Document Page: First | Prev | Next | All | Image | This Release | Search

The unusually heavy flow of aircraft through the European theater drew extra 
heavily on the capacity of USAFE's people and facilities.  Fuel availability
 was doubled  at Torrejon, Moron, and Zaragoza Air Bases in Spain, but only 
after considerable effort by HQ USAFE experts to bring the systems up to speed 
and keep them there.  Master Sergeant Miguel Uffer of the Operations Division 
ensured the success of the heavier than normal transient aircraft operations 
in Spain.  With the increase in traffic at our  Spanish bases, a problem with 
the fuel resupply capabilities surfaced.  The pipeline which supplies their 
storage  tanks was incapable of feeding fuel fat enough to keep up with the 
 demand.  To preclude rerouting aircraft to different locations, Sergeant Uffer
 went to Spain and devised a method to enable commercial fuel trucks to pump 
their fuel into the fixed fuel facilities.  This enabled the bases to double 
their supply capability and made it possible to meet the increased mission 
requirements.

Due to a change in SAC operational procedures just months earlier, the 
deployment of B-52s to Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford in England to supplement 
DESERT STORM aerial bombing operations greatly accelerated modifications being 
made to the base to accommodate them.  The Operations Division's Captain 
Douglas Tucker evaluated the airfield pavements and devised parking plans in 
advance of the deployment.  Because of a recent change from "single crack" 
criteria to new "shattered slab" criteria for pavement capabilities, he had to 
recalculate the pavement numbers and work out  several parking, taxing, 
loading and routing schemes for the SAC advance team to ensure their plans
 would match the airfield's capability to support the deployment.  His rapid 
accomplishment of these operations kept the critical deployment on schedule.

The B-52s at RAF Fairford began to experience fueling difficulties after their 
arrival, but Operations Division's Master Sergeant Uffer again saved the day.  
The automatic hydrant fuel system was only able to refuel two of the big
 bombers at a time, with a very low flow rate.  He diagnosed problems with the 
automatic control valves-- vital seals had deteriorated.  Since replacement 
parts were not on hand, he fabricated the needed seals out of an inner tube,
and recalibrated the controls.  The system was then able to refuel four B-52's 
at a time with an improved flow rate, and their mission in support of 
Operation DESERT STORM proceeded smoothly.  At the same time, he also devised 
and fabricated a method to extend the reach of the fuel  pantographs to allow 
fully-armed bombers to be parked nose-out as called for by the newly developed 
operational procedures so they could depart in a hurry if necessary and could 
be towed quickly in case of an emergency.

The Operations Division's Master Sergeant Uffer and Senior Master Sergeant 
Gregory Hertenstein, USAFE Command Mechanical Superintendent, also spent many 
hours shipping vital hydrant refueling system spare parts to bases throughout 
Europe and SWA.  This endeavor was unique in that the spares were hard-to find 
parts from a special bench stock created by the Operations Division several 
years ago for just such an emergency.  While supply channels were inundated 
with requests for parts from all around the theater, the Operations Division
 was able to quickly fill requests for fuel system components. It paid off 
tremendously to have an adequate bench stock, and also to realize that during 
such an operation the inherent lead time to procure difficult-to-find parts 
would seriously hinder aircraft fueling support.

Document Page: First | Prev | Next | All | Image | This Release | Search