CINCU, Romania -- Logistical support keeps U.S. combat arms Soldiers ready and able to engage anywhere in the world that they need to be. Combat tanks and transport vehicles are essential elements to these logistical readiness initiatives. Therefore, obtaining and testing quality fuel is an essential task to ensure that ground and air assets can operate effectively to meet global demands.
The important process of evaluating the quality assurance/surveillance of petroleum, oil and lubricant products is a robust task for Army petroleum laboratory specialists, known by the shorthand acronym of 92L. Spc. Rhomel Murray understands this process better than most.
Murray is on his first deployment to the Eastern European theater in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a deterrent effort that provides collective defense and cooperative security spanning from the Baltic region to Romania. While supporting several missions throughout NATO's footprint in Europe, Murray quickly realized that his chain of command entrusted him with a great deal of responsibility.
From March to June, Murray, a junior Soldier, operated an entire Petroleum Quality Analysis System-Enhanced (PQAS-E) Laboratory alone.
"It puts a lot on your plate," said Murray when recalling his experience as the only 92L on ground. "I remember in my last unit I was working with four Soldiers, then I deployed with my current unit and I was the only 92L for a while. I knew there was going to be a lot of pressure weighing on me, but I like doing my job, so I accepted the challenge of operating the PQAS-E as a private first class."
As the only Soldier with the knowledge to operate the laboratory, his daily procedures included preparing the PQAS-E for operations before duty hours began, conducting preventive maintenance checks and services on all his mission essential equipment, and providing feedback to the units that submitted petroleum samples.
Using the American Standard Testing Method handbook as a guideline to execute every fuel sample test, Murray takes pride in guaranteeing that his results meet the requirements outlined in the specification book.
"My instructors back at Fort Lee, Virginia, would always say, 'go by the book.' Every time I run a test, I make sure that my book is wide open and that I'm executing the procedures to the 'T', because if you make one simple mistake, your results can vary. But if you work by the book, the results should be accurate."
These tests ensure that fuel products will meet the Army's standards and that the Soldiers' equipment -- ranging from Humvees to UH-60 Black Hawks -- can depend on those results.
"We specialize in ensuring safety, [so] without us, units could potentially use unsafe fuel that could cause aircrafts to crash and vehicles to stall in the middle of a combat zone and that's not good," said Murray. "It just feels good knowing that I'm doing my job correctly and that I'm not putting other people in danger by being careless or complacent."
Murray had been running the PQAS-E incident-free for four months, before the rest of the team arrived in theater. Until that point, he was the sole individual responsible for testing thousands of gallons of fuel supporting several multinational exercises. This level of accountability is only bestowed on Soldiers who are stewards of their profession.
"Spc. Murray has been a stellar Solider during his time at 2-27th Quartermaster Composite Supply Company," said Capt. Amanda Fonk, commander of the Composite Supply Company. "He has worked leaps and bounds for our unit and he has learned so much while running his laboratory."
Operating in a complex environment empowers junior leaders to thrive. Murray encountered a unique challenge, which allowed him to excel in a leadership position he would have never envisioned before joining the U.S. Army.
"He's been a confident, respectful and knowledgeable junior leader that is always willing to help others learn. He owns his MOS and he's not afraid to tell anyone about it," Fonk said.
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