Mobility Airman profile: Travis NCO, KC-10 boom operator, gets 'fuel to the fight' for wartime ops

Published Dec. 7, 2010
By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Staff Sgt. Erin Keogh knows what it means to "get fuel to the fight." As a deployed KC-10 Extender in-flight refueling journeyman, or boom operator, he regularly flies on combat air refueling missions over Afghanistan delivering fuel to fighter aircraft providing cover for troops on the ground.

Deployed with the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia, Sergeant Keogh is among a team of four aircrew members who fly on a KC-10. In addition to the boom operator, there is also the flight engineer, pilot and co-pilot.

Together, 908th EARS aircrews with Airmen like Sergeant Keogh support air refueling operations for operations New Dawn and Enduring Freedom and for the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

In using the KC-10, the 908th has the biggest air refueling aircraft in the Air Force inventory. In addition to the three main wing fuel tanks, the KC-10 has three large fuel tanks under the cargo floor, one under the forward lower cargo compartment, one in the center wing area and one under the rear compartment.

Combined, the capacity of the six tanks of the KC-10 carries more than 356,000 pounds (nearly 55,000 gallons) of fuel -- almost twice as much as the KC-135 Stratotanker. That's a lot of fuel to help keep aircraft providing ground cover in Afghanistan on target and in the air and it's Sergeant Keogh's job to refuel each plane they are tasked to support.

According to the official Air Force job description for an in-flight refueling journeyman, Airmen like Sergeant Keogh are trained to perform in-flight refueling aircrew functions and activities according to flight manuals, checklists and U.S. Air Force publications.

As part of aircrew duties, boom operators like Sergeant Keogh are trained to check forms for equipment status, performs visual and operational check of air refueling and associated systems and equipment, and perform pre-flight, through-flight and post-flight inspections. They also accomplish preflight and post-flight records and reports and perform in-flight operational check of air refueling systems.

When performing the air refueling mission, the job description states that boom operators direct receiver aircraft into air refueling position and operate in-flight air refueling controls and switches to safely affect contact between tanker and receiver aircraft. They monitor the control panel for proper operation of equipment during air refueling and advise the receiver pilot of actions required to safely maintain position within the air-refueling envelope. Boom operators also keep the tanker pilot informed as to progress of air refueling operations and can perform emergency operations and procedures as required for emergency off-load and on-load of fuel.

To track the amount of fuel on board a tanker, in-flight refueling Airmen like Sergeant Keogh compute and apply weight and balance data, procedures and techniques, the job description states. They determine fuel, personnel, cargo and emergency and special equipment weight and distribution to compute aircraft weight and balance and they prepare and verify load plans, direct cargo loading and unloading operations and inspect aircraft load to ensure hazardous cargo compliance and weight and balance status of aircraft.

To do their job both from home station and while deployed, boom operators have to maintain mandatory job knowledge in numerous areas, the job description shows. They have to know electrical and mechanical principles applying to aircraft and related systems, flight theory, and aircraft electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems applying to in-flight refueling system.

They also have to know normal and emergency operation of aircraft refueling systems, flying directives, weight and balance factors, cargo tie-down techniques, minor in-flight maintenance, usage of personal equipment and oxygen, communication and aircraft emergency procedures and using and interpreting diagrams, loading charts, technical publications and flight manuals.

Sergeant Keogh is deployed from the 9th Air Refueling Squadron, 60th Air Mobility Wing, at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. On his deployment, facts show his support is making a difference. As of Oct. 31, Airmen supporting the air refueling mission in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility have off-loaded more than 880 million pounds of fuel to more than 69,000 aircraft for wartime operations, Air Forces Central statistics show.

At his home station with Air Mobility Command's 60th AMW, Sergeant Keogh supports a mission responsible for strategic airlift and air refueling missions circling the globe, the wing's fact sheet states. The unit's primary roles are "to provide rapid, reliable airlift of American fighting forces anywhere on earth in support of national objectives and to extend the reach of American and allied air power through mid-air refueling."

At the 380th AEW, Sergeant Keogh supports a deployed mission that includes air refueling, surveillance, reconnaissance and air battle management in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia.