Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Thomas Doscher | Army Sgt. Oscar Cerna, 1-285th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, petroleum supply...... read more read more
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By Air Force Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher
Regional Command-East Public Affairs Office
FORWARD OPERATING BASE ORGUN-E, Afghanistan – Army Pvt. Richard Garcia held up a fuel nozzle and motioned for the vehicle to back up more. While he was used to refuelling ground vehicles in Afghanistan, this was a first for him. The vehicle he was now refuelling flew an Afghan flag with a Russian-made recoilless rifle mounted on the back.
The petroleum supply specialists of Echo Company, 1-285th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion of the Arizona National Guard are based at Forward Operating Base Salerno, but are farmed out to other FOBs to staff Forward Arming and Refuelling Points throughout Afghanistan.
"In the morning we re-circulate fuel," said Spc. Pamela Miller, 1-285th ARB petroleum supply specialist. "We have to make sure there's no water in the fuel. Then we do various FARP maintenance and refuel aircraft and vehicles."
The specialists must check the fuel once a day. Miller said you can have all the fuel in the world, but if it's contaminated, it's worse than having none.
"If there's too much water or debris, it can ruin an engine," she said. "An engine can actually go down in flight, and a bird can crash."
No engines have gone down on the 1-285th's watch, Miller said proudly.
Once maintenance and fuel checks are complete, the FARP specialists wait. With weather as unpredictable as the kind around FOB Orgun-E, aircraft can come in at any time, so they have to be ready to go on a moment's notice.
"We're a 24-hour operation," Miller said. "Any time of day aircraft and vehicles can come in and refuel. Last night we had about 22 come in. Usually we average about 10 to 15 a day."
Helicopters refuelling at the FOB don't bother to shut down. They just park at the FARP and idle while the fuel specialists refuel them.
"Getting the fuel to the birds is the best part," Miller said. "The propellers are running, and it's intense. It usually takes about 15 to 30 minutes depending on how low they are."
Getting the fuel to the chopper is easy. It's getting the fuel to the FARP that's tricky, according to Sgt. Antonio Polanco, 1-285th ARB.
"We receive the fuel from the jingle trucks," he said. "They have to stay up front for 24 hours, then we go out there and check out each one before they come in here."
Polanco said their biggest fear is the trucks being intercepted by the Taliban.
"Sometimes the Taliban stops the truck and takes fuel," he said. "We have to check the seals and verify the numbers when the trucks come in to make sure they haven't been tampered with. They could be tampered with or have an IED placed in them."
Since the refuellers are the only ones qualified to make those checks, they have to go out and check each truck on their own.
"We just go out there," he said simply. "The only thing protecting you is your body armor. You always have to be on guard at all times."
Despite the danger, Polanco said he likes his job and appreciates its importance.
"Unless you're part of the section, you'll never really know what it's like, refuelling with the blades going over your head," he said. "It's very important. You could be refuelling medevacs that may have to go out and rescue someone or Black Hawks that have to go pull some Soldiers out of a hot zone. It's important. Like our motto says, 'without fuel, pilots are pedestrians.'"
| Date Taken: | 03.15.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 03.15.2007 13:46 |
| Story ID: | 9456 |
| Location: | ORGUN, AF |
| Web Views: | 458 |
| Downloads: | 336 |
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