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Bagram fuels Airmen double fuel storage capacity

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Drew Nystrom
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  Airmen assigned to 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Petroleum, Oils and Lubricants flight provide the fuel to aircraft that supply close air support to the warfighter on the ground every day.

The POL Airmen drastically expanded their capacity to deliver fuel Tuesday by installing a new 200,000 gallon rubberized-fabric container here.

"The new bladder allows us to double our fuel capacity," said Senior Master Arnaldo Rodriguez-Matos, the fuels superintendent for the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron.

According to Rodriguez-Matos, the $62,000 fuel bladder is a low-density, high-demand item critical to giving U.S. and coalition forces the edge in combat.

"There are no fixed-facilities here at Bagram," the sergeant said. "The fuel bladders allow us store large amounts of fuel close to the fight."

More fuel in our inventory means we can be more responsive to any situation that might come our way, he said.

Nearly 30 Airmen from across the entire spectrum of the ELRS unrolled the 4,300-pound bladder, which was shipped rolled like a burrito, inside the plastic-lined dike where it now resides.

The unrolling was a first for many Airmen, according to Rodriguez-Matos, a San Juan Puerto Rico native.

"Changing them [the bladders] out doesn't happen too often," he said. "Usually, the bag, depending on the type, lasts anywhere from three to five years. The one replaced was definitely due and we were able to replace it.

"Even after all my years of experience, this is only the second time I've been involved in replacing a 200,000 gallon bladder," Rodriguez-Matos said.

"Most of my POL counterparts haven't ever done this before so it was a good training opportunity," he said.

Besides the excellent instructional value, Rodriguez-Matos said the bladder installation exemplified the Service Before Self mentality of the deployed Airmen around him.

"My shop has only six Airmen assigned to the day-shift, and air operations don't stop for anything. We sent out a call for assistance and the other shops came out in force," he said. "Everybody is busy but understood one of our sections needed help and they did just that."