Fueling the fight: POL teams pump life into airpower, mission

SOUTHWEST ASIA – Members of the petroleum, oil and lubricants flight deliver the lifeblood powering operations at the 407th Air Expeditionary Group.

The technicians maintain and prepare numerous hazardous substances, from diesel and gasoline to jet fuel and liquid oxygen. Whether combustible or life sustaining - all of them play a vital role in delivering airpower to the fight against ISIS.

“Airpower … ,” said Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Whitlock, 407th Expeditionary Logistic Readiness Squadron POL distribution NCO in charge. “Airpower is the number one priority. We are here to fill jets, so (the coalition) can meet the demand of assets needed in the air.”

The team runs a 24-hour operation to uphold the high operations tempo – no matter the time of day, once the order for jet fuel is received, they respond quickly. Aviators with the U.S. Marine Corps as well as coalition members of the Italian and Polish air forces rely heavily on the U.S. Air Force POL team here to supply their aircraft

“We are consistently filling Italian AMXs, Polish F-16 Fighting Falcons, (U.S. Marine Corps) MV-22A Ospreys and KC-130 Hercules (tankers),” said Master Sgt. Colin Carr, 407th ELRS POL fuel operations lead. “The mission’s livelihood here is powered through our fuel. But while the delivery is pretty much the end game for us, there’s so much more we have to do prior to that.”

The POL flight here is responsible for more than half a million gallons of fuel, which has to be maintained and stored until it’s transferred to the customer. With daily, weekly, monthly and bi-annual checks, fuel teams ensure fuel meets quality requirements.

“Before we accept any delivery, we check it,” Whitlock said. “Water and sediment are the main things we look for visually. If it’s in the fuel, we can’t distribute it. It’s everyone’s effort to pay attention to the fuel, so nothing malfunctions from a bad batch.”

The teams overall mission goes beyond the delivering aircraft to operations; it also sustains the well-being of U.S. forces and coalition partners by providing fuel for cold-storage containers used by food services and deliveries to the power production plant here to keep the flow of electricity running to offices, living quarters, gymnasiums and morale facilities.

“There is nothing here that our team doesn’t influence,” Carr said. “The vehicles, commercial equipment, lights in your living quarters power from the flow of fuel. The list could go on and on. Our footprint here, or at any other military base, is extremely large.”

Editor's note: The original story can be viewed on the U.S. Air Forces Central Command website.