Southwest Asia --
Sweat starts to pour down Airman 1st Class Arnaldo’s
face. It’s only 9 a.m., its 100 degrees outside and the temperature is climbing.
Chatter comes across his radio for a fuel request; he wipes his face off, hops
in his R-12 refueler and heads to the flightline. It’s an ordinary day, but the
mission he is performing is anything but ordinary.
Every day, he and his coworkers work round the
clock, enabling aircraft to get off the ground--aircraft which are dropping
munitions over Iraq and Syria, degrading and defeating ISIL.
“We support a lot of different missions here, like
the KC-10’s and the fighter’s [aircraft],” said Airman Arnaldo, fuels
distribution operator. “They’re flying missions every day against ISIL targets;
it’s very important that we make sure they are fueled up and we get them to
where they need to go.”
The men and women of the Expeditionary Logistics
Readiness Squadron, Petroleum, Oils and Lubricants (POL) flight deliver nearly
14.5 million gallons of fuel to aircraft in support of Operation INHERENT
RESOLVE every month.
“We’re here to help bombs get down range,” said Tech
Sgt. Christopher, NCOIC of fuels distribution. “We deliver the fuel that
supports not only our assets but our coalition partners. We fulfill over 50
percent of the in-flight refuels here in the theater.”
The mission is diverse, complemented with several
weapons systems with unique fueling requirements. Each POL Airman must be able
to meet those needs, prompting a keen eye for attention to detail.
“Each aircraft requires different amounts of fuel
and some need fuel that is kept at certain temperatures,” said Airman Arnaldo.
“Because it’s so hot out here, the fuel expands and it makes a difference in
how much fuel we can put in. We have to be cautious and use situational
awareness when we are refueling; making sure we use the correct pressure on the
nozzles so there is no leaking or venting of fuel.”
While the fuel operations on the flightline are a
24-hour operation, there’s an equally important mission happening on the other side
of the installation.
“We handle all of the fuel needs for the support
side of the base like the self-service station, forklifts, the fire department
vehicles,” said Airman Arnaldo. “Our mission is to support their mission needs
regarding fuel. We help the rest of the base operate.”
Over 173K gallons of fuel is needed monthly to
support the installation’s other key assets; servicing everything from generators
and air conditioning to aerospace ground equipment.
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to the
POL flight. They’re not just pumping gas or driving trucks back and forth;
they’re fueling an entire force and coalition strikes against ISIL. They enable
Air Superiority. It’s a mission that must not fail.
“We’re supporting one of the busiest flightlines in
the region, including all the organizations here on base,” said Airman Arnaldo.
“When you look at all the missions the aircraft are flying, all the strikes
against ISIL, it feels good to know that we’re a part of it. We’re a very
important piece of the mission here.”
(Editor’s note: Due to safety and security reasons,
last names and unit designators were removed.)