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CLC-23 welcomes tomorrow’s technology today

27 Jan 2014 | Lance Cpl. Brendan Roethel Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort

Marines with Combat Logistics Company 23 broke in their new Vehicle Automated Diagnostics System aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, Jan. 14-16.

When vehicles have a malfunction, correctly identifying the problem can prove to be a major challenge when repairing them. The new VADS has the capability to locate and identify a problem in most military vehicles, including rotary wing aircraft and armored vehicles.

The VADS system recently became available to CLC-23.  With the simple hookup of one connection and a laptop computer, any problem in the vehicle will be spelled out on the screen or be displayed by code. 

“This system will tremendously cut down on time and troubleshooting,” said Cpl. DeAndre Ramsey, a heavy equipment mechanic with CLC-23.  “This equipment is also very user friendly.  With this new technology we will be able to test entire systems of many vehicles for malfunctions in the same amount of time it would take us to diagnose a problem in one vehicle without it. This system will save us a lot of time and the Marine Corps a lot of money.”

Once the new equipment has identified the problem, VADS can also identify any parts that need to be replaced.

Another benefit of the VADS is its compatibility. By upgrading the VADS, Marines can continue to test even the newest vehicles without the system becoming obsolete. The system is also water and shock resistant.

“This is the future of testing equipment for the Marine Corps,” said Joseph Robertson, a VADS equipment instructor with the Science Applications International Corporation.  “Before, Marines had to know specifically how each part of the vehicle operated, and had to troubleshoot each possible issue related to that part in order to find the problem. Now if a vehicle brakes down during a patrol or re-supply mission, the Marines can easily find out what is wrong with it within a matter of minutes, even if they have little to no mechanical experience.”

With the use of the VADS, the Marines of CLC-23 will be more operationally capable and prepared for future conflicts.