Fuels Management team finds a new home

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cheyenne Morigeau
  • 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The 355th Logistics Readiness Squadron held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of their new Fuels Management facility and Type III Fuels Hydrant System facility at D-M, Sept. 17, 2014.

The new facilities are equipped with updated fuel systems to increase fuels management productivity.

"Our main mission is to provide clean and dry fuel to the flight line," said Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Herrera, 355th LRS NCO in charge of fuels service. "If we don't ensure our fuel is clean or dry, meaning there is no water in it, then flight operations will stop."

The previous Fuels Management facility's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system was in poor condition, causing the process of testing fuel to slow down.

"Our lab is temperature controlled," Herrera said. "If the temperature drops below 73 degrees or rises about 78 degrees, we can't test the fuel."

Demolition and reconstruction of the new building began in the fall of 2012. During this time, the men and women of the Logistics Readiness Fuels Flight found a temporary location to continue their mission.

"We moved to the old 79th Rescue Squadron and occupied about 95% of their building," Herrera said. "Our fuels lab would have to drive to the Tucson Air National Guard base to be able to sample fuel."

The Fuels Flight's mission capability was increased by 46% since the activation of their new facilities according to Herrera.

The Type III Fuels Hydrant System facility is able to house 840,000 gallons of fuel and can push out 2,400 gallons per minute to the flight line.

"Before we were using four to five man hours to fuel the aircraft; now we're only using one," said Tech. Sgt. Glenn Kibe, 355th LRS NCO in charge of fixed fuels. "This is a huge save on manpower and time."

Senior Airman Christopher Perez, 355th LRS fuels facility operator, said that in their previous building the walls would shake anytime an aircraft would take off.

"None of us expected such a nice facility," said Perez. "We're just (petroleum, oils and lubricants) technicians tucked away on the flight line. It's nice to know someone was looking out for us and now we have nicer facilities."