Originally posted by Fus:
[qb]Was just curious on the role Engineers play in combat situations. I was checking things out and I already understand that the primary role is to assist the army in living and fighting (transport, fixed defense, mines, bridges etc) and to deny the same to the enemy but also noticed that their secondary role was to fight as infantry as required. Historically, how often have engineers been called to front-line combat and how much infantry training do they receive today. I know that their job can take them to front line areas but I really mean fighting to take and hold ground/ patrolling etc offensively as aposed to defense. I realize in todays operations Engineers would be indisepensible in helping to restore war-torn cities and communities but would they be effective war fighters as well ? Reason I‘m asking is that although I have been a Reserve Infantryman for several years I am also taking civil engineering in university (if thats even close to the level of training that is required) I am educated to build things but I rather blow them up so I guess I have both in my blood.
Just to make them perfectly clear I am in no way downplaying any service branch of the CF. I respect anybody willing to serve their country in any shape way or form.[/qb]
Now the Lord of the Realm has glorified the Charge of the Light Brigade,
And the thin red line of the Infantry, when will their glory fade?
There are robust rhymes on the British Tar and classics on Musketeers,
But I shall sing, till your eardrums ring, of the Muddy Old Engineers.
Now it‘s all very fair to fly through the air, or humour a heavy gun,
Or ride in tanks through the broken ranks of the crushed and shattered Hun.
And its nice to think when the U-Boats sink of the glory that outlives the years,
But whoever heard an haunting word for the Muddy Old Engineers?
Now you musn‘t feel, when you read this spiel, that the sapper is a jealous knave,
That he joined the ranks for a vote of thanks in search of a hero‘s grave
No your mechanised cavalrys‘ quite alright and your Tommy has drained few peers,
But where in **** would the lot of them be, if it weren‘t for the Engineers,
Oh they look like tramps but they build your camps and sometimes lead the advance,
And they sweat red blood to bridge the flood to give you a fighting chance
Who stays behind when its getting hot, to blow up the roads in the rear?
Just tell your wife she owes your life to some Muddy Old Engineer,
Some dusty, crusty, croaking, joking Muddy Old Engineer.
No fancy crest is pinned to their chest, if you read what their cap badge says,
Why ‘Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense‘ is a queersome sort of praise,
But their modest claim to immortal fame has probably reached your ears,
The first to arrive, the last to leave, the Muddy Old Engineers,
The sweating, go getting, uproarious, glorious Muddy Old Engineers.
Say‘s it all.
It‘s nice to see that superior, condicending attitude is still alive and well the way some regs view the reserves. We don‘t need the gov‘t to get rid of the reserves, just leave it to our full time brothers-in-arms(?). All those deployments we go on, (manning up to 25% of some missions) still leaves us unqualifed to share the same air I guess. 
:bullet:
