Face of Defense: Hard Work Fuels Career for Cryogenics Airman

By Gina Randall

100th Air Refueling Wing

RAF MILDENHALL, England, Feb. 25, 2015 – Storing and issuing cryogenic products might sound like a unique line of work, but it’s business as usual for many airmen assigned here, home of U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s only air refueling wing.

It’s also the primary duty for Senior Airman Matthew Dillard, a cryogenic specialist with the 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron here. He said he wanted to be stationed overseas and he was glad his first assignment brought him to England.

"I've been in the military for three years, this is my first base," the cryogenic specialist said.

Dillard, a native of Las Vegas, Nevada, said he enlisted to make the most of his life and see where the career took him.

"I joined to travel and get some experience," Dillard said. "I wanted to grow up and see the world."

The senior airman said it was “pretty cool” to be deployed to Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, when forces there were drawing down.

"I was there for six months, and we had to take everything away,” Dillard said. “The change from a fully operational base to bare bones was drastic. Our biggest challenge was dismantling 14 200,000-gallon fuel bladders."

Working to the Highest Standards

He looks back with pride on his career highlights, he said, but it’s his day-to-day duties at home station that make him look forward to coming to work.

"The main job for petroleum, oils and lubricants airmen is to issue fuel to the aircraft, and I facilitate issuing fuel from all the storage tanks," Dillard explained. "I also perform inspections and issue cryogenic products, ensuring aircrews are provided with pure oxygen."

Dillard's work can be extremely dangerous, he said, but he performs regular inspections to ensure his work is carried out to the highest and safest standards.

"I check out all our facilities and make sure they're all operating correctly to ensure the safety of our guys as well as the base as a whole," Dillard explained. "We operate systems and perform liquid oxygen receipts and issues. That keeps us pretty busy. We also do a small amount of maintenance on the systems."

Like many airmen, fuels and cryogenic specialists undergo their fair share of training, and Dillard’s supervisor said that training has resulted in high reliability.

"Dillard is very thorough and very good at training other personnel,” said Staff Sgt. Dakota Ferris, 100th LRS fixed facility supervisor. “He is an all-around go-to guy when it comes to fixed facilities."