Courtesy Photo | BAGHDAD -- Two Soldiers walk in front of a Chinook from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation...... read more read more
Spc. Jennifer D. Atkinson
Aviation Brigade PAO
CAMP TAJI, Iraq -- In an aviation brigade, it's the aircraft, the pilots and maintenance crews who are in the spotlight most of the time. After all, helicopters are highly visible, both in the sky and in the public eye; but it takes a dedicated effort by Soldiers behind the scenes to allow those birds to get off the ground.
In 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, many Soldiers"ranging from crew-chiefs, to avionics technicians to maintenance specialists"make sure the aircraft are in tip-top shape and ready to head out at a moment's notice.
Once all those other jobs are done, fuel handlers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company step up to the plate to get the battalion's Chinook and Blackhawk helicopters flying high. At the forward arming refueling point, battalion Soldiers work around the clock.
"We're the lifeline of the battalion," said Sgt. Almasi B. Gil, HHC. "If there's no fuel, no missions get accomplished."
The fuel handlers, working in every weather condition imaginable, have pumped a total of 2 million gallons of fuel, at two FARPs.
From the end of August to the end of October, the fuel handlers at one FARP pumped about 800,000 gallons of fuel. At the second FARP, tankers from the petroleum, oil and lubricant platoon have pumped the other 1.2 million gallons of fuel into aircraft since arriving in January when they held down three battalions" worth of jobs.
"They did it all with no flaws," said Sgt. J.L. Layne, HHC, 2/3.
Considering that a Chinook requires "about 600-700 gallons" to fill its tank, that's a lot of trips to the gas pump, no matter where it happens, said Gil. The Blackhawk is a comparative lightweight, coming in between 100 and 130 gallons to get the needle off "E."
At one FARP, all refueling is done "hot," or with the engines operating and the rotors turning. Refueling on the other FARP is done using tankers when the helicopter is "cold," or shut down completely.
Hot refuels are a little more difficult than cold ones, said Spc. Dustin E. Knipp. It's an easy job overall, he noted, but at the FARP, "you have to make sure the aircraft is bonded correctly to the hose, so any electric static runs off into the ground."
Manning the FARP is the best part of his job, said Knipp, who has worked as a fuel handler in 2/3 for four years.
For Gil, one of the biggest challenges of the job is the busy schedule. "We work 24/7 because there are helicopters flying all the time," he said.
Getting large numbers of aircraft in and out quickly and safely is important, he said, 'since you never know what any particular aircraft is doing on a mission.
"This (job) may sound like it's not important, but it is," he added. "It's outstanding, and I wouldn't trade it for the world."
| Date Taken: | 11.25.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 11.25.2005 16:58 |
| Story ID: | 3869 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 107 |
| Downloads: | 55 |
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