As one of five general rates in which newly enlisted Sailors can apprentice, Constructionman (CN) stands alone as the only one in which combat training is mandatory. The seven ratings Sailors can pursue as Constructionmen are collectively known as “Seabees”—a word derived from the initials of the phrase “Construction Battalions”—and one of the essentials of the Seabees community is the ability to fight in addition to performing construction-related jobs.
The Seabees Combat Skills that Sailors acquire during their apprenticeship as Constructionmen go far beyond simply learning how to use personal firearms or taking cover under fire. Training includes how to perform rifleman duties; the use of grenades, mines, and pyrotechnics; how to serve as an ammo-carrier for crew-served weapons such as the M240 machine gun; basics of land navigation; the application of protective measures in the event of a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Explosive (CBRNE) attack; interpretation of basic arm and hand signals in combat situations; employing concealment techniques; and battlefield first aid.
During their apprenticeships, CN Sailors will perform duties and tasks that related directly to the seven ratings that make up the Occupational Field of Construction (one of 23 Occupational Fields defined in the Navy’s Manual of Navy Enlisted Manpower and Personnel Classifications and Occupational Standards). Those seven ratings—Builder, Engineering Aide, Equipment Operator, Construction Electrician, Steelworker, Utilitiesman, and Construction Mechanic—cover every aspect of constructing, repairing, and maintaining buildings, bridges, airfields, infrastructure systems (sewage, water, electrical), forward operating bases, and more. They will also stand communicator and messenger watches, assist during recovery operations, and take part in in combat and disaster preparedness procedures.
Like in all general rate, Sailors serving apprenticeships as Constructionmen earn the right to wear two stripes as sleeve insignias when they reach the paygrade of E2 and become Constructionmen Apprentices; a third stripe is added when they become full-fledge Constructionmen at the E3 paygrade.