9781422241332

1

Construction Equipment Operator Construct dams and buildings. Drive and control bulldozers, graders, and other heavy equipment. Build and maintain roads and airfields.

words to understand crawler tractor: a type of construction equipment that moves on tracks instead of wheels.

efficiency: productivity; working without wasted effort. pneumatic: a tool that’s operated by air under pressure.

W hen you were young, did you get a kick out of playing with toy dump trucks and tractors? Does the idea of operating heavy equipment still fascinate you? Each year, the U.S. armed forces completes hundreds of building and maintenance projects around the world. Mili- tary workers move tons of earth to construct airfields, roads, dams, and buildings. They deliver building materials to a site and then place them in the proper position. These are all tasks that require construction equip- ment operators. These specialists drive bulldozers, graders, and other heavy equipment to cut and level earth for runways and roadbeds. They also operate smaller equipment, such as air compressors and pneumatic tools. The job is a dream come true for people who loved to play with toy vehicles and machines as kids.

t  A pavements and construction journeyman sweeps away gravel at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.