http://www.forces.ca/en/job/combatengineer-5#education-2
Overview
Your job is to ensure that friendly troops can live, move and fight on the battlefield, and deny the same abilities to enemy troops.
Pay Scale
What They Do
Combat Engineers are members of the Military Engineer branch of the Canadian Forces. Their job is to ensure that friendly troops can live, move and fight on the battlefield, and deny the same abilities to enemy troops. They also perform duties in aid of the civil power and civil authority; participate in peace-support operations; perform construction and maintenance tasks in support of the CF and other government organizations; drive and operate vehicles and equipment in support of Engineer Operations; and maintain field installations and facilities.
Combat Engineers have the following primary duties:
- Construct and maintain roads, airfields, heliports, bridges, causeways, rafts, permanent and temporary buildings;
- Construct field defences and obstacles;
- Provide drinking water by testing, purifying and filtering local supplies and by constructing local distribution systems;
- Detect and dispose of mines, booby traps and bulk explosives;
- Deny mobility to the enemy on the battlefield by demolishing roads and bridges, and laying minefields and booby traps;
- Maintain and operate engineering equipment, including weapons, vehicles, heavy equipment and supplies;
- Provide engineer communications on the battlefield; and
- When necessary, fight as infantry (includes use of personal weapons, reconnaissance and section-level tactics).
Qualification Requirements
Combat Engineers should enjoy outdoor work, be physically fit and mechanically and technically oriented, and be resourceful, innovative and self-reliant in nature. They should also be good learners with good hand-eye co-ordination and manual dexterity. Above-average mathematical ability is required for promotion to the higher ranks.
Career Development
Career advancement requires development of both skills and knowledge and the fields of leadership and combat engineering. Opportunities for career progression, promotion and advanced training are good for qualified Combat Engineers.
Initial Employment
On successful completion of Basic MOC Training, Combat Engineers can expect to be posted to one of the following units:
- 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER) in Edmonton, Alberta;
- 2 Combat Engineer Regiment (2 CER) in Petawawa, Ontario;
- 4 Engineer Support Regiment (4 ESR) in Gagetown, New Brunswick; or
- 5e Régiment du génie de combat (5 RGC) in Valcartier, Quebec.
Specialty Training
As their careers progress, Combat Engineers who demonstrate the required ability and ambition will be offered (through formal courses or on-job training) advanced MOC training such as the following:
- Radio Communications – Field Operations
- Carpenter – Field operations
- Electrician – Field operations
- Plumber – Field operations
- Water Supply – Advanced
- Power Boat Operator
- Heavy Equipment Operator
The following specialty training courses may also be available:
- Combat Diver
- Soils Analyst
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal
- Instructional Techniques
Working Environment
Both in training and on operations, Combat Engineers normally work outdoors, where they may be exposed to extreme environmental conditions for extended periods, by day and by night, without rest or shelter. Working conditions often include risk of bodily injury and exposure to noise, vibration, dust and fumes. Considerable physical and mental exertion is required of them, especially when working in difficult conditions with explosive ordnance, or with limited time to complete an assignment. Appropriate training, environmental clothing and equipment are provided, and Combat Engineers’ health, safety and morale are closely monitored.
Related Civilian Occupations
- Highway Construction Foreman
- Blaster (Construction)
- Heavy Equipment Operator
- Carpenter (Rough)
- Construction Engineering Technician
- Construction Millwright
- Civil Engineering Technician
Training
Basic Military Qualification
The first stage of training for everyone is the 13-week Basic Military Qualification (BMQ) course at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. This training provides the basic core skills and knowledge common to all trades. It is also physically demanding. A primary goal of this course is to ensure that all recruits attain the CF physical fitness standard. BMQ covers the following topics:
- policies and regulations of the Canadian Forces;
- CF drill, dress and deportment (the “three Ds”);
- basic safety;
- first aid;
- personal survival in nuclear, biological and chemical conditions;
- handling and firing personal weapons;
- cross-country navigation; and
- personal survival in field conditions.
Soldier Qualification
On successful completion of BMQ,Combat Engineers go to a MilitaryTraining Centre for the Soldier Qualification (SQ) course, which lasts 20 training days and covers the following topics:
- Army physical fitness;
- dismounted offensive and defensive operations;
- reconnaissance patrolling;
- advanced weapons-handling (working with grenades, machine-guns and anti-tank weapons); and
- individual field-craft.
Basic Military Occupational Training
On completion of SQ, Combat Engineers go to the Canadian Forces School of Administration and Logistics at CFB Borden, Ontario for two weeks of driver training. On successful completion of driver training, Combat Engineers go to the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering at Gagetown, New Brunswick for Basic Military Occupational (MOC) Training, which takes about 20 weeks. It covers the following material:
- Construction of field defences and obstacles;
- Construction of roads, airfields and helicopter landing sites;
- Construction of rafts and bridges
- Operation and maintenance of water points;
- Radio communications for combat arms operations;
- Mathematics, military writing, basic military organization, and military history;
- Personal camouflage and camouflage of section positions;
- Operation of troop weapons and section defensive tasks and procedures;
- Basic procedures of rigging and firing of explosive charges, minelaying and booby-trapping; and
- Use and care of section tools and safety equipment.
