CONSTRUCTIONMAN (CN)

OVERVIEW

Constructionman (CN) is the U.S. Navy's general-detail Seabee apprentice rating for non-rated Sailors at paygrades E-1 through E-3 striking for a Naval Construction Force rating (BU, CE, CM, EO, EA, SW, UT). Constructionmen wear the blue/gold Seabee color group and serve in Naval Mobile Construction Battalions and shore Seabee units during their apprentice tour.

The Seabees — the Naval Construction Force (NCF) — are the U.S. Navy's expeditionary engineers, building airfields, camps, bridges, roads, and piers in austere locations worldwide. Seabees deploy with Naval Mobile Construction Battalions (NMCBs), Underwater Construction Teams (UCTs), and Naval Construction Regiments. Their motto, "Construimus, Batuimus" — "We build, we fight" — captures their dual role.

A-school for the rating runs On-the-job training; A-school after rating designation at Constructionman Apprenticeship Training, Naval Construction Training Center Gulfport MS (no formal A-school until rating designation), where Sailors complete the technical foundation needed to report to their first fleet command. Entry requires the ASVAB line score Varies by target rating and an enlistment obligation of 4–6 years. CNs advance through the standard enlisted paygrade structure (E-1 through E-9), competing in the Navy-Wide Advancement Examination (NWAE) at E-4 through E-6 and via the Selection Board at E-7 through E-9. Senior CNs typically serve as Leading Petty Officer (LPO), Work Center Supervisor, Leading Chief Petty Officer (LCPO), or Command Master Chief (CMC), and may pursue Limited Duty Officer (LDO), Chief Warrant Officer (CWO), or commissioning programs such as STA-21, MECP, or OCS.

Across the active force, CN Sailors are essential to the Navy's mission readiness, and the rating remains an in-demand career field with strong reenlistment bonuses (SRB), advancement opportunities, and pathways into Navy Reserve, civilian DoD, and industry careers after service.

WHAT CNs DO

Constructionmen perform on-the-job training in their assigned NMCB, support designated petty officers in construction trades, and strike for a designated Seabee rating during their apprentice tour.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Constructionmen perform on-the-job training in their assigned NMCB, support designated petty officers in construction trades, and strike for a designated Seabee rating during their apprentice tour.
• Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior CNs as required by the chain of command.
• Lead the CN work center as Leading Petty Officer or Work Center Supervisor — managing maintenance documentation in 3M/MFOM, parts ordering, and personnel qualifications.
• Support general military training (GMT), damage control, force protection, and watch-bill assignments common to every Sailor regardless of rating.

HISTORY

Constructionman apprentice was formalized in the 1948 enlisted restructuring alongside the establishment of the Naval Construction Force as a permanent post-WWII organization. The Seabees trace to 1942.

The Naval Construction Force was established on 5 March 1942 by RADM Ben Moreell of the Civil Engineer Corps to provide militarized construction units for World War II — replacing civilian contractors who, under the laws of war, could not resist enemy attack. The Seabees built bases, airstrips, and pontoon causeways across the Pacific and Europe and have deployed in every conflict since.

Today the Constructionman (CN) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern CNs benefit from the Sailor 2025 personnel-system reforms, the Ready Relevant Learning (RRL) training continuum, and credentialing through the Navy COOL program — turning rating qualifications into industry-recognized certifications and licenses.

The rating's structure, training pipeline, and operational employment continue to evolve alongside the Navy's transition to Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO), Project Overmatch, and the Force Design 2045 fleet architecture, ensuring CNs remain central to the warfighting mission.

TRAINING PIPELINE

1. 1. Recruit Training (Boot Camp)~10 weeks
   Naval Station Great Lakes, IL
   Initial entry training for all U.S. Navy enlisted Sailors.
2. 2. Constructionman PipelineOn-the-job training; A-school after rating designation
   Constructionman Apprenticeship Training, Naval Construction Training Center Gulfport MS (no formal A-school until rating designation)
   Apprentice/striker training in the seabees accession pipeline before sub-rating designation.

TYPICAL CAREER PATH

1. E-1/E-3
   Constructionman
   Entry tier; constructionman accession track in the seabees community.
2. E-4
   Designated Petty Officer (sub-rating)
   Designation into a target rating with full A-/C-school qualification.
3. E-7+
   Chief Petty Officer (sub-rating)
   Senior enlisted leader of the designated rating in the command.

TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS

• Naval Mobile Construction Battalions (NMCBs)
• Naval Construction Regiments
• Naval Construction Battalion Centers

EXAMPLE NECs

• No NECs assigned at apprentice paygrades; NECs accrue after rating designation

RELATED RATINGS

• BU · Seabees (NCF)
  Builder
• CE · Seabees (NCF)
  Construction Electrician
• CM · Seabees (NCF)
  Construction Mechanic

RELATED BASES

• Navy Base · MS
  Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport
• Navy Base · CA
  Naval Base Ventura County

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

SOURCES

• Navy Constructionman (navy.com)
• My Navy HR — Enlisted Community Management
• Navy COOL — Rating Detail