Special delivery takes fuels troops halfway around globe

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MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  A special delivery of specialized jet fuel for the Air Force's F-22 Raptors recently took two fuels troops from the 366th Logistics Readiness Squadron here halfway around the world.

Tech. Sgt. Joseph S. Rauch and Staff Sgt Donovan F. Horning with the 366th LRS joined Staff Sgt. Ronald S. Allred from the 1st LRS at Langley Air Force Base, Va., to pick up and deliver 7,000 gallons of TS-1 -- a Russian blend of jet fuel.

The team left on a C-17 from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., for Manas-Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan to pick up the fuel. During the mission, the three troops maintained the aerial bulk fuel delivery system, or ABFDS, which needs special handling by these certified troops.

"There's nothing like being a [fuels] Gunfighter getting to fly around the world and deliver fuel ... while demonstrating the LRS tradition of excellence and Mountain Home warrior spirit," said Sergeant Rauch, NCO in charge of the fuels flight resource control center.

Carried by C-130, C-17 or C-5 cargo aircraft, the ABFDS uses aerial fuel tanks mounted on a modular platform to quickly and safely convert these aircraft into airborne gas stations capable of carrying between 6,000 to 30,000 gallons depending on the aircraft's size. Air Force fuels teams use the system to delivery all grades of jet, diesel or heating fuels and gasoline.

Capable of offloading 600 gallons of fuel per minute, fuels crews can pump fuel from the ABFDS into trucks, fuel bladders and other approved containers. When equipped with alternate capability equipment, the crews can pump the fuel directly to other aircraft in extreme emergencies.

After filling the fuel bladders with the Russian-made fuel, the three-man team flew to bases in Germany and New Jersey before reaching their final destination at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Air Force test teams needed the TS-1 jet fuel to run a series of compatibility tests for the F-22 Raptor.

"No matter where the team stopped along the way, they could always count on the smiling faces of fellow [fuels] troops more than willing to lend a helping hand," Sergeant Rauch said.