Eleven crane operators providing U.S. government-contracted services in Afghanistan supporting U.S. Armed Forces earned Mobile Crane Operator certifications from the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) last August, thanks to training and testing services provided by National Crane Training, a division of OSTS Inc.
National Crane Training was brought in under a joint venture established to provide vehicle and equipment maintenance, facilities management, and other services at Bagram Airfield in Parwan province. The airfield uses cranes to unload military equipment and get it ready for service; some of the vehicles weigh up to 60 tons, requiring the need for competent, certified crane operators.
While the crane operators already had limited experience, the military specifically wanted them to be properly trained and become CCO-certified. Due to the NCCCO’s long-standing agreement with Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), the military recognizes CCO certification as the standard for crane operator certification. Written CCO exams are made available through DANTES at military bases worldwide.
In total, National Crane Training’s instructor and CCO practical examiner Jason Welch spent nine days at Bagram Airfield. Welch provided four days of classroom and four days of hands-on training, and he then administered the CCO practical exams. He also spent extra time on the finer points of crane operation, including catching a load to keep it from swinging and correctly reading load charts. Welch suitably impressed the trainees, jumping into a crane he’d never used before and navigating the practical test course in less than 15 seconds.
All but one student passed the CCO exams on their first try; one had to retake his written specialty exam through DANTES, but now all 11 have earned their CCO Mobile Crane Operator certifications for Telescopic Boom Cranes—Swing Cab (TLL).
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