I'm Corporal Muhammad Anwar from Mississauga, Ontario.
I'm a Combat Engineer with 4 Engineer Support Regiment
at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown.
Combat engineers work closely with the Infantry and Armoured Corps in deployed operations.
Engineers are the first on the ground to set up forward operating bases,
where military members live and work to complete the mission at hand.
When it's time to move, combat engineers clear the road
of improvised explosive devices and mines to make travel safer.
You definitely need a tough skin and you need a strong back.
It's very physically demanding and mentally draining
but the rewards are definitely worth it.
Combat Engineers are masters at problem-solving in both technical tasks and military tactics.
When friendly troops are fighting in urban centres,
combat engineers are often called upon to execute Tactical Explosive Breaching tasks.
Using precise amounts of explosives, well-planned tactics and procedures,
combat engineers knock down doors to allow the surprise entry of friendly forces.
Combat Engineers can also be called upon to build combat bridges
that allow fighting forces to cross gaps, rivers and streams.
When disaster strikes, here at home or overseas,
combat engineers are the first out the door.
They build roads and airfields
and create safe drinking water where it's needed most.
My job in particular is I'm on disaster relief -
on call in case anything happens around the world
and the government decides to send our troops there,
and also for anything that happens domestically, for example the floods,
like in the spring down in Saint John, and around New Brunswick.
We were there helping out.
When it comes to combat missions,
combat engineers operate heavy equipment, weapons and vehicles.
Explosive ordnance disposal and bomb disposal
are also part of the job for combat engineers.
Combat engineers are jacks-of-all-trades.
We do a little bit of everything and we do it really well.
The coolest part has to be...
It has to be blowing things up.
We get to take an object, be it a bridge, a door, a wall - and blow it up.
Pretty cool once you get used to it, and you see the mechanics behind it -
and movies don't do it justice. It's a lot cooler in person.
After trade training is completed,
combat engineers are posted to one of several Combat Engineer
or Engineer Support regiments stationed across Canada.
They are assigned to a troop where they continue developing their skillset,
and learn how to drive various engineer vehicles.
You're not thrown into the mix and just told to use what you learn.
You're mentored, and it carries through throughout your career.
As you progress into senior leadership,
then somebody who's even more senior than you is teaching you,
takes you under their wing and teaches you the ways.
Combat engineers are fit, self-motivated problem solvers
that are confident in handling explosives and dangerous equipment or tools.
The job offers many opportunities to specialize in different areas,
such as combat diving and heavy equipment operations.
Joining the military, in general, it was the best decision I ever made
because it helped me not only progress my skillset
but also, me as a person, it helped give me discipline,
it helped give me focus in my life.
It really opened my eyes to a broader world.
Best job I ever had!