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Show m fef ifesS Hill AFB, INSIDE: Special Leave Accrual considered Page 2 'Tunnel vision' affects focus Page 3 Sending mail to troops Page 4 Selection board schedule announced Page 5 Andrews was key commander Page 6 - Workshop V studies spending Page 7 Utah 84056-582- 4 o Mines Jltop www.hilltoptimes.com hilltop.pahill.af.mil Vol. 62 No. 31, September 4, 2003 D Diesel vehicles switch to alternate fuel by Tech Sgt. Brian Pratt Fuels Operations superintendent d general purStarting Monday, operators of all pose and most diesel powered special purpose government vehicles will begin filling their tanks with a new alternative fuel. Biodiesel, also known as B20, is a cleaner burning fuel that is made from renewable sources like vegetable oils, recycled restaurant greases and animal fats. These ingredients make up 20 percent of the fuel's contents with the other 80 percent being normal petroleum diesel. "B20 is safe for use in all conventional diesel engines and offers the same engine performance and durability as normal diesel fuels," said Master Sgt. Doug Collins, superintendent of the fuels management flight. "A National Biodiesel Board study airborne toxins are reduced by 75 shows that cancer-causin-g to 90 percent when compared to normal diesel fuels." The fuel is already being used by other Air Force bases, and is presently available only for government use. The driving force behind the conversion to B20 is Executive Order 13149. The order states that each agency that operates 20 or more motor vehicles, within the United States, shall reduce its annual petroleum consumption by at least 20 percent by the end of fiscal 2005 when compared to fiscal 1999 petroleum consumption levels. Economic savings to the organizations are another reason for the conversion, Collins said. The current price for one gallon of diesel is $1.01 compared to 86 cents for the same gallon of B20. In fiscal 2002, Hill vehicles consumed 380,000 gallons of diesel fuel at a cost of $383,300. The same amount of B20 will only cost $326,800. The switch in products will equate to a 14.7 percent decrease in fuel costs for the using organizations. The 75th Fuels Management Flight has pursued the implementation of Biodiesel at Hill, coordinating the purchase and approval contract through the Defense Energy Support Center. The center, based at Fort Belvoir, Va., owns all government E .: iff? J r--- -, . diesel-powere- Hill repairs Hercules for arctic duty .'J J " fer v V , I .v ? tit Si It IM ..fcf ; - 4 Hi iff A .s t 3 03 vnr ? 1 Photo by Beth Young Staff Sgt. Stephen Estell, Fuel Storage NCOIC, fills the tank of one of the Base Fuels Management Flight's towing vehicles with a new alternate fuel known as biodiesel. fuel until it is issued to the customer. The fuel storage tank that supplies the Military Service Station at Bldg. 924 has been cleaned and is ready for the new product Also, all vehicle control officers and vehicle NCOs have been briefed to have the Vehicle Identification Links brought to the Fuels Accounting Element, in -- . 4 4. tr - 'i - repa; ,. $ . . 1 , - - Bldg. 914, so they can be reconfigured to allow the customers to use B20. "The implementation of Biodiesel will not only save thousands of dollars annually," Collins said, "but demonstrates Team Hill's commitment to process improvement and preserving the environment." , . 33300 . Li ...:', 'S, : - f ' by Gary Boyle Hilltop Times staff Providing support from the top of Utah to the bottom of u ci Rally stresses safety Page 8 the world, Hill's Maintenance Directorate recently finished structural repairs on a National Science Founda- tion Operated by New York's Air National Guard's 109th Air Wing, the provides logistical support to a cadre of international scientists at the South Pole. The aircraft, painted gray and orange, is equipped with skis on the landing gear to facilitate operation in a frozen environment. The 109th, based in Scotia, N.Y., is Herthe only unit in the world to operate the cules. "We're down there from the end of October through the middle of February the summer season there. We fly eight to 10 missions a day," said Tech. Sgt. Deborah Gardner. "The NSF needs fuel to run the generators we take that and download it at the South Pole. We take personnel and equipment out to where they need to be at various field locations and pick them up when they're done. "We're at the South