Photo By Airman 1st Class Jacob Hessen | U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Bousquette, fuels management journeyman, 127th...... read more read more
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Every mission in the sky starts with work on the ground, and that's where the fuel management specialists, also known as petroleum, oils, and lubricants Airmen, come in. Serving with the 127th Logistics Readiness Squadron's Fuels Flight at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, these Airmen are the backbone of the Air Force.
POL is a vital career field that ensures the Air Force always has the fuel it needs, keeps the engines running and moves the mission forward. Jet fuel might be the main attraction, but there is more to the job than meets the eye. Fuels Airmen also maintain fuel storage and dispensing systems, ensure inventory accuracy, analyze fuel and cryogenic products, run a lab and maintain a vehicle fleet.
The critical fuels management mission is in high demand at Selfridge with the new F-15 Eagle II EX and KC-46 Pegasus aircraft conversions on the horizon. Tech Sgt. Nicholas Bousquette, operations noncommissioned officer in charge for the fuels management flight, says the field is full of opportunities.
“My favorite part about this career field is all the different opportunities that we get, every single type of aircraft the Air Force and other services fly, we do all the fuel.” Bousquette said. “I’ve been part of missions in the past where I never even imagined that I'd ever be part of something that big.”
Fuel isn’t just the lifeblood of flying missions. Every government vehicle, generator and aircraft on base depends on them. They even supply cryogenic products like liquid oxygen so the pilots can breathe. Without fuels, the Air Force stays grounded.
For Staff Sgt. Devin Houle, a fuels management specialist, the POL career field sent him places and opened doors he never dreamed of.
“When I turned 18, I never thought I'd be working for the President,” Houle said. “President Obama, I filled his Air Force One and then I was given the exact same opportunity for President Trump and then again, for Biden.”
Both sergeants emphasize that POL is about far more than keeping aircraft in the sky—it’s about growth, adaptability, and opportunity. Learning technical skills, earning certifications, and even fueling Air Force One are just some of the experiences that highlight the career’s breadth. For many, the journey begins with one of the Guard’s greatest advantages: education benefits.
Houle used those benefits to earn his bachelor’s degree and is now working toward a doctoral degree in physical therapy.
“I wanted the ability to go to school while seeing the world,” Houle said. “Every aircraft, truck, and piece of equipment needs fuel. If you want to travel, POL takes you to every base in the world.”
To learn more about the fuels management specialist career field, enlistment bonuses, or other opportunities in the Michigan Air National Guard, go to www.127wg.ang.af.mil and click on “Join Us.”
| Date Taken: | 11.02.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.13.2025 11:11 |
| Story ID: | 550619 |
| Location: | SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 129 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Airmen fuel freedom with every mission, by A1C Jacob Hessen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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