Posted on Mar 5, 2018
PFC Petroleum Supply Specialist
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I am currently in Graduate school (structural engineering) while serving as an Army reservist (PFC). I was thinking of becoming an officer in US Army Corps of Engineers. However, after researching about USACE, the jobs that engineer officer in USACE does is not real engineering but more like management (managing his/her soldiers and maybe construction management). I really like my engineering major but at the same time, I would like to serve this country as an engineering officer. My strong interest is structural/design analysis of either buildings/bridges/dams/ships. But it is quite hard for me to find right officer position in any military branch. Please help. Thank you!
Edited >1 y ago
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CAPT Kevin B.
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It depends on what you see as your ultimate future. That's when you're done with the MIL stuff. Take a look at the varied progression plans for engineers. If your plan is to be a registered PE, then you want a program that will support it. For the Navy, it's pretty simple. You WILL get your Seabee Warfare Quals done. You WILL go to Grad School, You WILL get your Contracting Warrants. You WILL get your PE ticket. That's if you want to make O-5. Risky going for O-4 as the people who don't have it usually are in the third crunch at the promotion board. The Navy plan is pretty specific and you need to be shrewd in making sure you hit all the pedigree buttons. I'm sure the AF and AR have specific preferred paths. The problem with the AF is much of their construction contracting is done by AR and Navy, so there's experience you'd find hard to get. AR experience that translates best to the outside is COE work. They do facilities, real estate, waterways, dams, etc. Those are different billets vs. demolition, sapper, revetments, etc. which have limited commercial application.

BTW, registration for PE is trending to require more schooling than a BS. Your Grad work needs to be in an engineering discipline that you want to get your ticket in. It was a terrific journey for me in doing real engineering on all the continents (yes, Antarctica too). To do what you're contemplating, you'll have to be evermore moving forward, lest you never get there and become disillusioned. But the journey will be worthwhile. Remember the old Chinese Proverb: "May you live in interesting times."
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PFC Petroleum Supply Specialist
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Thank you Sir. I will research more about Navy CEC program.
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LCDR Arthur Whittum
LCDR Arthur Whittum
>1 y
Don't forget to check out the Civil Eng career path in Coast Guard.
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PFC Petroleum Supply Specialist
PFC (Join to see)
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LCDR Arthur Whittum - Thank you Sir!
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CDR Jerry Wells
CDR Jerry Wells
>1 y
A worthwhile career path would be with the Navy as stated above. The one thing to remember is that being an engineer is second to being an officer. You will be expected to be a leader and manager of assets not be an engineer per-say. You would manage people and direct projects not do actual engineering work in most cases. There are assignments that will require you to do some engineering but overall you will be leading those who do the actual work. You will find that true in all the services. You have to be an engineer to understand what those who answer to you are accomplishing. My son is a DoD engineer and he checks on contractors he does not perform actual engineering work. He is not a happy about that. If you are looking to just do engineering work the military is not the right path. Getting 4-6 years in the Sea Bee's would be rewarding and help you on your resume and be valuable training for your future. You sounded like you just want to do engineering work and that is not what a Naval Officer does.
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MAJ Contracting Officer
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If you want to actually do engineering the federal service is not for you. There is very, very little actual engineering going on by federal staff, military or civilian. It is much easier and better to have the concept drawings done by in staff personnel, but the actual engineering is done by a contract, awarded to an A&E Firm that specializes in the type of building to be designed. As such, if you really want to design and do engineering commissioning into the reserves or National Guard is the best place for you, with a full time job at a private company.
If you would rather be active duty, I would highly recommend looking at the Navy, you'll get the best duty locations and never need to serve on a ship. Sure beats Minot North Dakota or El Paso Texas.
My background is an Army Engineering Officer who works his civilian job as a Federal Construction Contracting Officer.

Good luck.
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PFC Petroleum Supply Specialist
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I am searching for more information about Navy CEC. But I am having difficulty with what they actually do. I have a friend who serves in Navy as a pilot so I can ask him about Navy CEC. I know your background is Army, but can you provide me with any information about Navy CEC? I see that they are doing project/construction management but not sure if they actually involve in Design.
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MAJ Contracting Officer
MAJ (Join to see)
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They do conceptual designs, or very small easy designs. The Federal Government follows a specific procedure called the Brooks act to design buildings, the law requires that the design selection criteria for A&E project award to the most qualified design firm. That way you get the best engineers who specialize in what you are designing rather than the general well rounded engineers that are in federal service.
The Navy runs very much like USACE the engineers are project managers who often get their own warrant authority (so they can administer construction contract) those warranted individuals need 24 business semester hours. The major differences between Navy and USACE are the locations. If you really want to be a design engineer you need to stay in the private sector, that job doesn't exist in the federal government.
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COL Strategic Plans Chief
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PFC (Join to see), I can't comment on the Engineer side of the house and there are some great responses on here...some bad ones too. There is NO guarantee that you will get to be an Engineer if you join. Not in the Army at least. That's if you go through a program like ROTC. Your branch is determined by a board that meets and determines what you will do. Having a Civil Engineering degree would help, but it's no guarantee. You could end up as a Field Artillery Officer. If you can find a direct commission program, that's the only way to guarantee...but those are few and far between. Engineers in the military don't do what you are talking about, even in USACE.
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PFC Petroleum Supply Specialist
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Thank you for realistic advice. The more I research about engineer officer, the more it becomes different than what I expected. I think Navy Civil Engineers Corps (CEC) would be the possible job position that I was looking for. I will search more information about it.
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PFC Petroleum Supply Specialist
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Or maybe I will just apply for a civilian engineer job while serving as a reserve...
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MAJ Contracting Officer
MAJ (Join to see)
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The Army has quotas on engineering officers with STEM degrees if you request engineer as your top priority you'll get commissioned as an engineer. They have never even come close to meeting their quotas. Basically if you have an engineering degree you're the golden child blessed from on high... But you'll only be approving other PE's work, not stamping your own designs.
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