COC Repairmen keep Marines on the move

Photo By Cpl. Jacob A. Singsank | Lance Cpl. Frank A. Huizar, 22, from Sacramento, Calif., a communications electronic repairman with Ordnance Maintenance Company, 1st Maintenance Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 15, 1st Marine Logistics Group, repairs a tactical switching module, May 11. The Marines with OMC provide repairs on optical, communication and calibrated equipment caused by common wear and tear and damages from the field. With the high deployment tempo, this equipment constantly needs to be repaired.  

CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

05.11.2009

Story by Cpl. Jacob A. Singsank 

1st Marine Logistics Group

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Pulling the trigger is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to firing an accurately placed round down range. Without proper working sights and optics, the trigger would pull and the round would fire, but there's no assurance it would hit the target.

Marines with Ordnance Maintenance Company provide all the in-depth maintenance and repairs on communication, optic and calibration equipment for Marine Corps Installations — West.

Communications, optics and calibrations Marines conduct a wide variety of services within their sections. Communication repairmen fix tactical switch boards, power sources and field wire electronics. Optic repairmen focus on fixing night vision goggles, thermal vision and advanced combat optical gunsights. Calibration Marines make sure all the tools used to fix equipment are calibrated. All three sections work together to support the Marines in the fight.

"Every Marine Corps unit needs to shoot, move and communicate to complete any mission," said Sgt. Richard B. Coxe, the communication, optic and calibration platoon sergeant, Communications, Optics and Calibrations Platoon, Ordnance Maintenance Company, 1st Maintenance Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 15, 1st Marine Logistics Group. "In order for them to shoot and communicate, they need to come through Ordnance Maintenance Company."

Communications, optics and calibrations Marines repair everything ranging from tactical switching modules to artillery gun optics. They also calibrate the tools that are used to fix all of the Marine Corps' equipment.

"The sights on the M-777 A1 need to be precise," said Coxe, 33, from Darlington, S.C. "Accuracy is a life and death matter for the Marines on the front line when artillery rounds are being fired."

Communications, optics and calibrations Marines are constantly fixing serialized gear that's needed for service members who are scheduled for deployments. They frequently receive night vision goggles that break due to water damage, training or common wear and tear. The optic repairmen replace cracked lenses, reconnect stray wires and clean the sand out of the NVGs.

"The work tempo is always high here," Coxe said. "Units are always leaving and returning from deployments."

For Marines to be constantly on the ready, they need their gear to perform at the high level they do. If Marines operate without the proper working gear, it could negatively affect the set mission.

"We maintain unit's mission readiness by fixing gear immediately and sending it right back to them," said Lance Cpl. Nelson A. Hoskins, 21, from Danville, Va., an electro-optical ordnance repairman with Ordnance Maintenance Company. "Sometimes it takes longer for us to fill out the paperwork than it does to repair the equipment."

By communications, optics and calibrations repairmen fixing equipment, the Marine ground units can continue firing accurately placed rounds down range.

• Date Taken: 05.11.2009
• Date Posted: 05.13.2009 15:28
• Story ID: 33582
• Location: CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US