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28th LRS fuels the fight

  • Published
  • By Air Force Airman 1st Class James L. Miller
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE S.D. --  Editor’s note: This is the final in a series of four articles on the Logistics Readiness Squadron.

Fuel… The water of the winged warfighter, without it, aircraft wouldn’t fly, trucks couldn’t drive, and the mission would stop.

Much like water, fuel needs to be transported, pumped, monitored and ready for use, and it is the Airmen of the Fuels Management Flight assigned to the 28th Logistics Readiness Squadron who ensure these vital tasks are always completed.

“Anything from B-1’s to buses, if they need fuel we take care of it,” said Airman 1st Class Shontaedrian Bills, a distribution operator assigned to the 28th LRS.

The distribution section is always ready, bringing the fuel to the fight(er). They inspect vehicles to ensure fluid levels, hose pressure, and lights work before the start of the shift keeping the fleet of 15 refueling vehicles ready and serviceable at all times.

Another section that keeps the fuel flowing are the fixed fuels facilities, which distribute fuel from the flight line. The fuel going to trucks is controlled from the facilities to prevent spills and to keep air from building up while the fuel is moved.

Airmen in the fuels laboratory test the fuel numerous times during the process of its delivery to the base to the fueling of a B-1.

“We test the quality of the fuel at different stages to not only make sure the fuel is good to go, but to ensure the filters are all working correctly as well,” said Senior Airman Israel Moore, a fuels lab technician assigned to the 28th LRS. “If we didn’t check the fuel, it could affect engines, which not only costs money, but time as well.”

The fuels service center, the brains behind the whole operation, ensure all sections are working cohesively and are at the right place at the right time.

“We do a lot of behind the scenes work to keep things running smoothly,” said Senior Airman Isaac Launey, a fuels service center controller assigned to the 28th LRS. “You get to see the results of the sections working together, which isn’t something everyone gets to see first-hand.”

It is truly a team effort and the entire flight works together to keep the B-1’s mission going by supplying more than 18 million gallons of fuel yearly.