Airmen at Joint Base Lewis-McChord were acknowledged this week for earning an Air Mobility Command-level award. Read more about it here. 

Gen. Raymond Johns Jr., Air Mobility Command commander, visited McChord this week on his first official visit as the new AMC commander. 

Johns was previously assigned to McChord as the 62nd Airlift Wing commander from 1998 to 2000. 

Among meeting with various units on base and flying with an aircrew, Johns also announced during a commander's call that AMC has provided McChord with $675,000 to upgrade the fitness center annex with an indoor running track, larger locker rooms and electric system upgrades. The construction is projected to be completed near Labor Day. 

Johns also recognized retiring long-time federal employee, William "Pappa J" Johnson, 62nd Force Support Squadron athletic director. The Fitness Center upgrade was the last in a long series of Johnson's efforts to improve McChord health and wellness programs and facilities. 

Johns also recognized Cheryl Vollmer, director of the Airman and Family Readiness Center, who retires this week after 22 years at McChord and 32 years of federal service. Vollmer is responsible for growing the Airman and Family Readiness Center from two employees in 1988 to 11 in 2010, initializing the Escape Zone, a family resiliency center for parents and children and building a job placement program for spouses of military members and veterans. 

(Information courtesy 62nd AW PA)  

(From the 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs)

Airmen assigned to the 62nd Aerial Port Squadron depart for Haiti late tonight to bring specialized airfield operations skills and equipment to the humanitarian relief effort at Port-Au-Prince's Toussaint L'Ouventure International Airport.

The 15-airmen APS team is made up of experts in airfield operations and allows critical relief supplies to be unloaded from cargo aircraft with aircraft engines still running. This allows faster ground times for all aircraft bringing in relief supplies and departing with evacuees.

Prior to the earthquake, Haiti's single runway airport averaged three takeoffs and landings per day; under current U.S. Air Force operation, the airfield is averaging more than 170 takeoffs and landings daily in support of ongoing humanitarian efforts.

"It's a privilege to participate in this operation and help the Haitian people," said Air Force Master Sgt Jason Aven, 62nd APS air transportation operations center, senior NCO in charge.  "Engine running off-loads and on-loads are one of the most specialized skills the Air Force brings to this humanitarian airlift operation; it allows us to safely download cargo in minimal time to rush aid to the Haitian people."

According to one 62nd Airlift Wing deputy commander, this is the busiest season yet of Operation Deep Freeze at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. 

Crews from both the 62nd and 446th Airlift Wings are fully entrenched in the mission, which supports the National Science Foundation's research.

Read more about this year's mission here.

Aircrews from the 446th Airlift Wing flew some unique cargo recently. Read more about it here.

The Air Force announced the start of this demonstration a couple of weeks ago and we ran a short news brief in the printed Airlifter, but now McChord officials have released more information about the 62nd Airlift Wing's role. 

From the 62nd AW PA:

To reduce reliance on military specification products, simplify the fuel supply chain and save money, Air Force Petroleum Agency researchers will conduct demonstrations to use commercially available jet fuel instead of military standard JP-8 fuel.

In addition to McChord, the demonstrations of Jet A fuel versus JP-8 fuel will occur at Dover Air Force Base, Del.; Little Rock AFB, Ark.; and Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station, Minn. Each base has C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III or C-130 Hercules primary-assigned aircraft. 

McChord's role in the demonstration is the injection of necessary fuel additives as fuel goes into flight line fuel tanks that are used to issue fuel directly to aircraft. During the demonstration, McChord officials will inject military additives at various points in the supply chain and have a business case analysis completed at the conclusion of the demonstration to see which option is best.

"We are uniquely dedicated to the switch and have begun receiving Jet A already," said 1st Lt. Brian Jorgensen, 62nd Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels management flight commander. "The refinery is located in Tacoma, so it is conveniently located to McChord."

During the demonstration, suppliers can put Jet A fuel into shared pipelines, according to Jorgensen.

By eliminating the need for a specialty fuel like JP-8 and using a more readily available Jet A, refineries and fuel depots will be able to reduce infrastructure costs and save money which they will be able to pass along to the DOD.

Officials estimate the annual savings for the Air Force at $40 million.

Master Sgt. Mark Walker, Air Force Petroleum Agency project manager noted that another part of the initiative is sponsoring research that may lead to a reduction or elimination of certain military additives. By reducing the need for military additives, Air Force suppliers can reduce the logistics footprint during contingency operations, he added.

One of the key parts of the demonstration is the ability to inject military-specific fuel additives into Jet A prior to use like icing inhibitor, Jorgenson said. By injecting fuel system icing inhibitor further forward in the supply chain, the quantities can be reduced by nearly 60 percent, he said.

The demonstrations are set to run for 12 months. Afterwards, AFPA and Defense Energy Support Center officials will review the data to determine a future course of action.