RDW 2025: Maintaining Mission-Ready Fuel Facilities

Photo By Alexandra Broughton | Fuel infrastructure is mission-critical, and managing it demands strategic precision. At the 2025 Requirements Development Workshop, held May 6–8, Jim Works spotlighted the importance of accurate asset classification, documentation, and coordination to secure Defense Logistics Agency funding. Missteps can delay repairs and drain resources. Works urged engineers to master policy, engage stakeholders, and think creatively to keep fuel systems mission-ready.  

UNITED STATES

07.17.2025

Story by Alexandra Broughton 

Headquarters Air Force, Office of the Director of Civil Engineers

Fuel keeps the mission flying, but maintaining the systems that store, distribute, and protect that fuel is an intricate, high-stakes endeavor. At this year’s Requirements Development Workshop, held May 6-8, Jim Works, the Air Force Fuels Facilities Engineer with the Fuels Team in the Operations and Maintenance Division at the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, illustrated what engineers need to know about managing the critical infrastructure.

During his session, Works explained how fuels facilities represent a uniquely complex asset class within Air Force infrastructure, due to the diversity of systems involved, the specialized technical requirements for maintenance, and the split responsibilities for funding and oversight. These systems include storage tanks, aircraft fueling systems, and fuels operations buildings, all of which are essential to mission execution.

While all fuel infrastructure is Air Force-owned real property, a portion of its sustainment falls under the Defense Logistics Agency Fuels Program, which provides funding for capitalized assets. The program is funded through DLA’s working capital fund, which is sustained by a surcharge on every gallon of fuel sold across the Department of Defense. That surcharge revenue is reinvested into sustainment, restoration, and modernization of qualifying capitalized facilities. The result is a shared responsibility model: the Air Force maintains ownership and operational oversight, while DLA funds infrastructure tied directly to its fuel inventory. Successfully navigating this structure requires precise asset classification, accurate real property records, and a strong understanding of what infrastructure qualifies for DLA support.

Works emphasized, “It’s all about the documentation that goes back to our accountability.”

The session also outlined the rules for qualification, emphasizing the distinction between capitalized and non-capitalized infrastructure. DLA-funded sustainment applies only to assets that directly support fuel before it is sold to a unit. This includes systems like bulk storage tanks, hydrant loops, pump houses, and fixed filtration equipment. Infrastructure tied to fuel use after the point of sale, such as generator tanks or organizational fuel points, falls outside of DLA’s purview and must be maintained with Air Force or unit-level funds.

Works emphasized that getting this classification right is not just a matter of recordkeeping but a prerequisite for funding. Errors in documentation or asset coding can lead to missed reimbursements and delays in critical repairs. “Fuels equipment is not cheap, and when we pay for it out of our hides and don’t get reimbursed, that’s money we can’t use for other things in our Air Force program,” he emphasized.

To help installations secure support for qualifying assets, Works walked through the project programming process. The effort requires coordination across several key players, including the Air Force Petroleum Office, which leads coordination with DLA on fuels-related requirements, and technical experts within AFCEC, such as those in COSM, who provide design guidance and sustainment oversight.

Requirements can originate from base-level observations or through DLA-funded planning and programming studies, which are conducted on a rotating basis across the enterprise. Once a need is identified, the project package must include the appropriate forms, environmental coordination, real property validation, and supporting technical data before it can be submitted into the DLA Enterprise Business System for funding consideration and execution. Depending on the scope and funding source, project delivery may be handled by AFCEC or another designated execution agent.

He also addressed recent updates to DAFMAN 32-1067, the Department of the Air Force’s manual for water and fuel systems, which more clearly define expectations for Liquid Fuels Maintenance. Bases are expected to staff qualified 3E4X1A personnel, who are responsible for overseeing all maintenance and inspection activities on assigned fuels systems, including those performed by outside contractors. Accurate schematics, up-to-date as-built drawings, and complete service records are among the critical practices for compliance and continuity, particularly for facilities supported by DLA where documentation directly impacts funding eligibility.

Throughout the session, Works underscored that sustaining fuels infrastructure isn’t just a technical challenge, it’s a matter of knowing how to work within the system. From understanding which assets qualify for DLA support to assembling the right documentation and coordinating across stakeholders, every step plays a role in securing the resources needed to keep these mission-critical systems operating. “You have to do some creative thinking sometimes to get the right solution and get where you need to be,” he said, encouraging engineers to approach fuels planning not just with compliance in mind, but with strategy and adaptability. His message was clear: with the right awareness and preparation, engineers can navigate the complexity, protect installation readiness, and make sure no opportunity for funding is left on the table.

• Date Taken: 07.17.2025
• Date Posted: 07.17.2025 12:16
• Story ID: 543058
• Location: US