ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – How many people know that nearly all of the Army’s tactical vehicles, from trucks, tanks, to Bradleys and more use jet fuel?
The U.S. Army Petroleum Center does, and it knows just about everything else about any kind of fuel.
If it drives or flies and it’s in the Army, it probably needs petroleum-based fuel. Anything and everything in the Army that uses fuel, or any kind of petroleum product, falls within the purview of APC.
APC is part of the U.S. Army Sustainment Command’s Support Operations Directorate, also known as SPO.
ASC has the vital mission to ensure that every Soldier has whatever is needed, whenever and wherever it’s needed, and in usable condition. A lot of those supplies can’t get to the Soldier without fuel, or can’t be used by the Soldier without fuel, and that’s why APC exists.
“We are the only organization within the Army with the sole purpose of ensuring that the entire Army has the fuel they need, when and where they need it,” said Col. Mike Schulte, APC director.
APC is located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, the site of several Army and Department of Defense commands and organizations.
APC Deputy Director Jay Meyer said APC, “through the expertise and experience of its staff, provides technical assistance and support on all aspects of bulk petroleum operations to all units and organizations throughout the Army. Whether in a garrison-based fixed facility or deployed in an operational environment, APC staff are available to assist with any challenges a Soldier or a unit is facing.”
APC interacts with a host of Army and Department of Defense organizations to make sure all petroleum supplies are available and up to specification wherever they’re located.
“APC is the Army's Center of Excellence for bulk fuel technical expertise, petroleum infrastructure, bulk fuel planning requirements, and quality assurance,” said Schulte.
As part of this, APC assisted the Defense Logistics Agency in figuring out the Army jet fuel quantities needed in a contract worth $198 million. Validating the requirements before seeking contracts is crucial for the Army to getting the best pricing and assuring the fuel will be available when needed.
APC also consulted with the Australian Army because it is considering purchasing the U.S. Army Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) Tanker Aviation Refueling System (HTARS). To understand how best to use the system and any potential areas of concern, the Australian Army requested a meeting with APC personnel to discuss the best HEMTT techniques, tactics, and procedures.
APC is the Army’s “repository of expertise” when it comes to everything petroleum and has a staff who represent literally hundreds of years of experience in the field. In fact, some individual APC experts have been working for decades in the field of Army fuel.
Back to that jet fuel. Most people know that there’s a difference between “regular” fuel that most passenger cars and trucks use, diesel fuel, which is commonly used in big trucks and other large transport vehicles, and kerosene-based jet fuel, which is used in most aircraft.
Interestingly, most of the Army’s trucks run on commercial jet fuel. The difference is that it has four specific additives that maximize engine performance and durability. It’s called Jet Propellant 8, or JP-8, and is similar to commercial aviation’s Jet A-1 fuel, but the additives make it suitable for use in Army vehicles.
Because usage and storage requirements for different types of fuels vary, the Army shifted to a “single kerosene-based fuel” policy for all tactical vehicles in the late 1980s. Anything that would be near, or on, the battlefield, which includes most Army trucks, and all tactical vehicles, like Humvees, M1 Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, armored personnel carriers, etc., use JP-8 fuel. All helicopters, and even tactical generators, use JP-8.
“If it’s painted green or tan, it probably uses JP-8,” Meyer said.
The SKBF policy reduces the logistical burden that would be associated with having to store and transport multiple petroleum products on the battlefield.
Bulk petroleum products fall within Class III of the Army’s supply classification system. The Army consumes huge quantities of fuel, in the hundreds of millions of gallons annually. Meyer said to picture a swimming pool the size of a football field and ten feet deep – that would hold about four million gallons. In one specific regional Army fuel contract, for example, it calls for 40 million gallons, which would be 10 of those football field-sized swimming pools full of fuel. That’s just one of many contracts.
APC has three core areas of expertise: petroleum operations (tactical and garrison), petroleum infrastructure, and quality surveillance.
A primary task for APC is working closely with Army combat aviation brigades to understand their critical functions and needs, Meyer said.
Sometimes this will take the form of a Staff Assistance Visit. This is a way to provide a unit with a readiness assessment and assist its petroleum operations sections and teams. Usually they will focus on personnel training, fuel accountability, equipment readiness, quality surveillance, safety, and hands-on proficiency. If any deficiencies are identified, the SAV team provides guidance, information and instructions on how to correct them and maintain the standards.
APC also functions like a consulting agency and offers its expertise for any situation that might require it. Its specific area of authority is in quality surveillance and assurance of fuel specifications. APC can decide that a particular batch of a fuel type or mix is within guidelines for its intended purpose, or it’s not. It cannot enforce its decision, but it would be considered unwise for any agency or command to ignore APC guidelines.
As long as fuel of any type is needed, the Army Petroleum Center is here to provide its expertise to guide and organize those needs. Although it’s an organization most people don’t deal with directly, it’s a critical component of ASC’s Support Operations Directorate, and thus a crucial element of the command’s mission to always be there for all Soldiers.
Editor’s note: This is one of a series of articles focusing on individual divisions and directorates within ASC’s Support Operations Directorate. Previous articles were:
ASC’s Support Operations enables 24/7 global Army readiness
APPLE drives Army readiness by supporting PCS moves
Social Sharing