Photo By Sgt. Mitch Armbruster | Sgt. Jacob Rodriguez and Spc. Jose Nieves, petroleum quality control specialists, with...... read more read more
Foward Operating Base Endurance, Iraq - Fuel is a necessity that coalition forces and civilian contractors need to perform tasks in Iraq.
The 53rd Quartermaster Company, from Fort Hood, Texas, runs the largest fuel farm in northern Iraq from Forward Operating Base Endurance.
Since November 2005, the 53rd has issued 63 million gallons of fuel. They have a large customer base, such as Logistical Support Area Anaconda, FOB Speicher, FOB Warrior and others. They also provide fuel for units and civilian contractors on Endurance.
The job of providing fuel may not seem difficult, however Sgt. 1st Class Cory Van Ry, the operations sergeant for the 53rd, disagrees.
"[There are many] Soldiers working on the farm," Van Ry said. "The bulk of the platoon is pulling force protection."
Van Ry explained a large amount of Soldiers should be working on the Fuel Farm but the 53rd has other missions.
"We are doing an aviation refueling mission, force protection, and working on the fuel farm," said 1st Sgt. Marlin Ingram.
The 53rd's job isn't getting any smaller, an expansion project will make the farm bigger but also easier to deal with.
Rain created more work for the Soldiers of the 53rd during the winter months, explained Ingram. The farm was built on a slope and water couldn't drain properly.
Water would fill up around the fuel bladders and Soldiers had to do the work by hand.
"It was a nightmare getting the water out," Ingram said. "But we were able to reconstruct the area."
The 53rd built ditches for the water. When the new addition is finished, they can build drainage holes around the existing fuel bladders.
Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) took over the fuel farm at the beginning of March, but the 53rd is working with them to make sure the transition is smooth.
Soldiers do quality control checks on the fuel coming into the farm, while the 53rd's maintenance team works overtime to make sure the filter separators continue to run.
Filter separators on the farm are supposed to last two years, but debris found in the fuel has shortened the life of the filters to three months. The maintenance team works diligently to make sure the filters last as long as they can.
"We find metal shavings, rock and dirt," said Sgt. Jermaine Edwards, a maintenance NCO working on the filter separator devices. "Every two or three months we're servicing the units."
Soldiers in the 53rd adapted to the problems they have faced. "My guys are working hard," Ingram said.
Their hard work shows in the pride they feel for the job they do.
"By wearing the uniform we are representatives of the U.S. Army," said Pfc. Benji Clark. "People see we are professionals and we are doing our job as Soldiers."
For the "Phantom Fuelers," as they are known back home, the 53rd works hard to give people a commodity they need, explained Ingram. More importantly, they work to upgrade the fuel farm to make the job easier for people working now and in the future.
| Date Taken: | 04.06.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 04.06.2006 09:59 |
| Story ID: | 5976 |
| Location: | QAYYARAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 183 |
| Downloads: | 25 |
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