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News | Jan. 30, 2020

Fuels management flight validates mission readiness through fuel receipt test

By Airman 1st Class Joseph Barron 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

The 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels management flight verified alternative fuel receipt capabilities Jan. 27, 2020, at RAF Mildenhall, England.

The operation was performed to verify that mission readiness could be maintained in the event the pipeline normally used to receive fuel was compromised.

“It’s a different method of receiving fuel from off base,” said Staff Sgt. Manuel Cienfuegos, 100th LRS noncommissioned officer in charge of fuels laboratory. “We typically receive it through a pipeline, but we’re testing our ability to receive the fuel via alternate means.”

Whether it is delivered by pipeline or truck, the fuel received, known as Jet Propellant 8, serves an essential role in the mission. In addition to the JP-8 being used in aircraft on base, it will eventually make its way into the tanks of allied and partner nation aircraft across Europe and Africa.

“Not only is our fuel affecting our home station aircraft, you know the C-130s, the CV-22s, the KC-135s,” Cienfuegos said. “We’re a tanker wing, so it’s also affecting everything the KC-135s touch in the USAFE-AFAFRICA theatre.”

As part of the test, the fuel is first routed into a holding tank where fuels management Airmen perform flash point, conductivity and other measurements to ensure the fuel is clean, after which it is transferred to more permanent storage.

“Whenever we receive new fuel or even do maintenance on our systems, we perform quality assurance checks on all of our facilities, our equipment and receipts, which are the shipments of fuel,” Cienfuegos said. “We do that to make sure it’s all in regulation and it’s clean fuel we’re distributing to our aircraft and ground vehicles.”

By demonstrating their ability to receive fuel, regardless of the method, the 100th LRS fuels management flight contributes to ensuring the Bloody Hundredth is capable of delivering aerial refueling capability at a moment’s notice throughout Europe and Africa.


Editor's note: The original story can be viewed on the Royal Air Force Mildenhall website.