Airmen with the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuel Management Flight at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, are now using a new fuel delivery system that significantly reduces the number of operators required to refuel large aircraft. The $130 million Type III constant pressure system consists of two 1.1 million-gallon storage tanks and more than two miles of pipes. With the new system, airmen only need to dispatch one refueling truck—compared to the five or six typically dispatched in the field—and one operator. To top it off—pardon the refueling pun—the job is done in half the time, according to Bagram airmen. “It allows us to save wear and tear on the tactical equipment and get quality fuel on demand,” said SMSgt. Arnaldo Rodriguez-Matos, the 455th ELRS fuels flight superintendent. (Bagram report by SrA. Sheila deVera)
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost—a trailblazer and one of the first 10 women to reach a four-star rank across the U.S. military—retired and passed control of U.S. Transportation Command to Air Force Gen. Randall Reed on Oct. 4, finishing an eventful tenure at TRANSCOM.