Maintainers compete for load crew of year

Staff Sgt. Anthony Childers, a 46th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew leader, secures the AIM-9 missile before moving it to the F-15 during the 46th Maintenance Group’s year-end weapons load competition at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Jan 13. The best of the best from 46th AMXS met to load a Joint Direct Attack Munition and AIM-9 and a small diameter bomb onto an F-15. The winners will be announced at the 46th MXG annual awards banquet in March. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Maintainers compete for load crew of year

It takes all three 46th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron load crew members to position the small diameter bomb on the F-15 during the 46th Maintenance Group’s year-end weapons load competition at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Jan 13. The best of the best from 46th AMXS met to load a Joint Direct Attack Munition and AIM-9 and a SDB onto an F-15. The winners will be announced at the 46th MXG annual awards banquet in March. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

POL distribution

Each day, 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron Airmen keep Eglin aircraft flying by ensuring their tanks are filled with JP-8. When a call for a refuel or defuel comes in, the goal for a petroleum, oil and lubricants operator is to deliver it in 30 minutes or less. Last year, more than 14 million gallons of fuel and cryogenics products were delivered by the flight to fulfill the 8,000 test and training missions on base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

POL distribution

The fuel nozzle is the single-point of entry and exit in the lifecycle of JP-8 fuel at Eglin. The nozzle delivers the fuel to the base from tanker trucks. Also, the nozzle transfers it from a storage tank into the Air Force’s fuel trucks. Finally, it is the delivery mechanism used from the fuel truck to the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

POL distribution

Senior Airman Jason Lord, of the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron, opens the valve to release the JP-8 to fill up his 6,000 gallon R-11 tanker truck. The fuel flows from a large storage tank into the truck. It will remain in the vehicle until it is delivered to the aircraft. Last year, more than 14 million gallons of fuel and cryogenics products were delivered by the flight to fulfill the 8,000 test and training missions on base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

POL distribution

Staff Sgt. Chad Gagnon, of the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron, pours the fuel drained from the bottom of the tank of an R-11 truck into a storage container during a morning inspection at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Each morning, Airmen from the petroleum, oil and lubricants flight inspect every fuel truck in the fleet to include checking the seals, lights, the hoses for tears or gashes and taking fuel samples from the bottom of each tank. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

POL distribution

Staff Sgt. Daniel Blowers, of the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron, tightens a loose bolt on an R-11 truck during its morning inspection at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Each morning, Airmen from the petroleum, oil and lubricants flight inspect every fuel truck in the fleet to include checking the seals, lights, the hoses for tears or gashes and taking fuel samples from the bottom of each tank. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

POL distribution

Airman Jonathan Quinchia, of the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron, adjusts a dial while refueling a 46th Test Wing F-16 Fighting Falcon at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. When a call for a refuel or defuel comes in, the goal for a petroleum, oil and lubricants operator is to deliver it in 30 minutes or less. Last year, more than 14 million gallons of fuel and cryogenics products were delivered by the flight to fulfill the 8,000 test and training missions on base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

POL distribution

Staff Sgt. Chad Gagnon, of the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron, drains the fuel from the bottom of the tank from an R-11 truck during its morning inspection at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Each morning, Airmen from the petroleum, oil and lubricants flight inspect every fuel truck in the fleet to include checking the seals, lights, the hoses for tears or gashes and taking fuel samples from the bottom of each tank. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Airman honored with Air Force Cross display

Staff Sgt. Robert Gutierrez looks at the display case containing his Air Force Cross citation and other memorabilia, which was dedicated to him at the Enlisted Professional Development Center Dec. 5 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Gutierrez received the award “for extraordinary heroism against an armed enemy of the United States in Harat Province, Afghanistan” from President Barack Obama on Oct. 5, 2009. During a nighttime raid, Gutierrez, assigned as a special tactics combat controller to an Army Special Forces detachment, was shot in the chest. Though in intense pain, he engaged Taliban fighters with gunfire and directed two strafe runs, which decimated the enemy force and allowed his team to escape the kill zone. Gutierrez is a member of the Special Tactics Training Squadron at Hurlburt Field. (Courtesy photo)

The tank

Fuel tank 92 holds approximately 200,000 gallons of the Air Force’s jet fuel, JP-8. Fuel is housed in these bulk-size storage tanks before being delivered to various aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

The lab

Airman 1st Class Troy Hall, with the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron, holds up a refractometer to verify the level of the fuels system icing inhibitor additive contained in JP-8. Airmen in the Eglin fuels lab evaluate more than 200 aviation and ground fuel samples each month. These steps are taken to ensure water, additives and sediment amounts are at or below the proper levels. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

