Military Families
talk to me about "combat engineers"
DH has enlisted in the USMC and is now looking into different jobs. He seems excited about the combat engineering field. However, this scares me a bit after spending a few hours with google. What do you know about this field? How soon would DH end up in Afghanistan? Risks? Incentives? TIA.
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Re: talk to me about "combat engineers"
My husband is in this field so I hope I can provide some insight. He originally enlisted at a combat engineer and is still in that field, but as something else specifically. He loves it, and it's close to what he was doing before he enlisted.
He will deploying soonish for the first time (2 years in) but he also had a major back surgery that put him out for a while. When your H will deploy depends completely on his unit.
May I ask what exactly scares you about this field?
My DH and I are both in a combat engineers squardon in the AF called RED HORSE. To break it down they are the Extreme Home Makeovers of the military (Us, Combat Engineers, army Corps of Engineers and the Navy Seabees)
except we can deploy short notice and build a hospital in a week. we are self sustaining which means we don't need to be at a FOB to survive, we have our own medical, admin (me), security forces, emergancy management, cooks, on top of all construction career fields, heavy equipment operators (like DH), structures, electrical, HVAC, mechanics, plumbers, everything...
The deployment rotation is heavy, plus when your not in the bucket there is a secondary rotation for humanitarian missions in south america to build schools and hospitals, and wells
Its pretty cool
We keep reading about mine fields and explosives. There was a local kid in this field who blew himself up in Iraq and it scares me to think that my child could grow up without a father, and me without a husband if something should happen. Is this a rare circumstance? It sounds like the job also entails a lot of construction and demolition...? The recruiter we have been dealing with is a little scatter brained so he doesnt have a whole lot of insight.
What missions he goes on while deployed will depend largely on who he's deployed with. (Security, maintenance, etc) Some guys in my H's unit have seen a lot of action and lots never left the wire. I wish I could give you a more definitive answer, but it really does vary.
And yes, as the name eludes they are surrounded by machines and construction.
Is your H in the DEP?
I would say that getting blown up is not the norm. I know I said that DH's platoon had that happen, and they did. However, their entire battalion came home without a single death. There were some injuries, but they were few (for the severe injuries). I think the demolition and the building of things is pretty cool and I think its a cool job. I am proud of my DH for doing this, even though it wasn't his first choice job (officers get less of a choice in the Army). He does like his job and he likes the men he works with. I think you would be worried about your DH while deployed no matter what his job is. Just remember that they are all well trained and know what to do.