By Sgt. Fred Minnick
MOSUL, Iraq -- Armed with rockets and .50 caliber machine guns, a helicopter lands next to 22,000 gallons of fuel with anxious pilots ready to start the next mission. With the helicopter blades rapidly spinning overhead, creating gusts of wind and static electricity sparks, a Soldier must safely maneuver to the aircraft to refuel it and, if necessary, re-arm the weapon systems.
From the outside looking in, fueling an aircraft may appear easy, but the petroleum specialists and armormen that work on the Forward Area Refueling Points take a risk everyday.
"The Soldiers on the FARP are the unsung heroes of aviation," said Capt. David Albright, commander and pilot for B Troop, 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry, 10th Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. "As pilots, we tend to get all the glamorous missions and credit for the Squadron's accomplishments. But, there would be no missions if it weren't for the FARP Soldiers pumping hot fuel underneath the blades of a live helicopter in the cold rain and heat." Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, the petroleum specialists and armormen of the 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry run multiple FARPs used by the 10th Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division.
These FARPs support all aircraft, both rotary and fixed wing, conducting missions in support of Task Force Olympia, the command and control element for Multi-National Brigade North. Since arriving in Iraq in January, the Soldiers on the FARPs have pumped well over 50,000 gallons of fuel, which is five times what they pump in a year at their home station, Fort Drum, N.Y.
"To date, our FARP has serviced 500 aircraft and not injured a single Soldier or helicopter during these operations," said Staff Sgt. Mathew Camoni, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the FARP on Forward Operating Base Fulda in western Iraq. "This would not have been possible if it weren't for our outstanding Soldiers. I can't say enough about the job they're doing here." When a helicopter lands on a FARP, another typically lands a short distance away and the two birds are fueled simultaneously. No matter how big of a hurry the pilots are in, the first priority is safety."All it takes is for somebody putting the nozzle in too hard or somebody kicking the weapon system, and the entire bird could explode," said Sgt. Jason Bear, section leader for the FARP at the Mosul Airfield. "Our job is extremely dangerous. That's why we take many safety precautions."
A unique challenge of refueling helicopters is that they generate static electricity with their rotors. To decrease the chances of sparks, Soldiers do not wear polypropylene material, a significant conductor of static electricity. They also drive several grounding rods into the soil around the fuel point.If a spark hits the fuel, the line has an emergency shutoff valve where a Soldier is on standby, prepared to pull the shutoff lever immediately. The fuel point is also equipped with heavy duty fire extinguishers.
Before Soldiers begin to fuel, the armormen secure, load or unload the weapon systems. In case of an accidental discharge, a 12-foot-tall mound in front of the helicopter's weapon systems will interrupt the round or rocket trajectory.
"We really take every precaution necessary to prevent an explosion or fire, and we also are prepared to extinguish flames if it does happen," said Pfc. Tim Heiman, a petroleum specialist at the FARP in FOB Fulda.
Not only do these Soldiers manage the risks of pumping fuel and arming the helicopters, they also prepare petroleum for aircraft intake."The fuel we use on helicopters and planes is essentially the same thing that's used in HMMWVs, except we put in additives to make the fuel cleaner," Bear said. "We also run tests to check for sediment and water. If there's too much of either one, it could cause the aircraft to fail.
"According to Spc. Mark Stappenbacher, a petroleum specialist at the Fulda FARP, it takes a special person to handle all the technicalities and complexities of such a high stress job."
"Anyone who's ever worked on a FARP knows how big of a rush it is to pump fuel while the helicopter is running. But when you tell people unfamiliar with aviation operations, they think all we do is pump gas and don't understand the importance of our job," Stappenbacher said. "We take a lot of pride in our job and know how much we mean to the overall mission. In fact, our motto is "Pilots are pedestrians without the FARP."
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