what is the difference between 21B and 21C

21B-Combat Engineer
Major duties. Combat engineers supervise, or serve, as a member of a team, squad, section, or platoon. They are engaged in providing mobility, counter-mobility and survivability support to combat forces.
MOS 21B1O. Perform basic demolition, mine warfare and combat construction operations. Operates various light and heavy engineer wheeled and tracked vehicles. Prepares, installs and primes firing systems for demolition and explosives. Arms, disarms and installs U.S. anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. Locate mines and booby traps by visual, manual, mechanical, electronic, other means or through the use of a mine detection dog. Recognize booby traps, friendly and threat mines and firing devices. Installs wire obstacle material.


21C-Bridge Crewmember
Major duties. Bridge crewmembers supervise or serve as a member of a squad, section or platoon. They provide conventional and powered bridge and rafting support for wet and dry gap crossing operations.
MOS 21C1O. Operate bridge truck and light vehicles. Operate, launches, retrieves and performs duties as a deck hand on the bridge erection boat. Assists in the preparations of a bridge site, handles shore lines, assists in rafting and bridging operations. Assist in the installation of the overhead anchorage system. Installs kedge anchorage systems. Launches and retrieves ribbon bridge bays. Assists in the assembly and maintenance of military fixed and float bridges. Prepares ribbon bridge equipment for air transport. Operate the crane on the Dry Support Bridge (DSB). Prepares and installs demolition firing systems. Arms, installs, and disarms U.S. antipersonnel or antitank mines. Installs wire obstacle material.

this is where I am confused, if I get out of the army i want as much expierence in construction as possible, what would be the best MOS to go in to better myself in construction but also has a good promotion rate if i do stay in?

Your best bet is to go 21H or something like that. Maybe look into specializing in Electrician or Plumbing because the money is better there and most of the time you get to work on a house that already has a roof. Unfortunately there are not many positions available on the AC side. Most of those are in the reserves.

well with the 21B/21C do they both operate machinary like bulldozers, rollers, and graders?

No, a 21B will operate an ACE which is an earth mover but not like a dozer. It is it's own animal. I can't even think about how to explain it. It will not help you get a job in construction any more than diving a track vehicle. Now if you are lucky enough to be assigned to a heavy mech unit (do they even have these any more?) you will operate dozers, ect. I know they used to have one in Carson years ago. I don't know if it is still there.

As far as the 21C, I don't know. I do know that 4 years of 21B qualified me for manual labor.

I'm a 21B. If you want to get out of the Army and be a janitor/gardener, this is the perfect job for you! No, I'm just playing. Dealing with explosives, wire obstacles, and picket pounding is what we do. We're basically infantry that know how to play with stuff that will blow you up. A 21C is a bridge crew-member. They basically have a HEMTT with big boats on the back, launch them in the water, and play out there all day. Also they have big flotation bridges that are used when there are no bridges available in the area needed to cross. If you want to be construction. You'd want to be a Juliet( 21J), which is a heavy construction equipment operator, or you can be a Whiskey, which is a Carpenter (21W). There are still ACEs and AVLBs around. 5th En in Ft. Leonard Wood, where I just came from, had them in out unit, and so did 577th. Here at Ft. Riley the unit I'm in also has ACEs. I think we're the only unit on post with them, but I'm not too sure, I haven't seen too much on the 1st ID side of the house. Anything you want to know just send me a msg and I'll try and answer it as best I can for you.

thanks alot for the info, but this is the reason why I wanted to do the 21B, i have read on the Armys COOL website that if you are a 21B it has alot of leadership/managment to go with it, and i want to be a construction manager/project manager, so i figured that 21B would be what i needed to do, and another question with the 21C would i be in a engineer company and also 21C has a good promotion rate and it looks pretty fun, but what have you seen the 21J do in iraq or whever?