628th LRS Fuels Airman bring 'fuel to the fight'

Published April 25, 2012
By Airman 1st Class Dennis Sloan
Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs

JOINT BASE CHARLESTON PUBLIC AFFAIRS, S.C. -- The Airmen of the 628thLogistics Readiness Squadron store, test and move fuel at an alarming rate.

Housing 3 million gallons of fuel in seven tanks, the 628th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels Airmen supplied 42 million gallons of fuel to cars, trucks, forklifts and aircraft on Joint Base Charleston this past fiscal year.

"With the operations tempo slowing, the amount of fuel we were moving decreased, but due to joint basing, we now supply fuel to JB Charleston - Weapons Station, which has brought our operations tempo back up," said Tech. Sgt. David Hewer, 628th LRS fuels service center controller.

Having moved more than 65 million gallons of fuel in fiscal year 2010, the unit was awarded the Air Mobility Command Penton Award in 2011, earning them the title of the best fuels flight in AMC. The unit also won the Penton Award in 2009.

"We are the best fuels flight in AMC, but we are not done," said Chief Master Sgt. Nathaniel Hawkins, 628th LRS fuels manager. "Even though we have taken best in AMC twice in the past three years we won't stop until we are considered the best in the Air Force."

Hawkins has served in the Pacific Air Force Command, the Air Combat Command and now AMC.

"The ACC's mission is to put bombs on target. Our mission here is supply," said Hawkins.

Hawkins noted the Airmen here may not have the exciting mission ACC fuels Airmen have, but they take a lot of pride in knowing they provide safe and serviceable fuel to aircraft that bring supplies to the fight.

Several of the Airmen in the unit have been stationed here for five or more years.

"The Airmen here are a family," said Hawkins."We all know the mission comes first, but we still make time to take care of one another."

The unit is divided into six sections which work together to make sure the mission is completed effectively and efficiently. The six different sections include the laboratory, facilities, training and support, distribution, fuels service center and the refueling maintenance section.

Staff Sgt. Jonathan Kloesel, 628th LRS Fuels noncommissioned officer in charge of the laboratory, has been stationed here for a little more than four years. Prior to becoming the NCO in charge of the laboratory, Kloesel worked in the refueling maintenance section.

"I've spent a lot of my time here working with the vehicles that take the fuel to the aircraft and to various locations around base," said Kloesel. "Now that I work in the lab, my job is more technical."

Laboratory Airmen are responsible for testing fuels samples from each of the seven tanks weekly and from each fuel truck monthly.

"I get to do a lot more with the fuel now instead of working on the vehicles," said Kloesel.

Working with liquid oxygen is another aspect of the laboratory Airmen's job.

"Not a lot of people can say they've worked with liquid oxygen," said Kloesel. "It's exciting and dangerous at the same time. Liquid oxygen is highly combustible and deserves respect when working with it."

For the fuel and liquid oxygen that Kloesel works with to reach an aircraft or truck requires intense coordination by the fuels service center.

"When a call is made from the flight line for fuel, the service center locates the appropriate fuel and ensure one of the 10 fuel trucks brings that fuel to the appropriate location in a timely manner.

Their motto or mission statement is to, "Safely provide the right fuel at the right place at the right time and in sufficient quantity to ensure all aircraft launch as scheduled.

The unit supports 54 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft with a 94 percent on-time departure rate.

"Nothing on this base moves without us supplying them with fuel first," said Hawkins. "We as a unit love what we do and continue to strive to be the best."