Photo By Gina Randall | U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class George Palmer, 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron...... read more read more
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RAF MILDENHALL, United Kingdom - Resources in people and equipment are reduced, while the mission continues to grow. For the 100th Air Refueling Wing, the mission is refueling jets in the air to advance their global reach. The 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron’s Fuels Management Airmen get the gas to the tankers and work tirelessly fueling the fight from the ground.
Recently, the skills of the 100th LRS’s fuels Airmen were needed in a deployed location, so it was left to those remaining to keep the gas flowing at home station.
“There were quite a few of us that deployed back in July last year, so these guys went down to critical manning levels,” said Tech. Sgt. William Veal, 100th LRS NCO in charge of fuels operations. “We had to achieve what we normally do with a fully manned flight, despite a 24-person deficit, and they never missed a beat.”
Low manning is a challenge to any organization, but the fuels Airmen had to adapt and overcome an added setback.
“In that duration, they had to not only deal with low manning levels, but also endure fuel systems undergoing maintenance upgrades, causing them to work extended hours,” Veal added. “They had to be smart with the resources and the personnel they had available.”
Leading the team to keep the tankers full of the vital gas they needed was Staff Sgt. Dakota Ferris, 100th LRS NCO in charge of fixed facilities, and his team of dedicated Airmen.
“Not only did we have to overcome the low manning issue, but all fuel requests on the south side of base had to be trucked due to our fuel system undergoing upgrades,” Ferris said. “We would normally use the pantograph, which is an extension of the underground piping. The fuels system upgrades cost approximately $2.5 million. It included fuel tank modifications to secure storage, as well as installation of new filter separators to ensure only high-quality fuel is supplied to aircraft.”
This underground pipe system for fuel has many benefits over fuel by trucks.
“On a pantograph run you have one person at the pantograph that does the entire fuel load, about 15,000 gallons of fuel, varying depending on the mission,” Ferris explained. “Without a pantograph it meant multiple refueling trucks going back and forth, which makes the servicing time a lot longer. Having that system out of service, meant these guys had to overcome the limitation by using the mobile refueling units. That means the drivers are out on the flightline a lot more than normal, which was more taxing on our guys, especially with lower manning levels.”
Ferris relied on his team of experts to ensure fuel was delivered safely, without the tankers being grounded for any longer than necessary.
“With systems down we would have to fill an aircraft on the South side of base then drive all the way to the North side of base to refuel the trucks,” said Airman 1st Class George Palmer, 100th LRS mobile distribution operator. “So imagine doing that with a truck that holds 6,000 gallons of fuel, trying to be careful around other drivers and pedestrians, and on top of that we are only allowed to go a certain speed in the trucks for safety reasons.”
Working long hours with an increased workload meant a potential for human error during this time, but the fuels Airmen worked diligently to ensure safety came first. Their aim was to continue to provide the same service, with less people.
“We enjoyed the challenge of keeping the RAF Mildenhall mission going while the others were deployed,” Palmer explained. “We worked as a team — however small — to make sure we were looking out for each other and ensuring we were still providing the best possible customer service.”
Early this year the flight welcomed back their deployed brothers and sisters, and are looking forward to resuming normal flight operations.
“In January we got everyone back, so we are almost back at full capacity. Hopefully the flight will soon be back to eight-hour shifts and normal fuel operations,” said Veal. “There might have been an instance where servicing requests were delayed, but every plane got the gas it needed. RAF Mildenhall and the 100th LRS Fuels Management Flight overcame every obstacle and met all fuel servicing requests.”
For the time he was deployed, Veal thought of his team back in his adopted home of England, and the hard work they were doing at his home station.
“We wanted to highlight these individuals, as I can honestly say I probably got a break being deployed,” Veal laughed. “We were 100 percent manned where I was, and with everything the 100th LRS fuels flight dealt with it was like being in a deployed environment for them. Their efforts didn’t go unnoticed and I am proud of what they achieved with all of the hurdles they had to surmount.”
Higher leadership also noticed their team’s effort for the mission of the Bloody Hundredth.
“Even though we planned for the deployment and tried our best to prepare our flight for the manning struggles we faced, we couldn’t have anticipated the main fuel system that supports the entire south ramp to be out of service for the entire deployment period,” said Senior Master Sgt. John Lineaweaver, 100th LRS Fuels superintendent. “We faced an uphill battle, but what our team was able to accomplish in the face of adversity was nothing short of amazing. Our flight is truly blessed to be staffed with such a great group of men and women.”
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.22.2016 12:08 |
| Story ID: | 193139 |
| Location: | RAF MILDENHALL, GB |
| Web Views: | 49 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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