Rephrase from the vulgar but, a combat engineer fuckingawesome my son just went to Missouri to be a combat engineer I want him to be 11 Bravo infantryman cuz I’m air assault Infantry but I am very proud of my son before even reading this but not really possible I wish I could call him but he’s in basic right now all the options and everything that he’s going to train for is great his mother and I are very proud of our son he will will be a great Soldier
I do not agree with what they describe as the “difference between 21bs and 11bs” because I served and I went on the same Patrols attached to Infantry Units, saw combat in said Unit, etc. Sure, We are supposed to be the Experts on Mobility, Counter-Mobility, and Survivability Missions, but that is too wide a gap in whats the difference. And the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan rapidly changed the jobs that a Combat Engineer was trained to do. I did my share of Mounted and Dismounted Patrols with the Infantry, and RCP, and a host of other things. I am sorry, but in my opinion, a Sapper could easily do ALL THE SAME TASKS THAT AN INFANTRYMAN IS TRAINED TO…however, AN INFANTRYMAN CANNOT DUE a large swathe of what we could do…especially when it came to demolitions. We made Breaching Charges, had certain set-ups to, if need be, push danger close IEDs and Mines that could safely be approached and force them out of that area. I wanted to be an Airborne Infantryman, but was told at the time there were NO SLOTS lol. So I became a Sapper, and still I went to AAS, AB, Sapper School, flight delayed before I could get to Ranger School, etc. But as I became more proficient, and began to train soldiers and learn, I realised that we could easily do the same job as and Infantry Company. THAT IS NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM YOU GRUNTS, I GOT NOTHING BUT LOVE FOR YA LOL>>>>SAPPERS LEAD THE WAY
I was a 12B in Vietnam in Feb 68 – Feb 69 and a 2nd tour from Oct 70 – Oct 71 On both tours I was a demo man. This was long before a Sapper designation was part of the glory. In my 1st tour I was with 65th Engr Bn 25th Inf Div and was in direct support of the Wolf Hounds Inf Bn. I am still disappointed (pissed off) that after 30 days in the bush the 11B received the Combat Infantry Badge. The demo man was not entitled. On my 2nd tour I supported a Rome Plow Land Clearing unit in the Americal Div. On a 2nd note. The combat engineer is the closest MOS to an infantry man and they allow females enter the ranks. I recall my 2 years in Vietnam and cannot comprehend a female being part of the team. Not that many females are physically fit to preform it is much more than that. Combat arms are not female friendly. And with 20 years in the army it is not in the best interest of combat.
Bobby, thanks for the comment. I have heard the same thing from WWII engineers to now. The infantry gets a badge, but the engineer beside them doesn’t. I doubt that will ever change. They now have the Combat Action Badge, but anyone can get it.
Should also include 12c of at least from when I was in. We went on a ton of missions in Iraq and did not build 1 bridge. A lot of security for other engineers(heavy equip, divers, horizontal construction), tons of recon (been all over that wasteland), did some demo, cleared a few structures and some other things. Had to escort a support platoon a few times as well.
We just never get talked about. 12b or c, our skills are very interchangeable. I was in 07-12 and we had sappers, quite a few airborne, .. a few AA and one pathfinder. Of course they just tabbed out meaning they made it. It’s all good though. We know what we did and what we were capable of.
I was an airborne combat engineer with the 65th Combat Engineer Battalion/25th Inf. Div. ’66 & ’67. These comments are right on. We went on missions with Mech, Air Assault and other Inf. units.
Near the Cambodian border we had total responsibility for securing the Artillery firebase there after the Infantry left.
So and so forth…
What Life in the Army is really like. 
Rephrase from the vulgar but, a combat engineer fuckingawesome my son just went to Missouri to be a combat engineer I want him to be 11 Bravo infantryman cuz I’m air assault Infantry but I am very proud of my son before even reading this but not really possible I wish I could call him but he’s in basic right now all the options and everything that he’s going to train for is great his mother and I are very proud of our son he will will be a great Soldier
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I do not agree with what they describe as the “difference between 21bs and 11bs” because I served and I went on the same Patrols attached to Infantry Units, saw combat in said Unit, etc. Sure, We are supposed to be the Experts on Mobility, Counter-Mobility, and Survivability Missions, but that is too wide a gap in whats the difference. And the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan rapidly changed the jobs that a Combat Engineer was trained to do. I did my share of Mounted and Dismounted Patrols with the Infantry, and RCP, and a host of other things. I am sorry, but in my opinion, a Sapper could easily do ALL THE SAME TASKS THAT AN INFANTRYMAN IS TRAINED TO…however, AN INFANTRYMAN CANNOT DUE a large swathe of what we could do…especially when it came to demolitions. We made Breaching Charges, had certain set-ups to, if need be, push danger close IEDs and Mines that could safely be approached and force them out of that area. I wanted to be an Airborne Infantryman, but was told at the time there were NO SLOTS lol. So I became a Sapper, and still I went to AAS, AB, Sapper School, flight delayed before I could get to Ranger School, etc. But as I became more proficient, and began to train soldiers and learn, I realised that we could easily do the same job as and Infantry Company. THAT IS NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM YOU GRUNTS, I GOT NOTHING BUT LOVE FOR YA LOL>>>>SAPPERS LEAD THE WAY
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Thanks for the feedback. Maybe I’ll do an update on engineers.
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I was a 12B in Vietnam in Feb 68 – Feb 69 and a 2nd tour from Oct 70 – Oct 71 On both tours I was a demo man. This was long before a Sapper designation was part of the glory. In my 1st tour I was with 65th Engr Bn 25th Inf Div and was in direct support of the Wolf Hounds Inf Bn. I am still disappointed (pissed off) that after 30 days in the bush the 11B received the Combat Infantry Badge. The demo man was not entitled. On my 2nd tour I supported a Rome Plow Land Clearing unit in the Americal Div. On a 2nd note. The combat engineer is the closest MOS to an infantry man and they allow females enter the ranks. I recall my 2 years in Vietnam and cannot comprehend a female being part of the team. Not that many females are physically fit to preform it is much more than that. Combat arms are not female friendly. And with 20 years in the army it is not in the best interest of combat.
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Bobby, thanks for the comment. I have heard the same thing from WWII engineers to now. The infantry gets a badge, but the engineer beside them doesn’t. I doubt that will ever change. They now have the Combat Action Badge, but anyone can get it.
LikeLike
Should also include 12c of at least from when I was in. We went on a ton of missions in Iraq and did not build 1 bridge. A lot of security for other engineers(heavy equip, divers, horizontal construction), tons of recon (been all over that wasteland), did some demo, cleared a few structures and some other things. Had to escort a support platoon a few times as well.
We just never get talked about. 12b or c, our skills are very interchangeable. I was in 07-12 and we had sappers, quite a few airborne, .. a few AA and one pathfinder. Of course they just tabbed out meaning they made it. It’s all good though. We know what we did and what we were capable of.
Engineers Lead The away!
We Our The Breach!
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I was an airborne combat engineer with the 65th Combat Engineer Battalion/25th Inf. Div. ’66 & ’67. These comments are right on. We went on missions with Mech, Air Assault and other Inf. units.
Near the Cambodian border we had total responsibility for securing the Artillery firebase there after the Infantry left.
So and so forth…
LikeLike