Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Justin Boling | Lance Cpl. Joseph Farrel, a heavy equipment operator with Marine Wing Support Squadron...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, S.C. -- Heavy equipment operators began their licensing training for the MAC-50 All Terrain Crane at the Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 Heavy Equipment Facility, Oct. 18.
Marine Corps heavy equipment operators are trained to use seven basic machines during their Military Occupational School. These machines include forklifts, bulldozers and other simpler machines. More machine licenses are earned by Marines in the fleet at their duty stations or when they go to courses after they achieve the rank of corporal.
“We try to teach as many Marines on as many machines as possible,” said Sgt. Randall Smith, the heavy machine operator licensing noncommissioned officer with MWSS-273. “Crane licensing creates more Marines capable of doing a difficult, but extremely important task.”
To learn how to operate the crane the Marines need to be able to drive it, set up for a lift, and then conduct the lift correctly. According to Smith, if the Marines learn to conduct crane lifts safely during their training the opportunity for injury in the field will decrease. That is why every training lift follows all the proper procedures and are thought out before execution.
The week involved setting up the crane properly and then performing lifts with cargo containers of varying weights. The Marines would lock chains in place and those who were not operating the crane used guidelines to stabilize the lifted cargo containers.
“It might only take a week to learn how to operate this machine,” said Smith. “Training time is based solely on performance, for some it may only take hours but for others we spend as long as it takes for them to learn to operate the crane successfully.”
With such a small group of Marines doing such a large job, proper training is needed to ensure Marines are prepared. During a deployment, the situation dictates how many heavy machine operators will go with a crane to complete a lift, and sometimes it is as few as two Marines.
“Knowing how to operate all machines properly, especially a crane, is critical,” said Gunnery Sgt. Brad Jones, the staff non-commissioned officer in charge of heavy equipment operations with MWSS-273. “If you put a poorly trained operator behind the controls, equipment and lives are in danger.”
Planning for every lift has to be established before the use of the crane. Even the wind can adversely affect the success of a lift.
“The most difficult thing about operating the crane is the setup and load plan before the lift,” said Lance Cpl. Joseph Farrell, a heavy equipment operator with MWSS-273. “When I get deployed, I want to be capable of helping my fellow Marines in as many ways as possible.”
The heavy equipment operators fulfill varying roles both in garrison and while deployed. From aircraft and vehicle recovery to moving gear, heavy equipment operators have many jobs for which they are responsible.
“I can’t just have one Marine trained to operate one machine,” said Jones. “I need to know that if I ask any operator to do something that they are trained and capable of doing (it).”
The use of MAC-50 All Terrain Crane allows the heavy equipment operators to fulfill many roles for the aircraft operations they support.
“These machines give us the capability to move aircraft and equipment and recover non-operable Marine Corps vehicles and assets,” said Jones. “Having more Marines capable of operating cranes is a great advantage to the Air Station.”
| Date Taken: | 10.18.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 11.04.2010 15:29 |
| Story ID: | 59426 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 450 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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