Clean Fuel, Ready Jets: Air National Guard Logistics Squadron Keeps Operations Moving

Sustaining the high-tempo flying operations of the Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing is a complex logistical science. Long before F-16 Fighting Falcon wheels leave the tarmac, airmen assigned to the 162nd Logistics Readiness Squadron are working around the clock, managing fuel distribution, chemical purity and supply logistics to ensure exceptional engine performance during flight.

“What we do as a [petroleum, oils and lubricants] flight is supply clean, dry and serviceable fuel throughout the wing,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Travis Iverson, squadron fuels superintendent.

Beyond driving the green trucks on the flight line, the unit ensures fuel quality through laboratory analysis and filtration during transit and delivery. Testing verifies that fuel is free of water, sediment and chemical contaminants to ensure proper engine combustion and prevent mechanical failure.

“When we say ‘dry,’ we mean there’s no water, no sediment, no chemicals or anything that doesn’t need to be in there,” said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Aaron Beeman, squadron fuels technician. “For the plane’s fuel to go through the engine, to mix with the air itself and burn and produce the thrust that they need, it needs to be clean.”

In addition to jet fuel for the wing’s F-16 pilot training mission, the flight handles liquid oxygen for pilot breathing systems needed during high-altitude sorties. The flight also supplies gasoline for a vast fleet of aerospace ground equipment, including security forces vehicles, fire trucks and civil engineering machinery.

The team coordinates fuel shipments and maintains reserves while tracking inventory and spending. 

“We make sure all the transactions for the jets and all the gallon numbers are correct,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Justin Butler, squadron fuels accountant. “We manage high-volume, multimillion-dollar jet fuel sales on a monthly basis.”

The team’s reach extends beyond internal wing support. They provide fuel testing services to Army aviation units and select Marine Corps components, while strictly adhering to environmental compliance guidelines for all fuel handling and storage procedures.

“Everyone just sees big green trucks out on the flight line and putting gas on the jets,” Iverson said. “However, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff we do, such as inventory management, all the lab and testing of the fuel that we do and also the accounting side.”

Wherever fuel is needed, the flight meets the demand with airmen ready to ensure mission objectives keep moving forward.

Ultimately, this comprehensive approach to chemical purity and supply logistics keeps the Air National Guard’s premiere F-16 fighter pilot training unit fueled up and ready to fly.