Fuels Airmen take pride in knowing they provide fuel to the fight by supplying aircraft with the juice that keeps them flying. One more thing they can be proud of is their role in getting the Iraqi Air Force off the ground.

Members of the 506th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels flight here recently trained members of the Iraqi Air Force assigned to Kirkuk in fuels testing, which will eventually help the IAF become a self-sustaining military.

“The IAF was not familiar with the idea of testing fuel to ensure good gas was being used in the aircraft,” said Master Sgt. Don Gale, fuels manager. “This is all new to them so we are instructing them how to do simple fuel testing.”

Members of the IAF do not specialize in the jobs they do, said Staff Sgt. Jermie Johnson, fuels supervisor.

“The person who maintains the aircraft is the one who fuels it -– there is one person to do it all,” he said. “Since we do all of our fuels testing in-house and have very basic equipment, it’s a very easy process for them to learn.”

In the past, IAF members did not understand that the fuel used in aircraft affects how the aircraft flies and that testing fuel before using it was important, said Tech. Sgt. David Laun, fuels operations noncommissioned officer in charge.

“If you have bad gas in a car, the driver can pull over if the car stalls,” he said. “An aircraft can’t do that so the pilot is in trouble.”

“We showed them our standards and gave them a hands-on base of knowledge to build on,” Sergeant Laun said. “This process really enhances their ability to understand the how and why the aircraft is able to fly.”

Senior Airman Keith Handley has a fuels lab special experience identifier, which allows him to explain the importance of fuels testing to Iraqi Airmen.

“There are three basic tests for fuels -- all of which can be done with basic equipment,” he explained. “This allows them to remove most of the risks associated with handling and storage of combustible materials, which is one less thing to worry about when they are trying to build their military.”

Airman Handley instructed the Iraqis on performing the flash test, which is the lowest temperature at which fuel ignites, which changes based on the composition of the fuel.

“This is just one step for the Iraqi Air Force to become a fully independent and successful Air Force,” Airman Handley said.

“They did very well in the learning process,” Sergeant Gale added. “They will grow by leaps and bounds from what they’re used to and will become an independent air force.”