Incirlik Airmen fuel Operation Odyssey Dawn

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Anthony J. Hyatt
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  When four Qatari Mirage F-1s and one C-17 Globemaster III landed at Incirlik Air Base March 25, the Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants flight sprung into action to help get the aircraft to their final destination.

The 39th Logistics Readiness Squadron POL flight here refueled the Qatari aircraft in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn.

"We were honored to support our Qatari allies and their role in Operation Odyssey Dawn," said 1st Lt. Jordan Clark, the 39th LRS Fuels Management flight commander.

Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn was the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. UNSCR 1973 authorized all necessary measures to protect civilians in Libya under threat of attack by Qadhafi regime forces.

The POL flight's primary responsibility is supplying fuel to all aircraft and assets at Incirlik.

"Our mission is to receive and then distribute critical energy resources to the user in a safe and timely manner," said Lieutenant Clark.

The 39th POL flight is the second busiest in all U.S. Air Forces in Europe and sixth busiest in the entire Air Force. Last year, the POL flight received, transferred or issued more than 160 million gallons of jet fuel.

The strategic location of Incirlik Air Base makes the POL flight that much more important, Lieutenant Clark said.

POL responsibilities touch nearly every organization at Incirlik, and at any given time they may have to issue thousands of gallons of jet fuel, according to the Fuels Management flight commander.

"You can see your direct impact on the mission when you refuel an aircraft and it takes off," said Senior Airman Kevin Kloss, of the 39th LRS.