MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - Heavy equipment operators and maintainers with Marine Wing Support Squadron 374 and MWSS-371 conducted new equipment training with the John Deere 250 GR Hydraulic Excavator near the Strategic Expeditionary Landing Field, Jan. 11-22, 2016.
MWSS-374 held the new equipment training over a two-week period for heavy equipment maintainers and operators to conduct hands-on style training with the new excavator taught by the U.S. Army Tank and Automotive Command-Life Cycle Management Command.
This is the first time MWSS-374 is using this model of hydraulic excavator aboard the Combat Center, and the excavator enables Marines to fulfill critical engineering missions including: Backhoe excavations, development of field fortifications, digging water and sewer lines, emplacement of culverts in-road, airfield construction and creating command bunkers. It completes these missions by utilizing interchangeable attachments. The excavator is scheduled to be fielded across the Marine Corps by September 2016.