Keeping road equipment maintained

KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team engineers held a road equipment maintenance course for about 20 equipment operators and mechanics at the Khost City Maintenance Yard in Matun District, Dec. 5.

The first of several sessions, concentrated on start-up equipment checklists and keeping maintenance logs.

“We want to reinforce the idea that proper maintenance and care will extend the useful life of this equipment, which will ultimately extend the time between major road resurfacing projects,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Stephen Gustafson, Khost PRT lead engineer.  “The training is intended to improve the ability of the Afghans to properly operate and maintain their road and other construction equipment.” 

The maintenance yard has a variety of different road equipment, but some vehicles are showing signs of wear and tear. Corrosion, improperly inflated tires, and dead batteries were a few of the basic issues addressed during training.  

“It’s important to develop a maintenance schedule, whether it’s weekly, twice a month or monthly,” said U.S. Navy Machinist Mate 1st Class Jose Fernandez, PRT Khost Maintenance Course instructor. “Some of the equipment is used infrequently and only for specific types of road maintenance; this equipment requires even more upkeep.”

PRT engineers demonstrated the proper pre-operational checks and procedures on road graders, loaders, dump trucks and other construction equipment. The instructors explained that checking the outside of the equipment for any deficiencies is just as important as the internal parts.

“Checking all the features for wear and tear before starting the vehicle can prevent a bigger and more expensive problem from occurring,” said U.S. Navy Builder 1st Class Iascc Baca, Khost PRT engineer.   

The instructors explained that having a schedule to change the oil and other fluids, lubricating the gears, and properly storing the vehicles would help to keep their vehicles functioning at peak performance.

“Due to the weather conditions in Afghanistan, it is essential to perform routine maintenance,” Fernandez said. “The dust and humidity accelerates the deterioration process, but with continuous checks, simple care and storage would extend the use of the equipment greatly.”

The Khost operators appreciated the training provided for them, and look forward to future sessions.

“The instructors did a great job at showing us the proper steps to keep our vehicles in good shape; we learned and received a lot of helpful information,” said a Khost Public Works operator.

Khost Director of Public Works engineer Mamor Shah would like to see the training strengthen the ability for Afghans to sustain their own operations without assistance and has great confidence in his staff that it can be accomplished.