MOS 120A—Construction Engineering Technician

Construction Engineering Technician (MOS 120A) Description / Major Duties:

Serves as an Engineer Operations Technician across the broad spectrum of engineer operations in both operational and non-operational units. Plans, supervises and coordinates construction of base camps and internment facilities in support of engineer construction operations. Constructs, repairs, and maintains vertical infrastructure in support of Support Brigades or engineer units. Provides advice and technical assistance on all aspects of electrical power and distribution in support of military operations while assigned to the Army’s Prime Power Battalion. Coordinates with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other external organizations in support of the United States Army Corps of Engineer’s (USACE) federal disaster relief missions. Provides engineering support and expertise to Deployable Medical System (DEPMEDS) hospitals, utilizing organic equipment such as power generation equipment, environmental control systems, water, waste, fuel and electrical distribution systems. Develops training strategies, reviews, writes doctrine, and presents formal engineering instruction to commissioned officers, warrant officers and NCOs.

MOS 120A Minimum Requirements for Regular Army:

  • Must be a SGT (E5) or above.
  • Must have a minimum of four years of documented experience in MOS 12H, 12K, 12P, 12Q, 12R, 12T, 12W.
    • Recruiting, Drill Sergeant and other non-technical duties are not considered field experience towards the 4-year requirement.
    • For MOS 21P only three years of MOS experience is required due to the duration of the 21P course of study
  • Must be a BNCOC graduate (now known as Advanced Leader Course or ALC) from a feeder MOS.
  • Must possess a minimum of one year leadership experience (experience documented on an NCOER) in one of the following TOE/MTOE positions:
    • Construction Operations Sergeant, Construction Section Leader, or Construction Squad Leader.
    • Senior Technical Engineer NCO, Technical Engineer NCO or Reconnaissance Sergeant.
    • Senior Power Station Mechanic, Electrician, or Instrumentation.
    • Assistant Team Chief
    • Technical Inspector, or Utilities Equipment Maintenance Manager, or Shop Foreman.
  • Letter of recommendation from a senior 120A (CW3-CW5). The letter must address your technical and tactical competence to perform in MOS 120A. For locations without senior 120A Warrant Officers, the proponent will accept letters of recommendation from senior Warrant Officers (CW3-CW5), regardless of branch.

MOS 120A Minimum Requirements for National Guard and Army Reserves:

  • Must be a SGT (E5) or above.
  • Must have a minimum of three years of documented experience* in MOS 12H, 12K, 12P, 12Q, 12R, 12T, 12W. NCOs must provide hard copies of all NCOERS/Enlisted Reports. (waiverable to two years if one year was combat experience in OEF/OIF).
    • Recruiting, Drill Sergeant and other non-technical duties are not considered field experience towards the three year requirement.
  • Must be a BNCOC graduate (now known as Advanced Leader Course or ALC) from a feeder MOS (waiverable based on documented leadership performance in OEF/OIF). MOS 21T does not currently offer Phase 2 BNCOC – Phase 2 waived.
  • Must possess a minimum of one year leadership experience (documented on an NCOER/Enlisted Report) in one of the following TOE/MTOE positions:
    • Construction Operations Sergeant, Construction Section Leader, or Construction Squad Leader.
    • Senior Technical Engineer NCO, Technical Engineer NCO or Reconnaissance Sergeant.
    • Senior Power Station Mechanic, Electrician, or Instrumentation.
    • Assistant Team Chief
    • Technical Inspector, or Utilities Equipment Maintenance Manager, or Shop Foreman.
  • Letter of recommendation from a senior 120A (CW3-CW5). The letter must address your technical and tactical competence to perform in MOS 120A. For locations without senior 120A Warrant Officers, the proponent will accept letters of recommendation from senior Warrant Officers (CW3-CW5), regardless of branch.

*Applicants may request a prerequisite waiver for the feeder MOS and apply based on 3 years of documented civilian experience (in the form of annual appraisals) related to MOS 120A in lieu of any of the above primary feeder MOS’s and 2 years of military leadership experience as a Squad Leader, Platoon Sergeant or Section Sergeant. Civilian engineering degrees and certifications related to MOS 120A will be evaluated on a case by case basis as part of the overall packet. These may be used to reduce the required years of civilian experience and allow for the waiver of BNCOC (Advanced Leader Course / ALC) for applicants who do not have the required feeder MOS.

Article Last Modified: February 21, 2011

Return to: Corps of Engineers MOS List or the top level Army Jobs / MOS List