Photo By Maj. Adan Cazarez | Spc. Elizabeth Greenway, motor transport operator, Echo Company, 1st Attack...... read more read more
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NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – As the pilots of 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, “Task Force Wolfpack,” 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, continue their high tempo of flight hours in their area of operation, fuelers from Echo Company, 1st ARB operate 24 hours a day to support the continuous refuel missions to maintain the CAB’s air presence in the battlefield.
The fuelers of Echo Company, run two 12-hour-shifts in order to maintain refueling operations in support of International Security Assistance Forces, Forward Operating Base Fenty, Oct. 21. The troopers of Echo Company are responsible for the forward arming and refueling point, known as the FARP.
Spc. Lateria Jacobs, petroleum supply specialist, Echo Company, 1st ARB, explains what a FARP does in her own words.
“Our job is to provide military and civilian helicopters fuel quickly,” said Jacobs.
“While, at the same time, rotor blades are continuing to rotate and the engine is still running, known as hot fuel,” said Jacobs.
Sgt. Shanon Pitchford, petroleum supply specialist noncommissioned officer in charge, Echo Company, 1st ARB, has served multiple deployments as a fueler and knows the importance of maintaining the FARP to ensure missions continue.
“Our job is to be fast and diligent, in order to ensure that the aircrafts are properly topped off with fuel,” said Pitchford. “The FARP allows pilots to fly in quickly, get refueled and be right back to the fight.”
As fuelers operate 24 hours a day, troopers of Echo Company translate gallons to the working hours they put in at the FARP.
“Pilots are basically pedestrians without fuel,” said Pitchford.
“On average we pump 9,000 gallons daily,” said Pitchford. “However, our daily consumption can vary depending on the amount of hours our pilots are flying.”
Not all military aircraft hold the same fuel or ammunition. The configurations depend on the type of mission the pilots are flying.
“There are days when we get helicopters stopping to get fuel one or two times or get additional ammunition as they conduct their missions,” said Jacobs. “We will sometimes even have six or more aircrafts waiting to get fuel.”
“The amount of time to refuel really depends how low the aircraft is in fuel,” said Jacobs.
Spc. Elizabeth Greenway, motor transport operator, Echo Co., 1st ARB, is a transportation operator by military occupational specialty. However, to meet the mission requirements to maintain the FARP with personnel, she has been cross-trained to work as a fueler.
Greenway explains another portion of the FARP’s work that is done away from the fuel nozzle.
“To maintain our readiness, we need to make sure to test our fuel daily and have proper accountability,” said Greenway. “This is important, because if we give out bad fuel or don’t have enough fuel on hand, we our putting the lives of the pilots in great danger.”
As long as there are 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade helicopters above the skies in Afghanistan, fuelers will still be vital assets to the mission.
“Our Soldiers are very passionate in what they do day-in and day-out,” said Pitchford. “Even though we are not flying those aircrafts, our fuelers are contributing to the over mission here.”
| Date Taken: | 10.21.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.26.2014 11:49 |
| Story ID: | 146080 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE FENTY, AF |
| Web Views: | 218 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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