Continual maintenance ensures continual readiness

Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Wright | Corporal Daniel A. Zamarron, a heavy equipment mechanic with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and a native of Laredo, Texas, removes the differential drain plug on a forklift as part of the unit's "Maintenance Stand-down" here, Oct. 17. The initiative occurs before and after every 31st MEU deployment, ensuring every vehicle and piece of equipment is inspected and repaired in preparation for the next patrol or mission. The 31st MEU is the Marine Corps' force in readiness for the Asia-Pacific region and is the only continuously forward-deployed MEU.  

CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JAPAN

10.18.2013

Story by Sgt. Jonathan Wright 

31st Marine Expeditionary Unit       

CAMP HANSEN, Japan - The beads of sweat fell from his forehead as the Marine struggled to loosen the lug nut on a truck tire. The white from his knuckles peeked through the coating of grease on his hands as he strained,

Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit coordinated their efforts as part of the two-week-long “Maintenance Stand-Down” here, Oct. 7 through 18.

The high operational tempo of the 31st MEU causes substantial wear and tear on the vehicles and equipment. Unit-wide maintenance initiatives are implemented at the end of every deployment to combat the depreciation.

“The last thing we want is for any piece of equipment to become unusable, and the problem multiplies if it happens during an exercise or operation,” said Lance Cpl. Parker W. Drake, a radio operator for Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st MEU, and a native of Ackley, Iowa. “While broken or faulty gear is the priority, it would be setting ourselves up for failure if that’s all we focus on.”

Nearly every piece of equipment is disassembled, inspected and reassembled with necessary preventative measures to ensure longevity. The Marines even work on equipment appearing to be in good condition in order to prevent unwanted surprises during operations.

General readiness of equipment is the responsibility of every subordinate unit in the 31st MEU. However, if a repair is beyond the capabilities of a unit, the job is handed over to CLB-31’s maintenance Marines. From there, it is either repaired by CLB-31’s specially trained Marines or transported to Camp Foster for more complicated repairs.

“There are four echelons of maintenance, one being the lowest scale of difficulty and four being the highest,” said Sgt. Justin N. Johnson, a communications maintenance chief for CLB-31, 31st MEU. “Each subordinate unit is able to perform echelon one maintenance, and they come to CLB-31 for echelon two, but three or four goes to Camp Foster or back to the manufacturer.”

Everything from the plug of a radio handset to the hydraulics of a forklift was inspected and reinforced for future operations. While much of the work is considered tedious and slow, the Marines consider the payoff of having functioning equipment worth the work.

“There’s a humvee being inspected outside that doesn’t have anything wrong, that we know of,” said Johnson, a native of El Cajon, Calif. “But if we take that for granted, it could break down in the middle of an exercise or, worse, a (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) mission .”

The 31st MEU recently returned from a regularly scheduled Fall Patrol, where it conducted bilateral training with the Australian Defense Forces during multiple live-fire exercises. The unit is now preparing for its regularly scheduled Spring Patrol aboard the ships of Amphibious Squadron Eleven.

The 31st MEU is the Marine Corps’ force in readiness for the Asia-Pacific region and is the only continuously forward-deployed MEU.

• Date Taken: 10.18.2013
• Date Posted: 10.27.2013 22:45
• Story ID: 115804
• Location: CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JP
• Hometown: ACKLEY, IA, US
• Hometown: EL CAJON, CA, US