Pole for about 45 minutes, long enough to drop the stuff off. It can be about below zero, so we keep the engines running." In production since the 1950s, the Hercules series has earned a legendary reputation for delivering the goods to inhospitable locations where runways are more myth than tarmac. The New York ANG put its recently acquired 1973 model out for unscheduled depot level maintenance and Hill took delivery of the aircraft May 19. "The aircraft arrived and or a of the main landing gear strut seals ruptured, causing quite a mess on the There it was, sitting out on the taxiway blocking traffic on a Sunday night. We couldn't tow it because it has skis and needs a special tow bar which we didn't have, but we had to move it. So the next day we had our flight test crewstart up the motors, put the props in reverse and backed up the aircraft several hundred feet - an unusual site on the flight line," said Maintenance Directorate Program Planner Mike Martinez. "Repairing the main landing gear strut was extra work that wasn't planned. We have the people with the know- LC-13- 0. mtV. rS"7 Photos by Gary Boyle and New York Air National Guard ed Getting fit Page 9 ' 'j Russian crowds enjoy U.S. aircraft ,! Pages 10 Avoiding West Nile virus Page 11 taxi-wa- y. C-1- 'Work Number verifies employment Page 11 ., C-1- ce The 1 09th New York Air National Guard Air Wing's recently Hercules soaks acquired 0 up some summer sun during repairs at the Ogden ALC. The aircraft will soon be In Antarctica where 109th guardsmen have been providing logistical support for scientists from the National Science LC-13- how to do these unique jobs but we didn't have the specialized equipment unique to these aircraft. An aircraft with skis is not a common occurrence here," he said. A team of 170 technicians, mechanics, painters, schedulers, engineers and flight test evaluators put in approximately 3,400 hours making numerous structural and upper fuselage repairs. Repair to the nose landing area, including the wheel well and replacement of the number three on board thrust mount, required the engine to be temporarily removed. The aircraft has a distnictive look of an orange tail and glossy gray fuselage. The Hill repair team also had to apply new walk way paint as part of the repair requirements. A treaty banning military activity regulates the mission the New York ANG supports and requires the aircraft the guardsmen fly to be visually different from any other military aircraft flown. Guardsmen train in Greenland from April through August for their arctic sojourn. The guardsmen set up for their southern duty at McMurdo Station, a U.S. base built on the bare volcanic rock of Hut Point Peninsula on Ross Island, the farthest south solid ground that is accessible by ship. "We move everybody, like a forward operating area. Tours of duty can range from M See Aircraft, page 4 Shuttle service available for dorm residents Starting Monday, dorm residents will have a free shuttle service to get them to and from their work areas. Provided by the 75th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Vehicle Operations Element, the shuttle will operate trial basis. Thereafter, it will be. run based on a on rider use and determine if it's cost effective to continue. 0 The shuttle will run from 6:30 p.m. weekhours. Scheduled days during peak stops are: 30-da- y a.m.-4:3- Morning 6:30 a.m., Dining Hall Parking Lot 6:35 a.m., Bldg. 36 (388th Fighter Wing) 6:40 am, Bldg. 891 (75th Communications Squadron) 6:45 a.m., Bldg. 1277 (Health and Wellness Center) 6:50 a.m., Bldg. 1235 (Westside Restaurant) 7 a.m., Bldg. 1938 (729th Air Control Squadron) Lunchtime Pickup 10:45 a.m., Bldg. 1938 (729th ACS) 10:55 a.m., Bldg. 1235 (Westside Restaurant) 11 a.m., Bldg. 1277 (Health and Wellness Center) 11:05 a.m., Bldg. 891 (75th CS) 11:10 a.m., Bldg. 36 (388th FW) 11:15 a.m., Dining Hall Parking Lot Lunchtime Return Noon, Dining Hall Parking Lot 12:05 p.m., Bldg. 36 (388th FW) 12:15 p.m., Bldg. 1938 (729th ACS) i 12:25 p.m., Bldg. 1235 (Westside Restaurant) 12:30 p.m., Bldg. 1277 (Health and Wellness Center) 12:35 p.m., Bldg. 891 (75th CS) Afternoon 4 p.m., Bldg. 1938 (729th ACS) 4:10 p.m., Bldg. 1235 (Westside Restaurant) 4:15 p.m., Bldg. 1277 (Health and Wellness Center) 4:20 p.m., Bldg. 891 (75th CS) 4:25 p.m., Bldg. 36 (388th FW) 4:30 p.m., Dining Hall Parking Lot For more details, contact the Vehicle Dispatch tion at Ext sec- |