Need info on mos Combat Engineer

[GavinL91]

I have finally decided that i want to be a combat engineer,which is something that i thought on and looked up.

Can any Marine who has this mos,tell me what it is like doing this job deployed and what to expect and get out of it.

Thanks

[Petz]

deployed... you build stuff... EOD blows stuff up while deployed... there really aren't a lot of situations except in urban combat that you'd be used...

you'd "make" new entries... um... clear buildings (like the grunts... that is if your mission is in-line with this) and you'd build stuff for everyone (many CE guys build stuff)

if you are CE in a wing you do rapid run-way repair... grunts is the clearing buildings and an engineer bn is building things... so it really depends on your units mission.

in garrison you build things and train... yup... not sure what though.

I've seen CE guys just build things... 'course I was only attached to them for a deployment so the garrison stuff is a bit shaky.

hope some of this helps you out, I'm sure a CE Marine will be along to fill in the gaps and correct any mistakes I made (I'm sure there are some)

glad to get an update from you moto..

[GavinL91]

Well,that pretty much gives me an idea.thanks.

Would be cool to find out where the schooling takes place and what goes on at training?

[SlingerDun]

Thats what i would do ifin i were to play the "do it all over again" game: as i've learned it's generally MUCH more useful and practical in this world knowing how to build stuff as opposed to knocking it down.

--->Dave

[Petz]

but you get to do both!

[psyclopsus]

Combat Engineer school is at Courthouse Bay Camp LeJeune North Carolina. It's out by the back gate, and you aren't allowed to bring a car (may have changed in years past.) Be prepared to take the libbo bus (loser cruiser) to mainside, or take a cab for about 15 bucks one way. 1371 is a fun MOS, but at the same time a tough MOS. Some Marines call us "supergrunts" because we learn basically all infantry tactics, carry the M2, MK19, M249, M240G, SMAW and M203 like grunts, AND we have to know all the "engineering" stuff too. Combat engineers are lucky in that they can be used at all 3 duty station types (Division, Group and Airwing.) SSgt Petzold nearly had it surrounded earlier...In Division, 1371's spend a lot of time in the field, doing "grunt" things, like land navigation, patrolling, urban assault training, firing ranges, forced marches and the best part...........wait for it..............blowing sh!t up with explosives. Anything from land mines to 40 Lb. tank ditching charges to hasty demolitions and urban breaching setups. You also might do bridging ops with the Medium Girder Bridge. It's kind of like Legos or Kinex and you have to build it by hand. Each piece is about 300 Lbs. Being in Division when deployed you get attatched to a grunt unit. You go where they go, you do what they do. Anything "engineering" they need you for, you do that too, like putting up concertina wire etc. It was my favorite time in the Corps. I went on the 31st MEU and got attatched to the Zodiac unit (little rubber inflatable "SEAL" type of boats.)

In Group, as a 1371, it kinda sucked. We did a whole bunch of nothing. But, because there are always people fresh out of Division, you won't get lax on your PT. I did 2+ years in Group and I worked in the Company warehouse, doing inventories of tool kits all the time. Counting screw drivers and shovels and sh!t like that. We spent a lot of time doing "classes" in the barracks lounge because we had nothing to do. When you get deployed in group you build sh!t, just as SSgt Petzold mentioned. Group also has an entire Company dedicated to bridging (hope you don't end up there.) I got deployed through Group very early in the Iraq war (December 2002) and spent most of my time building 8' by 8' floor planks for all the tents. We used to make desks for Colonels and mail organizing thingies (like P.O. Boxes at the post office.) We actually had life pretty good because we would trade small tables for favors like access to the Navy Seabees portable washing machines or DSN phone calls or Comm tent E-Mail account access. We also had to put up a 43 mile perimeter of triple strand concertina wire (SUCKED.) I also deployed to Cuba and helped set up Camp X-Ray on Gitmo. We poured concrete, put up more wire, built C-huts etc.

1371 in Airwing I honestly don't know much about. Basically as others have said, rapid runway repair (RRR) and working in a wood shop (kind of like high school industrial arts.) They make wooden signs for units, retirement plaques, simple award plaques. Can't give you too much info about the Wing.

1371 is actually such a rigorous MOS (as far as the amount of knowledge) that Capt. K.H. Bright wrote a paper suggesting that the MOS be broken into 2 seperate MOS's (Restructuring of the 1371 Military Occupational Specialty - EWS Contemporary Issues Paper, 7 February 2006) one for Division and one for Group/Wing.

If you really want to know what we do here is a link to the official Individual Training Standards (over 1000 pages.) It details every aspect of the MOS.

http://www.marines.mil/news/publications/Documents/NAVMC%203500.12.pdf

[GavinL91]

thanks for the info.I would prefer to do 1371 for a division,because the other two didnt really sound like they would be enjoyable.Would i have to be a math genius,cause i suck at math to tell you the truth.I had to go to summer school to make up Algebra 1 ,lol.

[psyclopsus]

No, you don't have to be a math genius. It took me 3 times to pass Algebra One in high school and my graduation all depended on my Algebra final. The math part of the job is simple and you can carry a small calculator to work out the formulas.

[GavinL91]

whew,thanks Marine,that takes a load off!