Fort Worth "Fuelies" Play an Unexpected Role in Iraqi Air Campaign
Navy Newsstand
Story Number: NNS030604-07 Release Date: 6/4/2003 9:36:00 PM
By Ensign Shane Linkous, Navy Information Bureau Southwest 111, Fort Worth, Texas Public Affairs
NAVAL RESERVE CENTER FORT WORTH, Texas (NNS) -- "You are needed for deployment on emergency two-week annual training period," the caller announced to each of 10 Reservists from Naval Reserve Supply Support Battalion 1 (SSB1), Fuels Company I of Naval Reserve Center Fort Worth, Texas.
Another supply unit that had been scheduled for deployment to the isle of Cyprus in the Mediterranean was unable to mobilize, so 10 members of SSB1 Fuels received the call to duty that would unknowingly lead them to fill one of the most mission critical roles in Operation Iraqi Freedom: keeping coalition aircraft fueled over Iraq.
When the "fuelies" arrived at the British Royal Air Force's Cyprus Service Support Unit (CCSU) Feb. 17, they discovered British forces had recently completed the construction of an enormous tactical fuel handling equipment system (TFHE).
The TFHE was comprised of 29 fueling distribution points distributed over five airfields that supported the main runway. Supplying the fueling points were 36 fuel tanks, nine fuel pumps and more than five miles of fuel pipes. The system was the largest tactical fuel handling system ever constructed by the United Kingdom.
Staffing the TFHE were members of the Royal Air Force and the British Army; mostly junior ranks with little or no fueling experience. Their manning was barely adequate to maintain the tempo of the airfield's fueling needs, so the members of SSB1 Fuels quickly assimilated into the existing fuel handling teams to help out.
"At first, our British counterparts weren't sure they could trust us with their equipment, because they didn't know anything about us or our capabilities," said Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Scott Peterson of SSB1 Fuels. "But by the second day on the job, they had complete faith in us, and let us work on our own."
Over the next two weeks, the members of SSB1 Fuels trained their U.K. counterparts on how to operate the massive fueling system. They also helped reconfigure portions of the system to accommodate larger aircraft and maximize the systems' capabilities.
As the Reservists assimilated into British operations, a deep camaraderie developed between the forces, and soon, the Sailors were anointed by their British hosts as honorary members of the CCSU.
When the end of SSB1 Fuels' two-week orders neared, Turkey announced they would refuse to grant coalition requests for use of their facilities in support of operations in Iraq. This resulted in a tactical shift for war planners that would transfer the bulk of all aircraft fueling operations to Cyprus.
It became immediately clear to the U.S. Air Force and British forces in Cyprus that retaining the members of SSB1 Fuels beyond their two-week orders was going to be critical to the success of the coalition bombing campaign, because the additional personnel needed to man the TFHE had not yet arrived.
In a highly irregular arrangement, the U.S. Air Force provided funding directly to the Naval Reserve, along with a request naming the 10 members of SSB1 Fuels, and asking that they be provided with orders to allow them to remain at the Cyprus Service Support Unit for an additional 29 days.
"An Air Force colonel came to meet with us and said, 'You're probably not going to believe this, but you guys are really needed that bad,'" said Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Eric Rathburn of SSB1 Fuels, referring to how he first learned of the unusual funding arrangement. "He asked us personally if we would volunteer to stay in Cyprus."
"I've never felt more appreciated as a Reservist," adds Peterson. "Being asked to play such a vital role really made us feel special."
In the early morning hours of March 20, Operation Iraqi Freedom commenced and fueling operations in Cyprus, escalated to a dizzying schedule of 15-hour work days for the members of SSB1 Fuels.
The majority of the fueling needs came from British and U.S. KC-135 tanker planes, which provided in-flight refueling to coalition aircraft operating over Iraq. On the busiest day, more than 3.2 million liters (845,000 gallons) of fuel was safely delivered to support 55 KC-135 sorties, setting the all-time fuel delivery record for all British Royal Air Force bases.
The TFHE's performance was particularly remarkable by virtue of the fact that there were no significant spills, leaks or equipment malfunctions during the entire deployment. Not a single KC-135 sortie was delayed or missed due to fueling limitations.
"These guys are the hot-shot fuelies of the universe," concludes Chief Machinist's Mate Carl Arbogast, SSB1 Fuels' leading chief petty officer who was responsible for managing the Cyprus team. "I couldn't be prouder of every one of them."
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