Fueling a better Tyndall

Photo By 2nd Lt. Kristine Frohreich | Jet fuel is pumped from the barge into fuel tanks May 21, 2019, at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The primary source for distributing jet fuel here is from barges. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kristi MacDonald)  

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, FL, UNITED STATES

05.28.2019

Story by Airman 1st Class Alexandra Singer 

325th Fighter Wing

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. –

A barge delivered jet fuel May 21, 2019, to Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, getting the base back up to normal fuel delivery operations.

After Hurricane Michael, the base used trucks to deliver the fuel temporarily since debris blocked the fuel pad from being reached by barge. The temporary process added additional costs and took longer to complete.

“The total fuel receipt [by truck] is roughly 78,000 gallons over the eight hour period, not including set up and cleanup after completion,” said Donald Larsen, 325th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuel terminal superintendent. “In the same eight hours, we can receive more than 825,000 gallons by barge plus setup and closeout.”

This is the third time fuel has been delivered by barge since the hurricane. Larsen said this reassures the wing and outside agencies about the return of normal operations to Tyndall.

Without clean, dry fuel, the flying mission is not possible. Airmen from the 325th LRS take it seriously.

“During the offload process, active-duty military will pull fuel samples from the vessel and the receipt line to make sure the fuel that is received meets Technical Order specifications prior to customer use,” said Master Sgt. Angela Hearn, 325th LRS fuels management flight chief.

Hearn said the fuel receipt is vital in hosting larger aircraft and exercises at Tyndall.

After the quality check, the fuel received is stored in giant fuel tanks and dispersed between the 400 fuels facilities and then distributed to the using organizations. The fuel tanks suffered some damage from the storm, but it is still able to support customers.

Larsen said this is important because without a reliable way to dispense the lifeline of the Air Force — fuel — it would be difficult to execute Tyndall’s mission.

• Date Taken: 05.28.2019
• Date Posted: 05.29.2019 10:18
• Story ID: 324281
• Location: TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, FL, US