• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Kuwaiti Hornets experience Marine Corps hot refueling pits

USMC News

Story Identification Number: 2003422122514
Story by Sgt. W. A. Napper Jr.

KUWAIT(April 22, 2003) -- For the first time since Marine aviation forces arrived in January at an air base here, Kuwaiti Air Force F/A-18 Hornets took advantage of the hot refuel pits, April 22, in an effort to further their pilots' training.

The Kuwaiti Air Force never used the refuel pits during Operation Iraqi Freedom because of the Marines' operational tempo.

"We haven't been working that closely with the Marines," said Kuwaiti Air Force Maj. Waleed Almisekan, base safety officer. "We didn't use (the hot refuel pit) before because it was busy with operations. But now that it's quiet there's less airplanes using it."

The two Hornets were refueled together, with plane captains from Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 121 guiding them the entire way. Pfc. Randall Rieves, VMFA (AW)-121 plane captain, 22, Aurora, Col. native, guided the two aircraft to their respective refueling points, and Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 handed them the hoses filled with fuel to get the birds flying. At the same time, Pfc. James Werkema, VMFA (AW)-121 plane captain, 19, San Jose, Calif. native, refueled the second Hornet, with both plane captain and pilot keeping their eyes on each other the entire time. Less than 20 minutes later, the two Kuwaiti fighter jets took off with full tanks.

"I was actually surprised at how well they followed our hand signals," said Rieves. "They took about 10,000 pounds of gas."

Before any fuel is introduced to the Hornet's tanks, the plane captains must first pre-check the fuel system and test the shut off valves so the tanks won't explode from a malfunction, said Rieves..

"Once that's done, you just fuel it," he said. "First you do the external (tanks) and then you do the internals."

According to Marine Corps Maj. Thomas Innocenti, Marine Aircraft Group 11 director of safety and standardization, 42, Wheeling, W. Va. native, during OIF, Marines pumped approximately 300,000 gallons of fuel per day to waiting Marine Corps aircraft, often servicing 100 planes in a 12-hour shift. Back at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., any 12 aircraft would fly for about 360 hours in a month, while out here the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing was on a 15,000 flight-hours-per-month pace. He said the hot refueling pits were pivotal to success in the war against ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

"You eliminate the time you need to shut the plane down and hook a fuel truck up to it," he said. "It saves a lot of time."

Innocenti said during the war aircraft could return to the air base with ordnance still hung on the wings, refuel in the hot pit and take off again to continue the fight. Likewise, an aircraft could come back to the flight line after expending its ordnance, have ordnance Marines hang more munitions, refuel at the hot pit and take off again, ready to engage the enemy.

"Sometimes the crews hot-racked it," said Rieves. "The pilots would switch out without shutting down the birds. It was all in the interest of saving time."