OKINAWA, Japan - “If it is Marine Corps equipment, and it doesn’t fly, we can fix it!” said Lt. Col. Jason A. Beaudoin, commanding officer of 3rd Maintenance Battalion. “Whether that is maintenance of radios, generators, vehicles, engines, ordnance or engineer equipment, we have the capabilities and expertise.”

Optimizing the operational readiness of III Marine Expeditionary Force by maintaining its units’ equipment is the mission of 3rd Maintenance Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 35, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III MEF.

“We are the only unit on Okinawa that provides intermediate maintenance for all of III MEF,” said Maj. Keith G. Nunn, executive officer of the battalion. “The maintenance capabilities we have are far beyond that of what any unit is able to perform on its own equipment.”

The Marines of the battalion display their importance through hard work and dedication to duty, according to Cpl. Matthew L. Minor, an automotive maintenance technician with the battalion.

“Maintainers are vital to the Marine Corps because they fix all the equipment other Marines use on a daily basis to accomplish their jobs,” said Minor. “Right now, we are especially busy because of the Operation Enduring Freedom reset.”

The equipment coming out of Afghanistan is going to be evaluated, fixed if needed, and redistributed throughout the Marine Corps, according to Nunn.

“At the end of September, our battalion will have either evaluated or fixed approximately 3,000 principle-end items for the reset,” said Nunn.

There are progressing tiers of maintenance and responsibility for the battalion, according to Beaudoin.

“There is a certain echelon of maintenance that the unit (that owns the equipment) is responsible for providing,” said Beaudoin. “We fix the equipment at the third and fourth echelons, which make up intermediate maintenance. We have more capabilities and responsibilities than (other units have) in the maintenance process. However, if we are unable to fix some equipment, the equipment is sent to the ‘depot’ level of maintenance.”

Depot-level maintenance is the most extensive and is conducted at either Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif., or MCLB Albany, Ga.

Within this high-tempo working environment, 3rd Maintenance Battalion Marines receive a unique opportunity in their job field, according to Beaudoin.

“With the importance of equipment returning from Afghanistan and the importance of the Asia-Pacific region, I cannot think of a better place for a young maintainer to start his or her career than right here in 3rd Maintenance Battalion,” said Beaudoin.

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