Photo By Sgt. Jonathan Sosner | A heavy equipment operator with Marine Wing Support Squadron 471, Marine Aircraft...... read more read more
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Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 471 practiced operating heavy equipment to become certified at Marine Corps Air Station, New River, July 18, 2016.
The purpose of this training is to provide the platform for Marines to gain an understanding of how to operate heavy equipment, and increase readiness for future deployments.
“The training allows junior Marines who haven’t had operating time to become familiar with the equipment,” said Cpl. Stephen Loehrke, a heavy equipment operator with MWSS-471.
The Marines have been training on the D6 dozer and the HYEX excavator, Loehrke added. The training for each piece of equipment takes the Marines about a week to become familiar with and licensed on.
After they passed the written test, they move onto the practical application exam, which is hands-on time with the gear and an opportunity to practice basic movements.
“The first phase includes knowledge on characteristics and familiarization with the gear,” said Sgt. Joshua Hoffman, an instructor with the unit. “Then they’ll operate the gear and get familiar with the controls.”
During the practical application period, Marines were required to construct a ditch and berm with the D6 dozer. Afterward, they had to fill in the ditch and flatten it out, demonstrating their ability to properly level the ground.
The training that the Marines conducted directly reflects what they would be responsible for if deployed, including constructing airfields.
“It can take three days to two weeks, depending on how big the airfield is,” Hoffman said. “If we ever have to go “outside the wire” and build an airfield, it will require all these pieces of gear to make the airfield.”
Many of the Marines in the unit have been previously certified with the equipment and are using this training to improve their skills and build confidence.
“A lot of the guys do this outside [of this training iteration],” Loehrke said. “They’re proficient with the gear despite only operating two days a month.”
| Date Taken: | 07.18.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.21.2016 15:47 |
| Story ID: | 204645 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 175 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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