Fueling the force at the JRTC

Army Logistician, Sept-Oct, 2004 by Stephen R. Davis, Peter J. Crandall

Fueling the force challenges many of the rotational units at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, Louisiana, as they conduct operations on Cortina, the mythical island on which units at the JRTC fight. If not done correctly, fueling can severely distract the forward support battalion support operations officer and the brigade combat team S-4 and can consume most of their time, adversely affecting their ability to complete other mission-related tasks. The fuel challenge begins before the unit enters the training area and continues until the end of the rotation. A JRTC rotation is therefore an excellent training opportunity for the brigade combat team (BCT) fuel supply specialists--one not always available at the home station.

Fuel Forecast

Each unit must establish a fuel account and submit a fuel forecast during the planning phase of its JRTC rotation. To open a fuel account, the unit must provide the Fort Polk Directorate of Logistics (DOL) with an accounting processing code (APC), a Department of Defense activity address code (DODAAC), a signature card, and assumption of command orders.

The unit must submit its fuel forecast to the JRTC G-4 planner and to the DOL planner by D-60 (60 days before the operation begins). This forecast must include the needs of the BCT, the exercise support group (ESG), the logistics task force (LTF), the medical task force, any attached mechanized elements, and the aviation task force (AVN TF). The forecast must include a day-by-day total of the unit's fuel needs, starting with its first fuel draw and ending with its final draw before departing for home station. When forecasting the first fuel requirements, the unit must consider how its equipment will be transported to the JRTC--by rail, line haul, barge, or convoy. Unit logisticians must carefully coordinate with the AVN TF to estimate the number of hours the AVN TF will fly before entering the training area. Failure to anticipate these AVN TF fuel requirements can result in the consumption of thousands of gallons of unforecasted fuel.

Most units headed for the JRTC have historical data on the amount of fuel that their type of brigade has used during previous rotations. A unit that does not have such data on record can contact the JRTC Plans Division and Exercise Maneuver Control Logistics Plans Office for help in obtaining historical data from previous rotations. A review of the historical data is a good starting point for forecasting fuel needs. Once a unit receives the operation order from its higher headquarters, it can adjust its requirements on the logistics estimate.

The BCT must adjust its fuel forecast as the situation changes. Since Fort Polk's DOL keeps a limited amount of bulk class III on hand, units must notify DOL of changes to the forecast to allow DOL time to order additional fuel or decrease the amount ordered from the contractor. Failure to adjust the fuel forecast is a systemic problem that often occurs within a rotation. This problem may develop if the AVN TF is not monitored and synchronized. After several days of limited or no flying because of vehicle maintenance, safety down days, or adverse weather, a unit must adjust its fuel forecast with the ESG class III manager, who then will adjust it with the DOL. The need to adjust the fuel forecast should be stressed at logistics synchronization meetings.

At the end of the rotation, a unit must carefully balance fuel requirements against its on-hand stocks to ensure it is not left with thousands of gallons of excess fuel when it leaves Fort Polk.

Required Testing

Units must test their fuel filters before deploying into the training area. Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, will conduct these tests free of charge. At the D-90 logistics meeting between unit and JRTC representatives, the rotational unit will sign a memorandum of agreement with Barksdale Air Force Base to conduct the tests, which will include analyzing fuel samples from the ESG, LTF, AVN TF tankers, and forward support battalion (FSB). Test results on fuel samples delivered by 0700 will be available by 1300. The unit must submit a copy of the test results to the JRTC Plans Division and Exercise Maneuver Control Logistics Plans Office.

Fuel Types

All fuel available from Fort Polk's South Fort class III (bulk) storage point is JP8, which is certified for use in Army rotary-wing aircraft. Although most of the fuel used by units during a rotation will be JP8, a limited supply of gasoline or diesel fuel may be required. The needed quantities will depend on the type of equipment the unit deploys, such as generators, unmanned aerial vehicles, refrigerated vans, M-Gators, or commercial equipment. Once the fuel estimate is developed for these items, the unit must coordinate with the LTF or ESG to establish how the fuel will be delivered and in what type of container. This may become a challenge for units, particularly when the resupply must be accomplished aerially.

Delivery Means