Who Is the Real Engineer?

In a combined arms battalion tactical operations center in Mosul, Iraq, two engineer captains discussed their duties as task force engineers. One captain told the other, Man, you re like a real engineer No, replied the second captain, pointing to a nearby second lieutenant. He s the real engineer. The second lieutenant, an earthmoving construction platoon leader, was responsible for improving force protection measures at the task force checkpoints. He was planning a 100-mile movement of equipment and personnel across northern Iraq to the next jobsite. He also denied being the real engineer, arguing that his responsibilities merely included planning and overseeing the filling of HESCO Bastion Concertainer barriers and grading gravel parking lots. These were nothing near the kind of calculations and analyses he expected real engineers to do. These three officers represent many characteristics typically associated with United States Army engineers. Two held civil engineering degrees, two had conducted route clearance missions as platoon leaders on previous deployments, one had completed force protection and drainage improvement missions in northern Iraq, and one had a Sapper tab. Despite these qualifications, none of them felt they deserved the title of real engineer. If they dont deserve the title, who does