Average day (or week or month or even a year) as a Combat Engineer

[Bruce Monkhouse]

I'm scheduled for BMQ at the beginning of January.  I'm going to be a full-time Combat Engineer.  My girlfriend is not thrilled about the amount of time I'll be away for training.  My question is, after all the initial training is complete and I am posted somewhere, how often will I typically be away from home?

I'm just trying to get a general idea so that I can give my girlfriend some piece of mind.  I really want it to work with her but I don't want to make any promises I can't keep.  Right now I don't have any clue as to how often I will have to go away for training and things like that?  I know I will eventually have to go away on deployment but between completing my MOC training and then, how often could I expect to be home?

How many times you going to ask this same question?   
Be a man and make the decision..........this job or keep girlfriend happy?

 

[Izzy]

Hey guys,
To start I'd like to say, there are a lot of threads on this site, that in my opinion don't give me much insight or information to make an informed decision in regards to the trade I am looking at, and the specialty courses that can be taken (as far as I know) by anyone In the combat arms.

That said,
I'm looking for as much, real and informative information and steps I need to take later on in my CF career , as I can find regarding combat engineering as well as specialty courses such as,
EOD, combat diving, urban operations, winter & jungle operations, mountain warfare, rappelmaster, Reconnaissance Patrolling and parachuting courses.
As I would love to broaden my capabilities, if and when I do decide to join the CF.
I did read someones post, saying that these courses are gained by writing memos and submitting them to your CoC, and speaking with them.


Some background I suppose is in order.
I am 25 years old, healthy and smart. I like challenges and bad odds, I find my strengths lay in my inquisitive nature and my ability to think things through 100 times over, rapidly before making the best decisions.
I first started looking at infantry, and gradually found myself finding the combat engineers were more my cup of tea.
If you are, or have been a combat engineer/combat diver or have taken any of the courses I have listed above, please leave me any information and advice you feel i would benefit from.
If you you rather email me than that works to,
Isaiah.gyorffy@live.com

Much appreciated.

 

[mariomike]

I'm looking for as much, real and informative information and steps I need to take later on in my CF career, as I can find regarding combat engineering as well as specialty courses such as, specialty courses such as, EOD, combat diving, urban operations, winter & jungle operations, mountain warfare, rappelmaster, Reconnaissance Patrolling and parachuting courses.

EOD
https://www.google.ca/search?q=site%3Aarmy.ca+eod&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&gfe_rd=cr&ei=kXWCVLevMojM8geakIC4Dg&gws_rd=ssl#rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&q=site:army.ca+eod

All Things Combat Diver (merged)
http://army.ca/forums/threads/23226.0

Operations in Built-Up Areas (OBUA)
http://army.ca/forums/threads/25594.0/nowap.html

Winter Warfare 
http://army.ca/forums/threads/31148.0

Jungle Warfare 
http://army.ca/forums/threads/22905.0/nowap.html

Basic Mountain Operations Course 
http://army.ca/forums/threads/19958.0/nowap.html

Rappel master course/qualifications 
http://army.ca/forums/threads/30854.0

Recce and Para courses 
http://army.ca/forums/threads/1898.0

 

[Deleted member 89807]

Hi,

I have just been accepted has a combat engineer with recruit school bypass and will be going directly into trade training.

I am woundering if there are any combat engineers out there that could tell me what life outside of training is like?

How often are you away from family/children?

Is it a go home every night job?

Thank s

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

 

[mariomike]

How often are you away from family/children?
Is it a go home every night job?

This discussion is entirely about how much time Combat Engineers are away from their families,

Average day (or week or month or even a year) as a Combat Engineer 
http://army.ca/forums/threads/109556.0
"Stress on the family, how long are you away from home?"
"Strength required by spouse/family? Time away from home?"
"...make it easier or more fun for the family? Do people wish they went with less danger, more activity, less time away, Is there any suggested preparation a husband or wife can do to be more stable with the stress that is gonna come with the lifestyle??"
"...make the best decision possible for my family."
"If my girlfriend moves out to wherever I'm posted how often will I get to see her?  Generally speaking, how often after MOC are you away for more training?  Is there any kind of average you could give me?
"Typically spend a week or two away every month?
Spend a month or so away once every few months?
Usually home at night except when _________ . 
I'm trying to get an understanding how often my girl will be home without me.  I'd really appreciate any information you could share.  I mean, combat engineers have families too don't they?"
"I just need some details about the lifestyle for my significant other's sake."
"how often could I expect to be home?"

See also,

Combat Engineer
https://www.google.ca/search?q=site%3Aarmy.ca++combat+engineer&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&gfe_rd=cr&ei=M4YkV5KHEOmM8QfEt4j4DQ&gws_rd=ssl#q=site:army.ca++%22combat+engineer%22

 

[Colin Parkinson]

My experience is out of date, but I found the Combat Engineers a very switched on bunch and if you are willing to learn, you will learn a lot about many different things.

 

[????????]

Hi everyone, looking for answers from experience. Simple question.

Would anyone currently or previously in the trade ever look back and trade it all in for a different career? Not because of the wife/girlfriend... she's fine with it, but because of their children? Missing them grow up, missing sports, miss helping with homework, Misout on teaching life lessons and Raising them into adults? I'm ready for the travel and time away as well I know it's different for everybody, but I have 2 boys. One almost 2 yrs. and the other is 3 months. I couldn't stand going through with this just to make myself happy and risk jeopardizing my relationship with my kids. I grew up in military family but never got the brunt of it, parents divorced, father stayed on the coast in the navy, step dad only posted once and was hardly away besides one tour in Afghanistan. I know other trades are worse just don't know how bad.

