COMBAT ENGINEER: THE UNSUNG HERO OF THE BATTLEFIELD
March 3, 2023Mac Caltrider
Marine combat engineer Lance Cpl. Arden Buenagua understood the risk he was taking when he extended his green, plastic metal detector and assumed the position at the head of the single-file patrol.
The grunts behind Buenagua were his friends. They followed in his footsteps as he walked the lonely road so often traveled by combat engineers, knowing, as he did, that if there were a hidden bomb waiting for them he’d probably be the one to trigger it. Every Marine who had walked point before Buenagua during his time in Sangin had either been killed or grievously wounded.
On Nov. 24, 2010, Buenagua stepped on an IED. The explosion killed him. Like so many other combat engineers killed in the line of duty, he died doing what he was trained and expected to do. He died leading the way.
combat engineer
Marine combat engineers move the nosepiece of a bridge into place in Mirmandab, Afghanistan, March 25, 2012. US Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Anthony Ward Jr.
What Does A Combat Engineer Do?
Combat engineers are among the most versatile, reliable, and misunderstood troops in the United States military. They possess a variety of skills that are crucial in war.
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