Photo By Cpl. Deanne Hurla | Pfc. Jeffery Wolberd, a Hazardous Material Marine, checks to make sure there are no...... read more read more
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CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan – Aircraft require several moving parts to be well-greased and oiled to work properly, but the materials that keep these large machines running smoothly can be potentially hazardous to the environment and must be handled properly.
The Marines who handle these materials work at the Hazardous Material Center at Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward). They are responsible for the ordering, storing and distribution of HAZMAT to all of the 3rd MAW (Fwd) squadrons aboard Camp Bastion, Kandahar Air Field and Forward Operating Base Dwyer.
“The availability and distribution of HAZMAT has the potential to impact the flight line readiness by increasing or decreasing the down time of parts and aircraft at the maintenance levels,” said Staff Sgt. David Doyle, the HAZMAT Center staff non-commissioned officer in charge. “HAZMAT is a vital requirement at all levels of maintenance, including items such as the oils, greases and fluids required to maintain the aircraft itself, and the proper function of its components.”
Ensuring all the squadrons have what they need to perform maintenance to keep their aircraft flying is the center’s main responsibility. However, Marines at the center are also the first response unit when a HAZMAT incident happens.
Luckily for them, they have not been called on for anything more than small spills, explained Doyle, who is originally from Bakersfield, Calif.
“We uphold the same standards as we do in the states,” Doyle said. “Using the same procedures puts a check-and-balance system in place and allows us to be more thorough in the way we do business.”
Each squadron has its own organic HAZMAT qualified Marine to ensure the squadron is storing and handling the material safely as part of that system.
When certain chemicals mix, spill or are not kept at the correct temperatures, they can combust or leak hazardous vapors, Doyle explained. This is why it is important for the squadrons to have a HAZMAT representative to ensure a major incident doesn’t occur.
The squadron representatives and HAZMAT center Marines keep the environment safe, but also must protect themselves from the dangerous substances.
HAZMAT Marines wear proper protective equipment such as gloves and, in some cases, a respirator when handling or disposing of the more dangerous materials. Emergency showers have to be ready as well as an eye wash station in case a
Marine’s skin or eyes comes in contact with the substance, explained Cpl. Alex Higham, a HAZMAT Marine who works at the center.
“I enjoy doing this job,” said Higham, who is from Chicago. “We cover all of 3rd MAW [(Fwd)]. Without the HAZMAT we give out to the Marines, the [aircraft] wouldn’t fly.”
The HAZMAT Marines work tirelessly to help keep these aircraft mission ready. They handle the dangerous substances with care to ensure aircraft operate smoothly and Marine aviators can continuously support coalition and International Security Assistance Forces on the ground.
| Date Taken: | 10.23.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 10.24.2010 04:22 |
| Story ID: | 58691 |
| Location: | CAMP BASTION, AF |
| Web Views: | 285 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, HAZMAT Marines keep 3rd MAW (Fwd) airborne, by Cpl Deanne Hurla, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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