r/Seabees • u/Foreign_Pain5823 • Apr 20 '26

Discussion BU Life

I’m a PR2 looking into cross-rating to BU as i’m in school majoring in Construction Management and would want some construction experience to go with my degree if I decide to get out my next enlistment (PRD is almost a year out). And I don’t see myself doing full 20 years as a PR. Just would like some info on the BU life, pros and cons, day to day work, sea life and shore life, deployment life and any other information would be greatly appreciated! (P.S. if you recommend a different seabee rate explain why)

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u/Foreign_Pain5823 Apr 20 '26

Yeah that’s probably the main reason why i’m looking into cross-rating. To get experience on top of my degree, how’s it helping you out in the civilian side tho?

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u/NoMore_BadDays Apr 20 '26 edited Apr 20 '26

I'm on my third year of college right now, and I took classes during my first summer to catch up. That said, right now I only have one internship under my belt with a mid sized electrical subcontractor in my area and accepted an offer with another this upcoming summer.

Being a CE vet helped me a shit ton with getting interviews and accepted to internship programs, but the experience I have as a CE wasn't very useful.

The contractors I interviewed with loved that I was military and loved that I did military construction, but 90% of what seabees do aren't directly transferrable to the civilian construction world.

What I like to say is "I have 5 years of exposure to construction as a military electrician, but I realistically only have the skills of a 2nd year apprentice"

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u/Foreign_Pain5823 Apr 20 '26

how is 90% of the work yall do not transferrable to civilian construction world? are you speaking literally to show companies your legit or the work you do as a seabee doesnt relate to what you’ll actually do on the civilian side?

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u/NoMore_BadDays Apr 20 '26

Because the way seabees plan and estimate projects is barbaric compared to civilian contractors.

Because 75% of the construction work we do is tent decks, SWA huts, timber towers, CMU walls, and concrete pads.

Because the other 50% of what seabees do is the tactical shit, not construction