NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka 'Fuelies' Win Naval Fuel Management Awards

By Sky M. Laron, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Director of Corporate Communications

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- Few things burn hotter than a United States Navy Sailor's desire to serve their country but at 140-degrees Fahrenheit a close second would be the flash-point of JP-5, the fuel used in many of the Navy jets across the Asia Pacific region, which brings the mission-ready American warfighter to the tip of the spear.

Fuel professionals at NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Yokosuka support that mission and have been named as 2014 Naval Fuel Management Award winners by Commander, Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Rear Adm. Jonathan Yuen, March 18.

Chief Engineering Aide Aaron Marshall, winner for the Navy chief petty officer category and Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Fuel) 1st Class Luis Payano, Navy petty officer winner, are both assigned to the command's Code 700 fuel department aboard Site Sasebo and Site Diego Garcia respectively.

The command's fuel team also captured best Navy Bulk Fuel Terminal for its operations at Fuel Terminals Sasebo, Japan.

These annual awards recognize activities and personnel who have made the most significant contributions to Department of the Navy bulk fuel operations, petroleum supply chain management and fleet fuel support. The awards highlight the accomplishments of naval petroleum professionals who demonstrate their pride, professionalism and support for our warfighters.

"As half of the U.S. Navy's deployed fleet is permanently homeported in the Asia Pacific, it is vital that NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka has the fuel available to keep the ships and aircraft moving and our 'fuelies' are an integral piece of that much larger puzzle of keeping the warfighter at the tip of the spear," said Capt. Raymond Bichard, commanding officer, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka, adding that the work performed this last year by Payano, Marshall and the entire fuel team in Sasebo has been exceptional.

Marshall is directly involved in every facet of terminal maintenance, construction, inspections and repair, whether performed by contractor or in-house labor. He provided expert guidance that has led to a highly successful commission rate of 22 miles of pipeline, 27 storage tanks, components and facilities that encompass nearly 400 acres of real estate.

Last year, Payano supervised the safe receipt, handling and storage of 21.5 million gallons of fuel over a period of seven days with zero loss of accountability, mishap or spill. He also supervised the refueling of one million gallons of fuel to 88 Royal Australian Air Force aircraft in support of their mission requirements as well as assessed contractor performance in the issuing of 5.5 million gallons of fuel to dozens of maritime pre-positioned ships contributing to their overall combat readiness.

"I was very pleased to recognize our fuels personnel for their outstanding performance and contributions to the FLCY fuels mission during calendar year 2014."

NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka fuel team professionals - Sailors, Master Labor Contract (MLC) and United States Civil Service (USCS) employees - provide clean, clear and bright fuel to the fleet and joint warfighter. Their highly technical fuel missions are an everyday occurrence for the command, which prides itself on being the best option for petroleum, oil and lubricant (POL) products within the Asia Pacific area of responsibility (AOR).

"Whether it's a ship, jet or a helicopter - when the request comes in, we get our team to move that fuel from storage tanks to trucks and from super tankers to rail cars, doing whatever it takes to answer the call," said Bichard. "The operation we run is 24/7 and our team must be able to respond at a moment's notice to deliver that fuel to those customers on time and safely every time."

As the Western Pacific region's largest U.S. Navy logistics command, just 26 miles due south of Tokyo, the NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka enterprise networks more than 20 sites and fuel terminals from Misawa, Japan, to Sydney, Australia; Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to Guam with a mission to serve the Asia-Pacific region's forward deployed maritime warfighter with 24/7 operational logistics support integrating an extensive service provider network to deliver fuel as well as other supply chain services to include parts, material, provisions and mail across the U.S. Navy's largest geographical area of responsibility.