On the technical side, you, as an EA3, assigned to a typical SEABEE battalion, have a variety of jobs to choose from or to be assigned to. The sections within the engineering division to which you may be assigned are the drafting/ print-reproduction section, the surveying section, and the materials testing section. Some of your duties and responsibilities while assigned to these sections are presented in the following paragraphs.

When you are first assigned to the drafting section, you are usually tasked with the simplest drafting or reproduction tasks so that the experienced drafting crew may be freed for more complicated work. These tasks also serve as training for the inexperienced draftsman. Your drafting assignments should include, in general, a variety of engineering services requests, such as reproduction of prints, preparation of charts, revising working drawings, preparing simple construction and fabrication drawings from sketches, and performing other EA3-related office jobs. Other EA-related tasks may include preparing overlay maps for operational, logistics, and/or contingency needs; performing operators maintenance of reproduction machines; lettering, using the Kroy machine; plastic and metal engraving; maintaining a complete up-to-date technical library; and assisting other divisions and sections within the operations department as directed by the drafting supervisor.

Quite often, the bulk of your job in the drafting section during home port is to reproduce several project drawings needed for planning and material estimates by the different construction crews and details. Failure to produce required quantities on time could have an adverse effect on the whole construction project planning and execution. To achieve maximum production, it is essential that every draftsman be properly trained to perform this assigned task. An experienced EA3 must be able to plan ahead to make sure that sufficient quantities of basic reproduction material requirements, such as print paper, are on hand and that the reproduction machine is in good working condition. Along with other preparations, you, as an EA3, need to learn to properly store blueprint paper and ammonia. Procedures related to the care and use of reproduction machines and supplies were discussed earlier in chapter 3.