JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. –
Modern society is extremely dependent on fuel. Fuel allows us to drive to work, heat our homes and power back-up generators during emergencies to name a few uses. The Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., mission is no exception with aircraft and transportation being at the core of its daily operations.
The only difference between society and the base is society relies on gas pumps and energy companies whereas the base relies upon a relatively small group of service members to provide fuel anywhere it is needed across the vast tri-service base: the 87th Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels Management Flight.
The Fuels Management Flight plays a key role in the JB MDL mission providing fuel for ground vehicles, aircraft, fuel needed for aerial refueling and other miscellaneous needs.
"Fuels are vital to the mission and our job is acquiring fuel and distributing it to anywhere it is needed at the joint base," said Staff Sgt. Paul Olmus, Fuels Service Center supervisor.
In addition to acquisition and distribution, there are other functions within the Fuels Management Flight that are necessary to complete the fuels mission.
The flight mainly comprises the Fuels Service Center, Fuels Lab and distribution operators, although there are other smaller sections such as storage facilities, pump houses and vehicle maintenance.
All of the sections cooperate to provide fuel from the beginning to the end of the process, which is epitomized in the handling of a single work order.
"The Fuels Service Center is the focal point for every fuel work order," said Olmus. "The fuels service center organizes pipeline receipts which creates our supply of fuel to satisfy work orders."
The FSC requests fuel to be transferred via underground pipelines to one of the base's respective fuels storage facilities. The only exception is Lakehurst's geographical separation from the main facilities, which requires Defense Logistics Agency to deliver fuel to Lakehurst instead of an ordinary pipeline shipment.
"Fuel travels from the pipeline to the pump houses which distribute fuel to the hydrants on the airfield," said Olmus. "Our equipment lets the accountant track the amount of fuel in each of these facilities and also in the distribution trucks to ensure we have enough fuel to accomplish the mission. We are a very busy shop taking care of all the different missions here, which is why we run 24-hour operations."
Specialized computer programs and instruments allow the FSC accountant to track amounts of fuel transferred and stored for billing purposes and records.
"A lab technician will then collect a sample following a fuel shipment and run the sample through several tests to ensure the fuel received meets the Air Force's rigid standards," said Staff Sgt. David Harris, Fuels Lab NCO in charge. "Certain flaws such as excess water or dissolved solids can deteriorate devices that use the fuel."
One of the on-duty lab technicians begins by collecting a sample from a spigot at the fuel storage area. The technician then analyzes the sample in the lab through an array of tests to analyze the fuel quality.
Once the fuel is deemed to conform to the criteria the Air Force has in place for fuel standards, the technicians will report to the FSC operators who will in turn organize dispatch of fuel to its destination.
The FSC operator then informs expediters and distribution operators who will use one of the specialized fuel vehicles to pump fuel from a hydrant to an aircraft or straight from the truck to the aircraft depending on the situation. Additionally, they can use trucks to refuel ground vehicles, heating lamps and anything else requiring fuel as necessary.
The operators and expediters are the tail end of the fuels mission and thus are the faces most customers associate with Fuels Management Flight.
"As an expediter, I ensure the operators are following technical orders and assist them with any complications that may arise," said Staff Sgt. Wilson Briones, Fuels Management Flight expediter. "Ultimately I ensure the job runs smoothly at the ground level. We're around fuel so constantly that I can't even smell it anymore, which means a lot considering it's jet fuel."
The job is not over once the fuel reaches its destination. In fact, the job is never over. The process continues to repeat as the mission dictates creating a perpetual cycle of fuel at JB MDL.