PFC Mendezmyers
20130731
Be Aware of Your Surroundings

BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS

Operating heavy equipment in a combat construction zone is extremely dangerous and a privilege not a right. Yes it is your job to operate but if you show that you are incapable of operating safely then you can have your licenses revoked and they can have you shredding paper all day in battalion or some other make busy work. So why is it important to be aware of your surroundings especially when you’re operating heavy equipment in a combat construction zone? Because you can knock over loads, destroy a building, or someone can get seriously injured or possibly even killed.
If you’re not paying extra close attention to your equipment and the items and objects surrounding it, you can knock something over like a pile of plywood or 8x8’s. Supplies that cost the Marine Corps a fortune. Your forks could stab an ISO container or break open a box of MRE’s. That’s why you use and pay extreme attention to your ground guide. If you happen to do any of the above things I mentioned it will be you and the ground guide’s fault. Most importantly though, if you weren’t using a ground guide it’ll all be on you.
Another reason why we take caution to our surroundings in combat construction zones is because we can destroy buildings. The TRAM itself is over nine feet high. You could back into a wall and severely damage the wall and the back of the TRAM. You could back up into a “garage” door and knock it off it’s wheels, or you could even back up into a corner and possibly pop the tires and “stain” the wall from the rubber on the tire. All of these scenarios should be taken into a close account when operating in a combat construction zone.
One of the worst case scenarios you could do while operating in a combat construction zone is kill another Marine or civilian. If you have a ground guide and you feel like you still cant see the back of your TRAM when you’re backing up, make them go back there and assist you. Even though sometimes you