I would like to know about Combat Engineers/Sappers actual combat role

Question

Do military combat engineers/sappers defend themselves much with their small arms: rifles, machine guns and pistols?

I know that combat engineers/sappers build bridges and roads, but how often are they actually involved in serious combat?

Answer 1

Build roads! Ha!

You're lucky if you get to do that.

Most of it is light infantry stuff mixed with trailblazing.

IF you go to Iraq expect to know the buffalo.

Combat engineers see A LOT of combat and face the #1 killer of American servicemen.

Small arms? How about a machine gun?

Answer 2

Absolutely. They're right there with the Infantry guys helping clear roads and bridges of IEDs, building fortifications, buildings, etc. I recommend reading Thunder Run or Heroes Among Us.

Read about the twin brothers who received Silver Stars, Captains Hibner (both Engineer Officers).

A classmate of mine and close friend of mine who's an Engineer 2LT just completed Ranger School and he's off to his command his platoon.

Answer 3

combat engineers are infantry with a  brain in the old days before IED's and what not we were front line troops building the battle field.  Now with IED's we do more route clearance/ IED UXO removal.  Engineers are always out in the front doing combat missions.  yes we use all our weapons as a force multiplyer if you want action and respect be a engineer thats the job to be

Answer 4

Our Combat Engineer Combany that we had assigned to our Battalion did the same missions that our Infantry Compay, Armor Company, Field Artiller Battery, and Air Defense Artillery Batter and MP Platoon did. Plus they had all of there Engineer equiptment and when needed (Not Often) they did engineer missions. Pretty much every one who goes to Iraq these days is trained in full spectrom operations, meaning they are all capable of performing basic Infantry / MP jobs.