A combat engineer is a soldier in the military who is in charge of constructing or deconstructing combat-related structures such as fortified structures, trenches, and bridges. He or she may also be in charge of explosives placement and detonation. The combat engineer may work as a supervisor or as part of a supervised team that is responsible for a variety of combat-related tasks. This person will most likely be on the front lines of military operations, which means the job is extremely dangerous and could lead to injury or death.
A combat engineer can place combat obstacles. Trenches, barbed wire fences, and even land mines or other weapons are examples of such obstacles. It is critical for the combat engineer to be properly trained on how to use and place such items safely without endangering himself or his fellow soldiers. As a result, many militaries have different levels of combat engineer qualifications; a newcomer to the field will start at the bottom and work his or her way up through the ranks as time goes on. Engineers at the highest levels will be primarily responsible for overseeing and educating lower-level engineers.
The combat engineer’s other main responsibilities include evaluating and improving mobility options. If a water crossing is required, for example, the engineer must assess the terrain to determine the safest way to cross the water. This could simply entail getting troops across the water, or it could entail transporting large vehicles and cargo. As a result, the job may necessitate reconnaissance skills, math and science training, and the ability to communicate effectively with other engineers as well as other troops involved in the crossing. In some cases, the combat engineers may have to build roads from the ground up to allow military vehicles to pass safely.
During battle, the combat engineer may be responsible for a variety of demolition and construction tasks. The engineer may be tasked with destroying enemy fortifications with explosives or heavy machinery, or he may be tasked with fortifying his own structures. If the engineer’s troops are going on an assault, he or she will need to assess and, in some cases, create open assault routes that will allow them to pass safely and quickly. In order to prepare for the assault, the engineer may need to clear land mines and other hazards.