Job: Technical Engineer (21T)

JOIN THE U.S. ARMY!
To be a U.S. Army Soldier is to be a part of the strongest fighting force in the world. You'll spend your days training, working and serving together to protect America's freedoms. But you'll also have time after work for family, friends and personal interests. From recruitment to retirement, the U.S. Army provides a unique and diverse lifestyle for Soldiers.


The Army builds and repairs many airstrips, docks, barracks, roads, bridges, and other projects each year and the Technical Engineer is essential to this process. Technical Engineers conduct land surveys, make maps and prepare detailed plans and drawings for construction projects. They also occasionally provide surveys and maps that are used to locate military targets and plot troop movements. The Technical Engineer supervises or participates in construction site development to include technical investigation, surveying, drafting, development of construction plans and specifications. Some of your duties as a Technical Engineer may include:

* Assist in the performance of field and laboratory tests on construction materials, construction surveys and drafting for Army construction
* Draw topographic maps and charts
* Make scale drawings of roads, airfields, buildings, and other military projects using Computer Aided Drafting systems and software
* Conduct geodetic and construction surveys and computing survey results utilizing Automated Integrated Survey Instruments and Global Positioning Survey Technology
* Draw diagrams for wiring and plumbing of structures
* Provide technical support for vertical and horizontal construction projects
* Build scale models of land areas that show hills, lakes, roads, and buildings
* Piece together aerial photographs to form large photomaps

Job training for a Technical Engineer requires nine weeks of Basic Training, where you'll learn basic Soldiering skills, and 16 weeks of Advanced Individual Training and on-the-job instruction. Part of this time is spent in the classroom and part in the field. Some of the skills you'll learn are:

* Surveying and drafting techniques
* Aerial photo interpretation
* Architectural and structural drawing

Helpful attributes include:

* An ability to convert ideas into drawings
* An interest in maps and charts
* An interest in working with Computer Aided Drafting technology
* An interest in algebra, geometry and trigonometry

Advanced level Technical Engineers provides guidance, supervises and trains other Soldiers in their discipline. As an advanced level Technical Engineer, you may be involved in:

* Analyze and interpret field and laboratory testing on construction materials, construction surveys and design drafting for military construction
* Make field checks to ensure field measurements meet project specifications
* Compute elevations of tidal benchmarks and baselines
* Perform field computation to verify field observations for control surveys
* Provide technical expertise in developing work schedules
* Prepare project progress reports and conduct project briefings

The skills you'll learn as a Technical Engineer will help prepare you for a future with civilian construction, engineering, and architectural firms and government agencies such as the highway department. You'd most likely be involved with planning construction projects such as highways, airport runways, dams, and drainage systems. Cartographer, cartographic technician and photogrammetrist are also potential civilian positions for you to consider.

* Construction Equipment Operator (21E)
* Interior Electrician (21R)

Learn more about the relationship between military training and civilian certification requirements.