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Service Branches
Work Environment
Construction specialists work indoors and outdoors on construction sites.
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Military Status
Enlisted
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Average Military Salary
$65,712
Overview
Construction specialists perform and manage the construction of buildings, bridges, foundations, utility systems, dams, and bunkers. They manage, construct, repair, and modify structural systems, and wooden, masonry, metal, and concrete buildings. They also oversee bridge building, rafting, and river crossing operations to coordinate the building of structures during combat. Construction specialists must have a working knowledge of carpentry and masonry.
Military Training
All enlisted service members complete basic military training, which includes time spent in a classroom and in the field, and covers tactical and survival skills, physical training, military life and customs, and weapons training. Job training for construction specialists consists of classroom and on-the-job instruction, including practice with carpentry and masonry tools. Training content varies depending on specialty, and may include:
- Basic construction methods and engineering principles
- Construction of wire obstacles
- Types and uses of construction joints and braces
- Use of hand and power tools
- How to mix and set concrete, mortar, and plaster
- Principles and procedures for the safe use of explosives
- Bridge design and construction
- Road maintenance and repair
Helpful Attributes
- Ability to communicate effectively
- Ability to understand and apply math concepts
- Ability to coordinate and prioritize the work and activities of others
- Interest in work requiring accuracy and attention to detail
Related Civilian Careers
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
- Shipping, Receiving and Inventory Clerks
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons
- Cost Estimators
- Construction and Building Inspectors
- Compliance Managers
- Industrial Production Managers
- Construction Managers
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
- Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
- Civil Engineers
- General and Operations Managers
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
- Architectural and Engineering Managers
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
- Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers and Repairers
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers
- Paving, Surfacing and Tamping Equipment Operators
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Production, Planning and Expediting Clerks
- Electricians
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
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