# Do officers do physical work?



## WhySoSerious (6 Aug 2013)

I was checking out the jobs pages and was considering joining the Combat Engineers until I saw that they were in need of Engineer officers. I will be going to the Royal Military College, so that's no problem for me. But one of the main reasons I wanted to join the non-commissioners is because of the physical work. They get to physically build the bridges, blow up barriers, and dig out landmines. I just like to get my hands dirty, and do a job that would require hard work, pain, and sweat.
Do the officers get to do the same exact thing as they do? Or do they just stand there and tell them what to do? 
I've heard that the officer for example would construct the idea of how the bridge should be built and he would point it out to the Combat Engineers and THEY would do the building itself. Money isn't a huge deal to me, but if  I would be getting paid more to do the exact same job as the non-commissioners, then that would be great.
So do they physically build and do things with the non-commissioners or do they just stand and tell them what to do and how to do it?
Thanks.

I'm currently not in Canada, so I cannot hit up a recruitment center, and I have checked on the Forces page and Googled it, cannot find an answer anywhere. (Shocking, to be honest).


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## mariomike (7 Aug 2013)

WhySoSerious said:
			
		

> I was checking out the jobs pages and was considering joining the Combat Engineers until I saw that they were in need of Engineer officers.



You may find this discussion of interest.

Combat Engineers vs engineering officers  
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/108434.0
"I am thinking about joining up as a engineering officer, but i was reading up on combat engineers and i like how they work a lot in the field. So I was just curious if as an officer, would i get to do lots of field work, or would i be a pencil pusher?"


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## Humphrey Bogart (7 Aug 2013)

> Do officers do physical work?



Actually we sit around drinking cognac and smoking cigars all day  >


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## Kat Stevens (7 Aug 2013)

RoyalDrew said:
			
		

> Actually we sit around drinking cognac and smoking cigars all day  >



You forgot the fox hunting and dancing lessons.


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## GnyHwy (7 Aug 2013)

Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> You forgot the fox hunting and dancing lessons.



Unfortunately the lessons have not helped at all!  They dance like they shoot rifles...  All over the place!


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## Loachman (7 Aug 2013)

To the tune of a popular Monty Python song:

Oh, I'm an Officer, and I'm okay.
I drink all night, and I sleep all day.
I scream and shout, and strut about,
And puke in my beret.


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## The Bread Guy (7 Aug 2013)

RoyalDrew said:
			
		

> Actually we sit around drinking cognac and smoking cigars all day  >


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## Nudibranch (7 Aug 2013)

Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> You forgot the fox hunting and dancing lessons.



If that Pte doesn't show up with my shined boots soon, I'll miss this afternoon's hunt


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## Humphrey Bogart (7 Aug 2013)

Nudibranch said:
			
		

> If that Pte doesn't show up with my shined boots soon, I'll miss this afternoon's hunt


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## Kat Stevens (7 Aug 2013)

Derail... completed.


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## GnyHwy (8 Aug 2013)

Tee hee hee! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rObSWkQA7og


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## SentryMAn (8 Aug 2013)

I'm an officer and today I walked around the base....twice delivering things.

does that count as physical work?


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## Dirt Digger (9 Aug 2013)

You're going to see lots of different opinions, but personally, I think Officers have to walk a fine line.  No one wants to lead from a desk, but you also have to be careful that your involvement in the field isn't seen as undermining your Senior NCOs.  What may start as "pitching in", results in you taking over their task.


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