POL: The mission behind the mission Published Feb. 11, 2008 By Lt. Col. Rich Curry 507th Air Refueling Wing TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- One could easily call it the "mission behind the mission." Delivering fuel to airborne aircraft wouldn't be possible without the extraordinary dedication and ground support efforts of the members of the 507th Logistics Readiness Squadron's Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants, or POL, section. Commonly known as the fuels flight, the job of delivering JP-8 fuel to the wing's KC-135s begins with a thorough inspection of the vehicle to ensure all nozzles, systems gauges and the overall R-11 truck is fully operational. The R-11 fuel truck was first introduced into the Air Force in 1989. Since that time R-11 trucks have been produced by three different manufacturers. It has an empty curb weight of 40,000 pounds. Once inspected, it's off to the fuels storage area where 6,000 pounds of fuel is pumped into the fuel truck and a sample of the fuel is visually inspected before driving to the awaiting aircraft. While on the surface it may sound like a fairly simple operation, add the additional complications of doing your job during an Ability to Survive and Operate exercise and of working in full chemical gear while driving or backing the truck up into a hardened shelter area. Also throw in the awareness that (when fully fueled) you are now driving around a 70,000 pound vehicle full of flammable cargo and you begin to get a sense of the complexity and attention to detail required. According to Tech Sgt. Ade Martin, NCOIC of the POL Section, "Safety awareness and Operational Risk Management is of utmost concern. Delivering fuel may not be the most desirable duty in the Air Force, but without these Airmen doing their job, our aircraft just won't fly. I'm proud of the work our Airmen here in POL are doing. They're working hard to contribute to the mission."