Eglin Airmen train Iraqis on fuel delivery

by Tech Sgt. Russell Wicke 447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs 6/20/2007
- SATHER AIR BASE, BAGHDAD, IRAQ

-- Airmen from the 447th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels Flight are training Iraqis here to fuel up their own C-130s without dependence on the U.S. Air Force.

Heading up the training is Master Sgt. Scott Addington, 447th ELRS Petroleum, Oils and Lubricant fuels manager, who said the plan is broken own into a "crawl, walk, run" process.

The first day of training was June 17 and involved familiarization with one of the Iraqis two fuel trucks.

"These guys are in the infancy stage of fueling," said Sergeant Addington. "We developed a six-phase process designed to ease them into this work.

" The entire Iraqi fuels shop here, consisting of three people, is now learning the fundamentals in Phase One: moving fuel. Sergeant Addington said advanced training will involve tracking and recording fuel, and eventually performing lab work.

The Iraqi airmen at New Al-Muthana will be responsible for refueling their three C-130s, their helicopters and their aerospace ground equipment, according to Tech. Sgt. Chad Wilkey, 447th ELRS fuels operations supervisor. At present, all of these are being fueled by U.S. Airmen working for Sergeant Addington.

In addition to the Iraqis' aircraft and equipment, the 13 Airmen of 447th ELRS Fuels shop have their hands full with other commitments. Approximately 300 transit aircraft funnel through Sather every week - all requiring fuel. Furthermore, the Army's 3rd Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade has approximately 115 helicopters which fly daily missions from Baghdad International Airport. They all depend on fuel from the 447th ELRS. And just to add the icing, Sather also maintains multiple generators which supply electricity to the base; they all depending on POL for clean, dry fuel.

"We provide the life-blood of the American war fighter," said Sergeant Wilkey. "Nobody goes anywhere without gas." And Sather's access to gas all passes through the conduit of these 13 Airmen. But Sergeant Wilkey was quick to point out his team does a lot more than deliver fuel.

This is where Tech. Sgt. Terrance Ladd, 447th ELRS fuels lab technician comes in. Sergeant Ladd runs the fuels lab here. It's his job to ensure the fuel is of high quality. He said he spends his days sampling fuel from their fuel trucks and the 50,000-gallon fuel bladders, and testing them for a number of contaminants.

"I test the fuel for solids, (like dirt) and trace amounts of water," said Sergeant Ladd. "If my tests indicate the fuel is too dirty, or has too much water, we have to take action to correct the problem."

Sergeant Ladd also said the JP-8 fuel he works with requires several additives to enhance engine performance. He runs lab work on the JP-8 to ensure it has the right amount of icing inhibitor and static dissipater. Without these additives, the fuel may develop crystallized ice, or build up static electricity. Sergeant Ladd also tests the fuel for proper flash point.

In addition to lab testing come the rigors of inventory and paperwork. According to Sergeant Addington, all fuel has to be received by convoy, tracked and recorded. When people depend on a product that comes by convoy in Baghdad, Iraq, problems surface fast. Baghdad features a characteristic that makes fuel supply very unpredictable: hostility.

"We have a small surplus of fuel because re-supply trucks are unpredictable," said Sergeant Wilkey. "For this reason, we limit all aircraft to 40,000 pounds of fuel, unless they arrange for more in advance."

Sergeant Addington agreed that his crew of 13 stands up under a heavy yoke: providing clean, dry fuel to the entire base and the coalition in addition to the training of Iraqis - all in a hostile environment. But he said it would take more than this and the occasional rocket attack to break the resolve of the Airmen in POL.

"We like the term 'resilient' defined by Webster's as, 'tending to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change,'" wrote Sergeant Addington in an e-mail responding to a concerned peer after a rocket attack in their area. "What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger."

Eglin Air Force Base Homes and Real Estate with Brandon Jordan, your Eglin Air Force Base and Duke Field Realtor serving Okaloosa, Walton, and Santa Rosa Counties, and ActiveRain featured Realtor for Okaloosa County since 2007. We provide this information and much more on our site for you at no charge, so please remember us when you're looking to buy or sell real estate.