MUÑIZ AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Puerto Rico -- The 156th Wing POL (petroleum, oils and lubricants) shop is receiving a new 75,000-gallon fuel tank that is funded and built by the Defense Logistics Agency for 5.3 million dollars.
Before 2010, Muñiz Air National Guard Base held 150,000 gallons of fuel between two separate tanks. In 2010, one of the fuel tanks went out of service and the fuels shop has operated at a 50 percent deficit ever since. This project has been in the books since 2010 and the new tank is due to be complete in February 2021. This is one of several projects slated for Muñiz Air National Guard Base for 2020 with several more projected in 2021.
“Having the fuel capacity back to 100 percent means that the 156th fuels shop will be fully operational again and able to support any mission that we are tasked with,” said Senior Master Sgt. William Perez, 156th Wing fuels superintendent. “Many of the missions that supported Hurricane Katrina and many other natural disasters were refueled from the 156th Wing.”
Perez has been involved in overseeing this project since its inception in 2010. He is one of many who works in the POL shop. The men and women of the shop ensure the fuels used are of the highest quality possible. The lab specialists repeatedly test samples from the fuel tanks for contaminants with a variety of high-tech equipment, such as flash point testers, density meters and oxidation stability analyzers. If the sample is free of contaminants, the fuel is pumped into refueling trucks and sent to fuel equipment around the base. If the sample is contaminated, it is stored separately and discarded according to environmental regulations.
“DLA’s continued investment in the future of the PRANG shows significant foresight and will benefit us greatly in the years to come,” said Lt. Col. Charles Comfort, the 156th Civil Engineer Squadron commander. “This fuel tank storage project is a critical asset that if not executed we would have limited capability for our flight line operations in the future and it also gives us a future stance for beddowns and aircraft capabilities.”