I started my journey within the Supply Corps Fuel Community back in 2010 when I was stationed at the then Naval Inventory Control Point – Philadelphia, PA.  Surrounded by many great supply officers, some of whom had attended the University of Kansas (KU) and completed fuel tours at Fleet Logistics Centers (FLC) or as planners on a fleet staff.  Influenced by the stories they told me of attending KU, living in Lawrence and all the professional opportunities fuel jobs provide, I decided that I definitely wanted to pursue the CIVINS program at KU to try and join the ranks of the fuel community and officially become a “Fuelie.” 

The dream came true when I received a call from the detailer, then Cmdr. Shawn Triggs, while I was sitting in my office at SEAL Team ONE.   It was an unusual detail to postgraduate school because it was April of that year, and I needed to quickly apply to KU and PCS by July.  Knowing these opportunities don’t come around very often, there was no way I was going to turn it down.  My wife and I quickly made the arrangements to move to the mid-west and before we knew it, we were on the road to Lawrence, Kansas to attend school at KU. 

When completing the 811 Program, not many know that you get both your MBA from the School of Business and a Graduate Certificate in Petroleum Management through the School of Engineering.  The KU School of Business has been educating students and creating business leaders since 1924, and the 176,000-square-foot, state of the art Capitol Federal Hall, is the hub for collaboration and innovation.  The MBA program offered specializations in Supply Chain Management (SCM) or finance, among others.  Quickly after my first semester began, I understood that I wanted to specialize in SCM and that this was going to be a very challenging but also very rewarding two years and I was thrilled to be a part of it. 

Living in Lawrence proved to live up to the hype, as well.  A vibrant college town known for its strong sense of community, thriving arts and music scene, great BBQ and probably the best ice cream shop in the world in Sylas and Maddy’s.  It's a place where you can find a blend of small-town charm, youthful energy and going to a KU basketball game should be on everyone’s bucket list as attending a game at Allen Fieldhouse is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  But after two years of rigorous academic work and enjoying Lawrence, it was time to graduate, put the uniform back on and join the Team at NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka as the C700 fuel director.

Since graduating from KU and becoming a “Fuelie,” I’ve luckily had the opportunity to complete two fuel tours – NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka C700 fuel director and a special assignment as an O-5 to join the team at NAVSUP FLC Pearl Harbor as the C700 Fuel director / Joint Task Force Red Hill (JTF-RH) operations deputy director to execute the SECDEF directed mission to defuel the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF).

I would argue that the NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka C700 director job was the most challenging terminal fuel job in the Supply Corps.  Since the transfer of operations to CNIC, the scope has changed a bit, but it was the largest regional fueling operation in the Navy spanning from Japan, Guam and Diego Garcia.   You were charged with the management of nine defense fuel support points (DFSP), eight deep water terminals, two airfields, 156 aboveground / underground storage tanks with a total fuel inventory of 425 million gallons and hundreds of MILCON / SRM / RMMR projects.  Additionally, you were accountable for the logistic coordination and operational execution of delivery and receipt of fuel distribution to all Joint Forces within the AOR via tanker, barge, pipeline, rail and truck averaging roughly one billion gallons of throughput per year.

I had many highlights from my tour at NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka but flying out to Iwo Jima had to be one of the most memorable.  We needed to isolate over 90 thousand gallons of off-spec JP-5 into one tank to ensure the Iwo Jima fueling system was operational in order to have USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) successfully execute their Carrier Landing Practice before deployment.  It was a successful mission and being able to hike up Mount Suribachi and walk through the extensive network of underground bunkers, tunnels and pillboxes was extremely surreal.

While you were accountable for 10% of DoD’s fuel and over 30% of the strategic fuel reserves in the AOR, DFSP Iorizaki in Sasebo is home to the Department of Defense’s (DoD) largest fuel tank – the famous I-4.

My second fuel tour came as a complete surprise.  On March 7, 2022, SECDEF Austin ordered the DoD to defuel and permanently shut down the RHBFSF.  The decision came after the November 2021 contamination of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam’s drinking water system, which was linked to the RHBFSF.  Shortly after, I received the call that I would be joining Skipper Shawn Triggs and his team at NAVSUP FLC Pearl Harbor to be the C700 director / JTF- RH deputy director to help lead the defuel operations of the RHBFSF.  I wore two hats –  fueling for daily operations fell under FLCPH C700 however, anything dealing with the RHBFSF, I wore the JTF-RH deputy director hat. 

JTF-RH Fuel Operations Directorate staff was comprised of fuel professionals to include Active-Duty Military, Reserve, National Guard, DoD Civilians and Industry (see diagram below). The Directorate was responsible for executing all fuel operations pertaining to the RHBFSF, manning, training, safety, maintenance and procedural compliance.  The Directorate was led by the Director, Capt. Triggs, who advised the commander and staff on all fuel operation planning / capabilities, managed the Fuel Operations staff and collaborated with the Department of Health (DOH) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for regulatory approvals. The deputy director (me) assisted the director in all fuel operation matters and assisted in managing the Fuel Operations staff. The Technical Lead, Lt. Cmdr. Les Begin, served as the directorate contract representative and assisted in managing the Fuel Operations staff. Operations and Maintenance consisted of DoD Civilians and Army Active Duty for Operational Support (ADOS) and they executed the fuel operation OPORDs and maintained the facility. The Directorate received critical Army ADOS support that provided necessary skilled manpower for emergent defuel requirements and were embedded throughout the Operations and Maintenance Divisions. Additionally, industry professionals from Brice/Risktec and Pond/Tehama assisted in planning and coordinating all fuel operations and also supported in training, safety, maintenance and procedural compliance.

The Fuel Operations Directorate was charged with leading the operational execution of the SECDEF’s directed mission to remove the approximately 104 million gallons of fuel from the RHBFSF. Working with the DOH and EPA, the operational defuel plans were refined, improved and briefed to ensure they met the requirements in the State of Hawaii’s EO and were in accordance with federal, state and local regulations. Fuel Operations developed, organized, coordinated and executed the final gravity-based defueling plan which consisted of seven major operations (1) Initial Unpacking; (2) Dewatering / Sampling (3) Surge Tank Draining; (4) Repacking / Equalization; (5) Tank Mains; (6) Flowable Tank Bottoms; (7) Final Unpacking of the lines. 

Ultimately, the team flawlessly executed the defueling operations plans to remove and relocate the approximately 104 million gallons of bulk fuel from the RHBFSF to locations around the world.  Additionally, we ensured that JTF-RH was not only on time to defuel RHBFSF but was gravity defueling mission complete almost 12 months ahead of the timeline originally projected by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and DON.

In closing, I wouldn’t change a thing in my career as a supply officer and I reflect on my experiences at KU, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka and NAVSUP FLC Pearl Harbor with great joy. To be honest, I didn’t want to PCS to Japan and I certainly wasn’t volunteering myself to go to Red Hill however, both tours were extremely challenging and nurtured professional growth that made me a better naval officer.  And on the personal side, living in Japan was one of the best experiences of my life and I really miss the beautiful beaches and Ohana in Hawaii.  Even though the fuel landscape within NAVSUP has changed a bit, whether it’s at a DFSP or as a planner on a Fleet Staff, the jobs are still there and offer the same challenges, professional expertise and growth.  We need top-notch naval officers to lead and represent NAVSUP in the DoD fuel and operational energy community – I encourage you to rise to the occasion and become a “Fuelie!”