The lab

The fuel temperature is taken prior to testing a gallon bottle of JP-8 jet fuel. Airmen in the Eglin fuels lab, part of the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron, evaluate more than 200 aviation and ground fuel samples each month. These steps are taken to ensure water, additives and sediment amounts are at or below the proper levels. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

The lab

Airman 1st Class Troy Hall, with the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron, delicately places a pad onto the filter. The pad is used to gather sediment contained in a gallon of JP-8. The pad is weighed before and after the fuel is filtered through it. The difference between the two weights is the amount of solids in the fuel. The weight needs to be at or below .5 milligrams per liter. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

The pipeline

Large fuel filters used to clean the JP-8 jet fuel as it arrives to the base by barge are located at the edge of Weekly Bayou. The machine circulates the fuel at 1,200 gallons per minute before sending it into one of the bulk storage tanks. Eglin’s fuel is filtered twice before it is pumped into an aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

COMACC visits Eglin

Tech. Sgt. Shawn Eubanks, a 33rd Maintenance Squadron maintainer, briefs Gen. Mike Hostage, the commander of Air Combat Command, about the new laptop used with the F-35 Lightning II, Nov. 30. The computer is remotely connected to the joint strike fighter and talks directly to the aircraft to help find and diagnose potential problems. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Four Airmen, four stars

Tech. Sgts. Jeffery Barnett, Lucas Dorosky, Michael Tesch and Staff Sgt. Daniel Garrett, of the 96th Civil Engineer Squadron, received the Bronze Star medal for their service as explosive ordnance disposal team leaders while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom during a commander’s call Nov. 28, at the Eglin Enlisted Hall. The Bronze Star is a United States Armed Forces military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. (U.S. Air Force photo/Sachel Seabrook)

53rd Wing time capsule

Col. David Hicks, the 53rd Wing commander and Chief Master Sgt. Philip Robinson, 53rd WG’s acting command chief, close up a time capsule at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Nov. 21. The time capsule, built exclusively by 53rd Wing units, was filled with wing coins, hats and other 2011 artifacts on the 70th anniversary of the wing. The capsule will sit in the lobby of the headquarters building until its reopened in 2041, the wing’s 100th anniversary. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Joint color guard

Petty Officer 2nd Class James Peters, an aviation ordnanceman with the VFA-101 Strike Fighter Squadron, stands at-the-ready to carry the American flag during his team’s first performance as a joint color guard at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Nov. 2. Airmen and Sailors trained for a month to provide a joint-service color guard for a recent 33rd Fighter Wing squadron change of command. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Joint color guard

The newly-formed joint color guard team of 33rd Fighter Wing members waits to begin its first performance at a recent change of command ceremony at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Nov. 2. The joint color guard team members are: Corpsman Sarah Lambert, Petty Officer 2nd Class James Peters, Senior Airman Chad Walker, Petty Officer 1st Class Jack Bauer, Master Sgt. Alexander Fortunato and Airman 1st Class Justin Glover. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Weapons Load Competition

Airman 1st Class Tyler Marking and Senior Airman James Brower, with the 46th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, make final adjustments to the AIM-9 during the 46th Maintenance Group’s third quarter weapons load competition at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Oct. 28. The best of the best from AMU Red and AMU Blue met to load a Joint Direct Attack Munition and an AIM-9 onto an F-15 and F-16 respectively. AMU Red won with the best time and fewest errors. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Weapons Load Competition

Staff Sgt. Anthony Childers, 46th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew leader, completes checks of his F-15 during the 46th Maintenance Group’s third quarter weapons load competition at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Oct. 28. The best of the best from AMU Red and AMU Blue met to load a Joint Direct Attack Munition and an AIM-9 onto an F-15 and F-16 respectively. AMU Red won with the best time and fewest errors. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Weapons Load Competition

Staff Sgt. Anthony Childers and Senior Airman Michael Simmers, of the 46th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Red crew, maneuver the Joint Direct Attack Munition into place during the 46th Maintenance Group’s third quarter weapons load competition at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Oct. 28. The best of the best from AMU Red and AMU Blue met to load a Joint Direct Attack Munition and an AIM-9 onto an F-15 and F-16 respectively. AMU Red won with the best time and fewest errors. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Weapons Load Competition

Airman 1st Class Mark Timpani, with the 46th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, picks up the Joint Direct Attack Munition during the 46th Maintenance Group’s third quarter weapons load competition at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Oct. 28. The best of the best from AMU Red and AMU Blue met to load a Joint Direct Attack Munition and an AIM-9 onto an F-15 and F-16 respectively. AMU Red won with the best time and fewest errors. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)