Team keeps aircraft fueled

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Andrew Gates
  • 455th Expeditionary Operations Group Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  Talk to a group of petroleum, oil and lubrication technicians and you will meet people who know their impact on the mission.

With phrases like “without POL, pilots are pedestrians” and “we fuel the fight,” the team here knows how important its job is. In June alone, the Airmen fueled missions over Afghanistan with more than 850,000 gallons of JP-8 jet fuel.

That team is responsible for putting the fuel on various aircraft here, said Airman 1st Class John Oldham, a 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron POL technician. That responsibility includes more than just pumping gas.

“We test fuel to make sure it is clean and safe,” he said. “Most of our time, though, is spent with crew chiefs to ensure fuel gets on aircraft efficiently and safely.”

“We’re pretty vital to the mission,” said Staff Sgt. Adam Weinberg, a 455th ELRS POL technician. “Without fuel, aircraft can’t fly, so there would be no air cover.”

Because the Airmen are deployed, they must do more of the job by hand -- ferrying the fuel out to aircraft in 6,000-gallon lots -- carried by fuel trucks.

“At most home stations, we have a hydrant system which carries the fuel out to various areas on the flightline. Here we have to take the fuel to the plane,” Airman Oldham said. “Yesterday, I offloaded more than 21,000 gallons of fuel to aircraft myself.”

Not having the hydrant makes the job a little more fast-paced, and it takes a little longer. Each truck carries enough fuel to fill up four jets or one C-130 Hercules. Larger aircraft, like C-17 Globemaster IIIs which regularly visit Bagram, really need a hydrant system to refuel efficiently, Airman Oldham said, as refueling with the truck takes a very long time.

Other than the manual refueling, the job here is not much different from that back at home station.

“We follow the same procedures here that we do at home,” Airman Oldham said.

Those procedures include filtering fuel twice to ensure the purest product possible is used to refuel aircraft.

“With our systems, we can ensure that we have the high-quality fuel the engine is intended to handle. Whether we are at a hardened facility or mobile, the fuel has to be the same,” Airman Oldham said.

No matter which aspect of job they work, the people in POL said they are extremely proud of what they do.

“I’m really gung-ho about this job,” Staff Sgt. Michael Nelson said. “I’ve been (in the POL field) my whole career, and I’ve volunteered to come here four times.

I love what I do, and I am very excited to do it here.”

This attitude is typical throughout the branch.

“These guys are motivated and personally committed to the success of four organizations,” said Master Sgt. Chris Gibson, the 455th ELRS fuels superintendent.

The team is also able to refuel Army, Navy and coalition aircraft that visit Bagram.

“The refueling jobs come in waves,” Airman Oldham said. “It depends on the (flying) schedule.”

With around-the-clock flying operations in a combat zone, nighttime operations play a big role in the life of the POL team.

“Refueling is a little more difficult (at night) due to the minimal flightline lighting,” Sergeant Weinberg said. “It definitely makes me more aware of flightline operations. One benefit, though, is night-vision goggles are available to help prevent possible mishaps.”

Besides refueling aircraft, another important mission for the POL team is servicing 50-gallon liquid oxygen, or LOX, carts to ensure pilots have breathable oxygen during their flights. The carts are refilled using huge 400-gallon shipping containers and are then given to the crew chiefs who service the aircraft.

“We’re the sole source for liquid oxygen for Bagram and Kandahar,” said Senior Airman Matthew Geatches, a LOX technician. “Kandahar sends us their empty carts. We refill them and then send them back downrange.”

The liquid oxygen provides quite a safety issue for the POL team. First, liquid oxygen by nature is a standard minus-297 degrees. Secondly, liquid oxygen which comes into contact with organic material, including oil or grease, can have explosive results. To combat that, LOX technicians suit up in a white cotton outfit, with face shield, gloves and wool inserts to reload the 50-gallon carts.

After filling the carts, the technician must take a sample in a glass beaker, and allow it to boil off to ensure the liquid oxygen going to the airplane is pure. When that is accomplished, the super-chilled light-blue liquid bubbles furiously in the summer heat. Once the oxygen has boiled away, Airman Geatches will smell the beaker to ensure the oxygen is not contaminated.

“It makes you feel good, knowing you’re helping,” Airman Geatches said. “We’re helping the pilots breathe and making sure they can accomplish their mission.”