Aviation Soldiers support Saber Junction

Photo By Staff Sgt. Jeff Daniel | Two Army Petroleum Supply Specialists with the 1-214th General Support Aviation Battalion out of Wiesbaden, Germany fuel an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter at a Forward Arming and Refueling Point that was just set up moments before the aircraft’s arrival during Saber Junction 22. Saber Junction 22 is a multinational rotational exercise designed to assess the readiness of the U.S. Army's 173d Airborne Brigade to execute unified land operations in a joint, combined environment and to promote interoperability with more than 4,500 participants from the U.S. and Allied and partner nations at the U.S. Army's Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels training areas from August 29 to September 20, 2022.  

HOHENFELS, GERMANY

09.09.2022

Story by Staff Sgt. Jeff Daniel 

211th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

HOHENFELS, Germany - Four dots appear over the horizon like flies. In no time, the flies morph into helicopters. Apache attack helicopters. They set down in the middle of an open field in the countryside of Bavaria to refuel. But why refuel in an open field in Germany?
This is training for the 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment, General Support Aviation Battalion fuelers in support of Saber Junction 22. These Army professionals have set up a Forward Arming and Refueling Point known in the Army aviation world as a FARP.
Saber Junction 22 is a multinational rotational exercise designed to assess the readiness of the U.S. Army's 173d Airborne Brigade to execute unified land operations in a joint, combined environment and to promote interoperability with more than 4,500 participants from the U.S. and Allied and partner nations at the U.S. Army's Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels training areas from August 29 to September 20, 2022.
"A FARP extends the range of the aircraft," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jason Andersen, a Safety Officer with the 1-214th GSAB out of Wiesbaden, Germany. "It allows for the aircraft to go out and conduct a mission and return home safely by refueling on the way."
A FARP is commonly called a fat-cow operation as this particular setup was to expand two fueling points from an 800 gallon tank aboard a CH-47 Chinook, said SGT Edgar Santiago, a Petroleum Supply Specialist from the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Ansbach, Germany.
Andersen, who has been working as a Safety Officer for six years, said that even though this type of operation is unique to the CH-47, the GSAB trains on it regularly.
"This [a FARP] is not intended to be in place for very long," said Santiago. "It's a quick in and out; it shows our proficiency on how quickly we can work at a fast pace."
Safety is an important matter during this type of operation. Safety of personnel, the aircraft, and especially the environment is always taken into consideration.
“Because we are dispensing fuel out here, we want to prevent the hazardous material from going into the ground,” said Andersen.
Santiago said the refuelers use drip pans at every point where fuel could possibly leak to protect the group and the land on which they’re training.
"We as the U.S. Army are big on supporting the land and take all safety precautions in providing that support," said Santiago.
Andersen summarized, with any hazardous material we want to make sure we protect the Earth and the population around us. We want to make sure we don’t let the fuel get into the ground and the ground water. Often-times there are crops where we train, and we want to make sure we protect everyone.

• Date Taken: 09.09.2022
• Date Posted: 09.11.2022 15:27
• Story ID: 429022
• Location: HOHENFELS, DE