Pope NCO helps fuel the fight in Kyrgyzstan

By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
AMC PAO

Photo by Staff Sgt. Nathan Bevier/376th AEW PAO Staff Sgt. Benjamin Lowers, fuels distribution craftsman deployed to the 376th Logistics Readiness Squadron at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, tests fuel after it has gone through a booster pump that pushes it through filter separators to clean the Russian-grade petroleum fuel and is then diluted with three additives to make it compatible with U.S. aircraft. Sergeant Lowers is deployed from the 43rd LRS at Pope Air Force Base.

Staff Sgt. Benjamin Lowers is a fuels distribution craftsman deployed with the 376th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan.

Lowers is deployed from the 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, 43rd Airlift Wing, at Pope Air Force Base. “We are the backbone and heart beat of this base,” said Lowers. “Without us receiving the amount of fuel that we do and maintaining the bladders, hoses, and pumps, our drivers wouldn’t be able to put fuel on aircraft. Those aircraft wouldn’t be able to take troops and cargo down range, and the KC-135’s wouldn’t be able to refuel the bombers and fighters over the skies of Afghanistan.

Fuels Airmen like Lowers operate mobility fuels equipment such as the R-11 and R-12 fuels trucks to refuel aircraft. They also maintain and operate petroleum-related facilities and equipment and perform quality analysis on products. Additionally, they perform operator maintenance on fuels handling equipment and facilities and prepare receipt, inventory and issue documents for fuels products accounting.

The job also requires maintaining storage and dispensing facilities, rotating stocks to prevent product quality degradation, and ensuring an effective operator maintenance program is carried out.

Fuels Airmen like Lowers also operate a fuels control center to monitor all product movements and ensure timely response to mission requirements. They coordinate refueling requirements with supported agencies and ensure appropriate prioritization of support requirements.

Furthermore, as a fuels distribution Airman, Lowers has to maintain mandatory job knowledge in numerous areas such as composition, properties, and haracteristics of petroleum products and cryogenics fluids.

He must also know about environmental protection procedures; conservation; methods of receiving, storing, testing and evaluating fuel and cryogenic fluids under normal, field or remote conditions; and fuels deployment and contingency operations.

“In fuels we have a saying, ‘Without POL, pilots are pedestrians,’ said Lowers. “We don’t just refuel aircraft though. We provide diesel for light-alls, generators and gasoline for all vehicles on base. It all starts with POL.”

The Transit Center at Manas has four missions — air refueling, airlift, onward movement of troops and humanitarian assistance, according to the 376th AEW web page. They do this with the help of 850 military members and 750 U.S. and host nation civilian employees and contractors.
The 376th AEW owns, maintains and operates the Transit Center’s KC-135s.

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