Photo By Lt. Col. Casey Staheli | Master Sgt. Wesley Jones, fuels operations section chief with the 419th Logistics...... read more read more
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HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah – The 419th Fighter Wing’s Petroleum, Oils and Lubricants (POL) team recently earned the Air Force Reserve Command’s American Petroleum Institute Golden Derrick Award, recognizing the wing’s fuels flight as the best in the command for 2024.
Presented annually in partnership with the American Petroleum Institute, the award honors the top fuels management unit across AFRC for exceptional mission support, resource management, and operational excellence. This marks the fourth time the 419th has received the coveted award.
For Master Sgt. Wesley Jones, Fuels Operations Section Chief for the 419th Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels Management Flight, the recognition highlights the professionalism and dedication of a small but capable team.
“We’re 10 strong, so we take a lot of pride in the work we do,” Jones said. “We support the entire installation, not just aviation fuel for the 419th, during weekend Unit Training Assemblies. We provide ground product support, cryogenic servicing, and even deicer support for the snow fleet in the winter.”
Critical to Readiness POL Airmen, manage and distribute every type of fuel needed to power the Air Force mission, from aircraft and vehicles to generators and heating systems. They also maintain strict quality control through laboratory testing and cryogenic product management.
At Hill AFB, the 419th’s Reserve POL Airmen work side-by-side with their active-duty counterparts in the 75th Logistics Readiness Squadron, operating from the same refueling fleet and hydrant systems. The collaboration gives the Reserve team a unique opportunity to perform their wartime mission every UTA weekend – a rare advantage among Reserve units.
“Here at Hill, we’re fortunate to refuel aircraft every UTA weekend,” Jones explained. “We can actively train to our mission, refueling F-35s, F-22s, F-16s, A-10s, C-130s, and even heavier transient aircraft when they come through. It gives us hands-on experience that directly prepares us for deployment.”
During each drill weekend, the team operates R-11 mobile refueling units, C-300 ground products refueling units, and R-12 hydrant servicing vehicles connected to Hill’s underground Type-3 hydrant system, which feeds from two 400,000-gallon storage tanks. This capability allows the team to conduct hot refueling operations, fueling aircraft while engines are running, a direct replication of combat and contingency procedures.
Earning the Golden Derrick The Golden Derrick Award competition is rigorous, requiring units across the command to submit detailed performance packages evaluated by a review panel. Packages highlight metrics such as gallons pumped, mission scope, and overall contribution to AFRC’s readiness objectives.
“We compete with every fuels flight in AFRC,” Jones said. “The process looks at everything we do at home station, downrange, exercises, deployments, and the overall impact we make. It’s a big deal for us to be selected.”
The 419th POL section’s strong performance, hands-on training, and ability to maintain mission-ready standards were key to their win.
Fueling the Future Beyond the recognition, the award affirms the value of the POL mission and its appeal to new recruits who thrive on physical, hands-on work and real-time impact.
“This job is great for anyone who likes to be out on the flight line, working with aircraft and equipment,” Jones said. “At the end of the day, pilots are pedestrians without fuel. We keep the mission moving.”
POL Airmen also gain valuable civilian skills, including commercial driver’s license (CDL) certification and fuel logistics experience that translate directly to the private sector.
“There are a lot of civilian driver positions across the Air Force,” Jones added. “The experience we get here at Hill, working with different airframes, operating hydrant systems, managing cryogenics, sets you up for success both in uniform and out.”
Tight-Knit Team, Strong Morale For the 419th POL section, teamwork and camaraderie fuel their success as much as jet fuel powers the mission.
“We’re a tight-knit community,” Jones said. “Whether you’re active, Reserve, or Guard, if you’re POL, you’re POL. The fact that we get to do our real mission every UTA weekend keeps morale high. Everyone’s motivated because they can see the direct impact of their work.”
With the Golden Derrick Award now displayed proudly at Hill Air Force Base, the 419th POL team continues to live up to their motto: “We control the flow.”
| Date Taken: | 12.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.11.2025 11:55 |
| Story ID: | 553876 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 88 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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