So again, would anyone ever take back choosing combat engineer? Regretting it for their kids?

 

[mariomike]

I couldn't stand going through with this just to make myself happy and risk jeopardizing my relationship with my kids.

I guess you read this upthread,

Expect to spend a fair amount of time away from home and your family, so ensure you have your sh*t wired tight administratively and your family has contingency and care plans in place.

 

[ConsideringCareers…]

Good Morning,

This is my third post (all today), I have been trying to find answers to this all over the web, and have also been using the search function to try to find an answer to these questions.

I am interested in a few different trades, one being Combat Engineer (Reg Force) and just had a few questions
How much infantry work does the average Combat Engineer do?

How often do the Engineers do breachings (in Afghanistan lets say) (since the infantry lost the pioneers)?

How often do Engineers do Humanitarian aid missions (like Haiti the other decade)?

How often do Engineers do building tasks (FOBs in Afghanistan, bridging, etc.)?

Which regiment of Combat engineers is the “best” for each of these types of missions? Does each regiment lean towards one of them, or do they all do the same stuff?

Thank you in advance!

 

[ConsideringCareers…]

Good Morning,

This is my third post (all today), I have been trying to find answers to this all over the web, and have also been using the search function to try to find an answer to these questions.

I am interested in a few different trades, one being Combat Engineer (Reg Force) and just had a few questions
How much infantry work does the average Combat Engineer do?

How often do the Engineers do breachings (in Afghanistan lets say) (since the infantry lost the pioneers)?

How often do Engineers do Humanitarian aid missions (like Haiti the other decade)?

How often do Engineers do building tasks (FOBs in Afghanistan, bridging, etc.)?

Which regiment of Combat engineers is the “best” for each of these types of missions? Does each regiment lean towards one of them, or do they all do the same stuff?

Thank you in advance!

Why did my post get clumped in here, I have read this thread and it did nothing to answer my questions as I am 15 and not in a relationship, not even thinking about it. I wanted answers on the actual job, not on the home life behind the job.

Sorry for my bitterness, I just don’t understand.

 

[mariomike]

Why did my post get clumped in here,

I am interested in a few different trades, one being Combat Engineer (Reg Force) and just had a few questions

I merged your post with, "Average day (or week or month or even a year) as a Combat Engineer" because I felt it was on topic,
OP: "what does an average day consist of as a Combat Engineer?"

See also, Combat Engineer
https://www.google.ca/search?rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-CA%3AIE-Address&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&dcr=0&q=site%3Aarmy.ca+%22combat+engineer%22&oq=site%3Aarmy.ca+%22combat+engineer%22&gs_l=psy-ab.3...8601.11600.0.12494.2.2.0.0.0.0.92.171.2.2.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.8kYRPQpMnHk

 

[EpicBeardedMan]

Why did my post get clumped in here, I have read this thread and it did nothing to answer my questions as I am 15 and not in a relationship, not even thinking about it. I wanted answers on the actual job, not on the home life behind the job.

Sorry for my bitterness, I just don’t understand.

Instead of having several different threads about the same topic all over the place, the DS merge them into one location so people have an easier time finding all the information they need.

 

[ConsideringCareers…]

Instead of having several different threads about the same topic all over the place, the DS merge them into one location so people have an easier time finding all the information they need.

Okay, true, I shouldn’t be so selfish, it makes sense then that anyone coming to find more information find everything that may apply to themselves in the same place.

Sorry, and thank you for responding!

 

[DueFall]

Hi everyone, looking for answers from experience. Simple question.

Would anyone currently or previously in the trade ever look back and trade it all in for a different career? Not because of the wife/girlfriend... she's fine with it, but because of their children? Missing them grow up, missing sports, miss helping with homework, Misout on teaching life lessons and Raising them into adults? I'm ready for the travel and time away as well I know it's different for everybody, but I have 2 boys. One almost 2 yrs. and the other is 3 months. I couldn't stand going through with this just to make myself happy and risk jeopardizing my relationship with my kids. I grew up in military family but never got the brunt of it, parents divorced, father stayed on the coast in the navy, step dad only posted once and was hardly away besides one tour in Afghanistan. I know other trades are worse just don't know how bad.

So again, would anyone ever take back choosing combat engineer? Regretting it for their kids?

I realize this was posted two years ago, and I myself am not a CAF member but a family member. My father-in-law is Infantry, so not exactly Combat Engineer, but he was deployed on tour overseas throughout a lot of my partner's childhood. My partner doesn't resent it at all; I can tell you that he has the utmost respect for his father and is following in his footsteps, only pursuing the Combat Engineer trade instead.

His father, when not on deployment, had two weeks (maybe more? I'm not certain on that) off at Christmas, three weeks off in the summer, was home by dinner time and always there for hockey games and functions. He did miss his eldest son's graduation, and it broke his heart - but his son understood.

Obviously, it's important to factor in the potential of being deployed, sent on course etc. But when posted to your base (okay, I realize that my terminology is probably all over the place - please forgive me as I'm still learning the lingo) you can expect a pretty average schedule, and an ample amount of quality time to be spent with your family.

When my partner first expressed interest in joining, I was terrified. We don't have any children yet, but it scared me. But now seeing the life for what it really is, and knowing his motivation and desire to serve and protect our country - I couldn't be more excited. Of course, I hope that he never has to see an overseas battlefield, but that's the risk.

I'm not sure if you're still active on the site, but I'm curious to know what you ended up doing, and how things have progressed.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I myself am not a CAF member but a family member. My father-in-law is Infantry, so not exactly Combat Engineer...

Considering the above part and the thread title... ???

 

[ConsideringCareers…]

Thank you DueFall for the reply!

There was definitely helpful information, even though it may only be very loosely related.