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Russian delegates visited the 86th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels service center on Ramstein for a bilateral fuels engagement tour May 17.
“The U.S.-Russia bilateral engagement fosters an environment of joint cooperation in the field of energy interoperability between the U.S. and the Russian Federation,
as well as between NATO and the Russian Federation,” said Maj. Adam Minnich,
U.S. European Command chief of the Joint Petroleum Office.
The delegates toured the Fuels Control Center, where Airmen monitor fuel levels and receipts 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure sufficient fuel
levels are maintained and ready to support aircraft operations.
The fuels control center operation is vital to monitoring and directing fuels operations to receive, store, issue and validate quality control and accounting for all jet and ground fuels including diesel, automotive fuel, and liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen.
“The flight issues on average 130 to 140 million gallons of fuel a year,” said Chief Master Sgt. Howard Heisey, 86th LRS fuels manager.
The Russian delegates received a tour of the flightline, including the facilities were the Central European Pipeline System enters the base.
They also had the opportunity to see the Type III fuels hydrant system,
which provides fuel to aircraft via underground fuel outlets.
The hydrant systems used on Ramstein operate on the same basic concept as a fire hydrant.
The base has specialized equipment that connects the hydrant outlet to the aircraft to allow rapid refueling, Heisey said.
Participating in cooperation events like this is beneficial to both sides, Minnich said.
“It is significant in developing the ability to work together on fuel specifications, fuel handling equipment and fuel storage capability,” Minnich said. “These events promote readiness and improve capabilities during humanitarian support missions and responses to regional instability.”
After the tour of the base fuels facilities, the Russian delegates thanked the USAFE fuels management team and 86th LRS fuels flight leadership for their time.
“It was a pleasure and we are impressed with everything we have been
shown,” said professor Yuri Pimenov, Ministry of Defense of Russian Federation, 25th State Research Institute of Himmotology and lead fuels representative. “We now have a considerable amount of knowledge leaving here. And to sum up our experience in one word, it would be ‘Excellent.’”
