Peterson AFB Airman helps Iraqis account for fuel shipments

Published Aug. 15, 2008
By Senior Master Sgt. Trish Freeland
U.S. Air Forces Central, Baghdad Media Outreach

TAJI, Iraq -- About 15 miles north of Baghdad sits one of the largest military bases in Iraq. Years ago, Camp Taji was the center of military excellence for Saddam Hussein's combat machine, an established army tank depot, and former work center of "Chemical Ali". Today the new Iraqi military has charge of the base and is assisted by dozens of advisors supplied by the U.S. Army. An unsung handful of those advisors, are Combat Airmen from the U.S. Air Force assisting the Iraqis with everything from water and fuel distribution to setting up a formidable base defense system.

Tech. Sgt. Tim Northern, a fuels management specialist from Peterson AFB, Colo., was surprised to learn about the difficulties the Iraqis face in their fuel distribution network. He learned about those challenges through the front row seat that comes with his role as a fuels distribution advisor.

"This is an oil-rich nation but their refineries are old and out of date", said the 20-year Air Force veteran. The Iraqis know how to handle fuel. They just needed help with tracking it. If properly resourced, they will do fine."

Sergeant Northern's Iraqi counterpart is Warrant Officer Mohammed, a 24-year veteran of the Iraqi military. Mohammed measures and logs each shipment of the approximately one million liters of diesel fuel the Iraqi Army receives each month. Sergeant Northern conducts a separate measurement and the two compare notes to ensure their numbers agree.

"My counterpart keeps meticulous records. I've learned the Iraqis like to keep things low-tech and simple", Sergeant Northern said. "I don't always understand why they do certain things but what's more important is to let them learn to be self-reliant."

Warrant Officer Mohammed, having a wealth of experience gained in the old Iraqi military, thoroughly understands fuel operations and is very focused on the transition. Although he's a veteran fuels manager, he's enjoyed having company while gaining new knowledge.

"Sergeant Northern is a very comfortable guy and I like being around him," he said. "The work we do is good."

Sergeant Northern's tour in Iraq is almost complete. He looks forward to heading back to Colorado Springs in time to attend the state fair in September. As his heart turns toward home he looks back on his tour with a great sense of pride in his contribution to American and Iraqi history.

"My greatest accomplishment in the time I've been here is in getting my Iraqi counterparts to make decisions even when I'm not around," Sergeant Northern said.