Roland Machinery recently named Scott Clarkson territory manager, overseeing 18 counties in Illinois.

Clarkson, who started with Roland Machinery in February of this year, gained his heavy equipment experience by a different means than most people. As a Staff Sergeant in the Marine Corps Reserve, he served three combat tours of duty in Iraq in 2003, 2005 and 2007, with each tour lasting seven months in country.

“As a combat engineer we utilized dozers and wheel loaders to create berms, move concrete barriers and fill Hesco,” said Clarkson, who has been enlisted for 11 years.

While no one wants to make a mistake using heavy equipment, Clarkson had to deal with a more extreme margin of error.

“We really couldn’t be exposed,” said Clarkson. “We had to work at night a lot, getting things done quickly and efficiently.”

Much of Clarkson’s time was spent helping planning and helping in the construction of forward operating bases. He also assisted with creating fall out bunkers and watchtowers.

Clarkson also spent time in Fallujah, an Iraqi city approximately 45 miles west of Baghdad.

“We were constantly moving and reposition 3-foot concrete barriers,” he said. “A lot of that was done to route traffic and keep things as safe as possible for travel. I was also involved in rearranging the entry control points in the city.

“Again, we were trying to maximize the safety for the men and women stationed there.”

Clarkson, who will cover Iriquois, Ford, Logan, McLean, Dewitt, Piatt, Champaign, Vermillion, Moultrie, Douglas, Edgar, Coles, Cumberland, Clark, Effingham, Jasper, Crawford and Lawerence counties in Illinois for Roland Machinery, remains active in the Marine Corps Reserve.