For an aircraft to be fully functional, the engine, landing gear, avionics and blades are vital, but without fuel all the right parts still will not to make an aircraft fly.
Bulk-fuel Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 373 fuel aircraft to make them functional and allow operations to run smoothly.
“We are solely responsible for the receipt and distribution of all ground and aviation fuel,” said Sgt. Christopher Shanks, a bulk-fuel specialist with MWSS-373 and a Mason City, Iowa, native. “[Bulk-fuel] is essential, because we have to do this in both training evolutions and on deployments.”
These Marines test fuel, set up fuel systems and fuel aircraft. They test for water, particles and dirt to ensure the fuel type is correct for the aircraft.
The different testing bulk fuel uses are the Compliance Contaminant Fuel Detector, a B-2 test kit and an aviation test kit.
“The B-2 test kit determines the percent volume of anti-icing additives or FSII, which is Fuel Systems Icing Inhibitor,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Randy Banks, the fuel officer with MWSS-373 and a Yazoo City, Miss., native. “Basically, the FSII prevents water from freezing in the aircraft fuel line, and it prevents microbiological growth. Either of those two could make a plane fall out of the sky.”
Another duty of bulk-fuel Marines is to build the fuel systems they use. There are three different systems, the Ground Expedient Refueling System, Helicopter Expedient Refueling System and Tactical Air Fuel Dispensing System.
“Tactical Air Fuel Dispensing System is a bigger system.” said Gunnery Sgt. Erick Lee, the staff noncommissioned officer in charge with MWSS-373 and a Fairfax, Va., native. “We have 320,000 gallons of [fuel] in that system. That’s mostly in support of expeditionary air fields. It's mostly used for the long term type of support.”
Aside from testing the fuel and setting up the systems, Marines in bulk fuel maintain safety standards.
Proper fuel safety procedures help a faster return for the pilots to resume their mission.
“We are solely responsible to maintain safety and to ensure that we are expedient in getting the mission done,” said Shanks.
Fuel is the lifeline of aircraft functionality. Without bulk-fuel Marines, other parts of the aircraft would not function. Bulk-fuel Marines allow pilots and ground crew to continue with the support of the mission for the troops.