Fuels branch airmen repair tanks, increase storage

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mark Getsy
  • 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  With a little bit of ingenuity and hard work, airmen in the 506th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels branch here were able to salvage enemy assets and use them to their advantage.

The airmen recently repaired eight underground fuel tanks to increase the branch's capability to store JP-8 fuel used by American and transient aircraft. Along with the tanks came 240,000 gallons of commercial jet fuel, which can be used in case of an emergency.

“When we arrived, we were told the storage tanks were inoperable,” said Master Sgt. Elma Taylor, fuels superintendent. “So, we called in a liquid fuels expert from (Central Command Air Forces) in August to look into the problem.

“The storage tanks needed a lot of repairs, and the fuel (needed) some chemicals to make it useful for our aircraft,” Taylor said.

Taylor said the filter separator systems on the tanks dated back to 1974 and were inoperable. The solution to the problem was to find parts, fix leaks and hook up an existing Air Force filter separator to treat useable fuel with chemicals and get it pumped into fuel trucks.

According to Tech. Sgt. Ronald Staten, a fuels technician, it was no easy task.

“We basically had to rig the system with new hoses to make it compatible with the Iraqi tanks,” he said. “We spent a lot of manhours fixing all the leaks (in the tanks), making new gaskets and reassembling the system.”

Before renovating the storage tanks, Kirkuk had 10 fuel bladders, which held about 800,000 gallons of fuel. Now, combined with the repaired tanks, the branch can store more than 1.4 million gallons.

“The underground tanks are more durable and safer,” Taylor said. “(And), by fixing the tanks, there will be an operational system in place when we give the base back to the Iraqi people.”

If any of the fuel left behind is used, it will be replenished before giving the base back, he said.