

Drill Instructor:
Left, left, left, right.
Troops:
Bridge the gap!

Drill Instructor:
Left, left, left, right.
Troops:
Breech the wall!

Drill Instructor:
Left, left, left, right.
Troops:
Shoot to kill!

[Cadence and Marching Fades]

Drill Instructor:
Left, left, left, right.
Left, left, left, right.
Left, left, left, right.

Engineer's Song
(C)
by William Cooper

[michaelhalter]

Combat Engineer 13 years; Medic for 21 years.

The one rule I will always remember from my 12B days: In ALL demolition calculations, "P" ALWAYS stands for "PLENTY, " because there is no such thing as too much explosives!

ESSAYONS!

[lelandgaunt]

At Ft Hood MSG Bell, had to strip 2 miclics to make a working one for the field.