New fuel station saves time at the pump Published Oct. 11, 2007 By Staff Sgt. Jacob R. McCarthy Nellis Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Members of the 57th Equipment Maintenance Squadron's Munitions Flight gathered Oct. 10 to officially "cut the ribbon" on a newly installed 500-gallon diesel fuel tank in a ceremony held at building 2348 here. Airmen from the Munitions Line Delivery Element stand to benefit the most from the new system, which allows vehicle operators to eliminate unnecessary driving, fuel vehicles faster, and streamline mission focus. On average, Airmen spend anywhere from 50 percent to 90 percent of their time behind the wheel, delivering munitions from the weapons storage area to holding pads and to the flightline. More than 250 man-hours are spent annually away from the mission, refueling vehicles. Recognizing the need to reduce time spent driving vehicles to the fuel, Master Sgt. Theodore Dorfman, 57th EMS munitions combat plans noncommissioned officer in charge, devised a plan to bring the fuel to the vehicles with an innovative "Blue Streak" initiative that would completely revamp munitions delivery operations at Nellis. The solution: Reuse a stored 500-gallon fuel tank and bring local refueling capabilities right to the flightline, effectively eliminating an 8.4-mile trip to the base refueling station and cutting refueling times from 45 minutes to 10 minutes. From October 2005 through October 2007, design and construction began on the $52,000 project through the coordinated efforts of the 99th Civil Engineer Squadron's Environmental Flight, High Desert Petroleum, 99th Logistics Readiness Squadron and 57th EMS. Refueling vehicles on-site makes Airmen more readily available to fulfill work orders in a timely manner and eliminates excess driving, a part of the job Airman 1st Class Thomas Johnson, a 57th EMS line delivery crewman, is all too familiar with. This system will make the job easier when it comes to fueling vehicles in the morning, said Airman Johnson. Several times Airman Johnson has had to pick up fellow Airmen who have run out of gas who were on the way to refuel vehicles. This new system allows the Munitions Line Delivery Element to focus more on supporting flightline requirements instead of continually removing personnel and vehicles from actively engaging the mission, said Master Sgt. Sean Barrett, 57th EMS munitions line delivery element NCOIC. Once the Munitions Flight and the rest of the squadron heard about the idea they were on board with it, said Sgt. Dorfman. "Right from the start we had our commander's support," he said. Opening up a new fuel tank will help Airmen to do their jobs easier, said Col. Donald Van Patten, 57th Maintenance Group deputy commander. It will keep Airmen delivering munitions and maintaining the fleet while relieving them of 3,200 miles annually spent driving for fuel, Colonel Van Patten said.
