Fuels maintenance shop one of first stops in getting fuel to fight

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Austin M. May
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Like it or not, a fleet of air refueling aircraft is nothing without fuel.

And now, RAF Mildenhall has five brand-spanking-new fuel trucks.

Each of the trucks - Kovatch R-11s - holds 6,000 gallons of JP-8 jet fuel, which they can pump out in about 10 minutes, said Senior Airman Skyler Beadle, 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels maintenance. But before the trucks can be put into service gassing up the 100th Air Refueling Wing's KC-135 fleet, they have to be partially assembled and thoroughly inspected.

The seven-man fuels maintenance team is currently working together to get the trucks' construction finalized and put them into action. It takes roughly four of the beastly vehicles to fill an empty KC-135.

"It's a dirty, smelly job," Airman Beadle said, but he enjoys the work. He has to, according to Staff Sgt. O.C. Carter, the shop's noncommissioned officer in charge.

"Everyone has to be on the same page for this shop to work," he said. "You have to have guys who really want to be here."

One person who really wants to be there is Carlos Simpson, who has been working with RAF Mildenhall's fuel trucks for 15 years. He started working here when he was enlisted, and extended his tour as many times as he could before he found a civilian job opening and grabbed it.

During his time at RAF Mildenhall, Mr. Simpson has worked on trucks more than 20 years old, and said while those vehicles are still going strong, they're needed elsewhere. The trucks the base is replacing could eventually go to the desert, he said, where they will continue to fuel the fight.

Part of the reason the trucks last so long is the professional care that goes into keeping them running. The trucks are stripped down every 10 years and rebuilt from the ground up, ensuring they are in top working condition wherever they are. The maintainers here realize just how crucial their role in the United States Air Force actually is.

"Without us, planes don't get fueled," Airman Beadle said.

Each Airman in the fuels maintenance shop performs several duties in the grand scheme. They each have to be able to maintain and drive the trucks as well as transfer fuel into aircraft. The trucks themselves are comprised of two different, but equally vital, sections: pump and chassis. If the pump isn't working, the fuel can't be transferred, and if the vehicle isn't running, the fuel can't be moved. Thus, each Airman working with the vehicles is a vital part of a much bigger operation.

"When it comes down to it, we all help with everything," Mr. Simpson said. "Communication and teamwork are what makes us successful."