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380AEW Article

Deployed fuels Airmen recognized as 'Top Pumpers' for deployed wing

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Five fuels Airmen with the 380th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels management flight earned "Top Pumper" honors for the first four months of 2010.

In all, the fuels management flight pumped more than 43 million gallons of fuel in the first four months of 2010 for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing mission. This effort included continuous refueling operations for all of the deployed 380th AEW assigned aircraft which includes the KC-10 Extender, E-3 Sentry, U-2 Dragon Lady and RQ-4 Global Hawk.

From January to March, statistics also show the flight refueled aircraft 1,774 times with JP-8 jet fuel using either an R-12 or R-11 fuels truck. As a whole, Senior Master Sgt. James "Jim" Calhoun, flight superintendent deployed from the 6th Logistics Readiness Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., and whose hometown is Owensboro, Ky., said 380th ELRS fuels Airmen distribute more than 40 percent of the fuel to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility and are the "second largest deployed fuels operation for the Air Force in the world."

In January, Airman 1st Class Michael Pane, a fuels distribution journeyman deployed from the 31st Logistics Readiness Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy, and whose hometown is Fort Calhoun, Neb., took "Top Pumper" honors for the flight's day shift when he made 56 runs pumping 1,490,282 gallons of fuel.

Airman 1st Class Todd Crysler, fuels distribution journeyman deployed from the 52nd LRS at Spangdahlem AB, Germany, and whose hometown is Baldwinsville, N.Y., took "Top Pumper" for his flight's night shift in January pumping 903,495 gallons of fuel in 34 runs.

In February, Airman 1st Class James Graves, also a fuels distribution journeyman deployed from the 31st LRS at Aviano AB whose hometown is Jackson, Tenn., earned day shift "Top Pumper" honors pumping 1,596,440 gallons of fuel in 54 runs.

Deployed from 52nd LRS at Spangdahlem AB as well and whose hometown is Pella, Iowa, Senior Airman Israel Walker led February's night shift with 1,419,068 gallons pumped in 53 runs.

Airman Pane led the fuels management flight's day shift again in March with 1,854,834 gallons pumped on 81 runs and Airman Walker again claimed the night shift's "Top Pumper" with 1,662,494 gallons pumped in 80 runs.

In April, Senior Airman Kellie Fitch, fuels distribution journeyman deployed from the 100th LRS at RAF Mildenhall, England, earned "Top Pumper" for day shift operations with the highest individual total for the year to date with 2,190,991 gallons pumped in 89 runs. Meanwhile, for the third straight month, Airman Walker took night shift honors again with 1,781,100 gallons pumped in 87 runs.

Fuels Airmen operate mobility fuels equipment such as the R-11 and R-12 fuels trucks to refuel aircraft, the Air Force job description for the fuels distribution journeyman states. They also maintain and operate petroleum-related facilities and equipment and perform quality analysis on products. Additionally, fuels Airmen perform operator maintenance on fuels handling equipment and facilities and prepare receipt, inventory and issue documents for fuels products accounting.

Furthermore, as a fuels distribution Airmen have to maintain mandatory job knowledge in numerous areas such as composition, properties and characteristics of petroleum products and cryogenics fluids. They must also know about environmental protection procedures; conservation; methods of receiving, storing, testing and evaluating fuel and cryogenic fluids under normal, field or remote conditions; and fuels deployment and contingency operations.

The 380th ELRS is a sub-unit of the 380th AEW. The wing is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons and the wing's deployed mission includes air refueling, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia. The 380th AEW supports operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.