While the regional fuels officer (RFO) billet is not joint-coded, there is enough overlap with the joint enterprise that I was compelled to submit an article. The RFO billet covers numerous responsibilities, but I think the billet responsibilities that are most germane to the joint environment are ensuring the tactical distribution of petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) products; maintaining inventory levels at each regional defense fuel support point (DFSP) to meet all routine operations and operational plans; and planning for the requisite DFSP infrastructure to meet current and future requirements.
Tactical Distribution
DFSP Manchester predominantly supports fueling evolutions for Navy units and aviation squadrons attached to Naval Station Everett, Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. However, there are frequent opportunities to support missions and exercises across the different services and other governmental agencies, as well as with allies.
DFSP Manchester, in close coordination with Defense Logistics Agency-Energy (DLA-E) Americas West, annually supports Quartermaster Liquid Logistics Exercise (QLLEX), Fuel Exercise (FUELEX), or a Defense Transportation Contract (DTC) exercise.
The QLLEX simulates a combat training environment for U.S. Army Reserve units involved with fuel and water distribution during large-scale combat operations. The exercise is headed by an Army quartermaster battalion. The reserve units transport Jet A aviation fuel (JAA) to a temporary field storage facility at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) near Tacoma, Washington. From there, truck convoys deliver fuel to units at JBLM as well as to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington; Fairchild Air Force Base, Spokane, Washington; Yakima Training Center, Washington; and Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon. Army Reserve units receive fuel orders, determine the vehicle requirements, and send the trucks to DFSP Manchester’s truck fueling station to obtain the JAA. The drill scenario uses Navy infrastructure and Army rolling stock to support Navy, Army and Air Force operational requirements at select locations in the region.
A FUELEX is a fuel logistics exercise headed by a reserve trucking company and supported by DLA-E Americas West, designed to coordinate fuel distribution across the joint enterprise. FUELEX is a practical exercise designed to mimic a battlefield Forward Operating Base (FOB).
Training is focused on fuels handling and transportation to maintain proficiency of assigned Army Petroleum Management Specialists (Military Occupational Specialty 92F) and Motor Transport Operators (Military Occupational Specialty 88M) and enhancing military fuel logistics by coordinating efforts between different agencies and integrating commercial capabilities.
A DTC is a contract between the Department of Defense (DoD) and a private company to provide transportation services for the U.S. Armed Forces. DFSP Manchester provided 126,000 gallons of JAA to Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in 2024 and 111,000 gallons of JAA to JBLM in 2025 via LB&B Associates, Inc. It allows for the coordination between the DoD and industry partners to move POL throughout the region simulating war-time posture.
In addition to supporting the U.S. Army, DFSP Manchester also supports U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) District 13 and Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt in British Columbia, Canada. The USCG operates as a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and DFSP Manchester provides District 13 with approximately 1.4 million gallons of POL products yearly.
CFB Esquimalt is Canada's Pacific coast naval base and home port to Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific Headquarters. DFSP Manchester delivers between 200,000-400,000 gallons of POL every two years through an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement (ACSA).
Inventory Management
My Deputy, Michael Carter, and I attended the 2024 Global Bulk Fuel Petroleum War Reserve Working Group at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. with the goal of better understanding the Navy’s role and responsibilities for supporting joint operational plans and time-phased force deployment data (TPFDD) requirements generation. While we operate at the tactical end of the POL supply chain, I thought it was imperative for our development as the Commander, Navy Region Northwest fuels team to understand how DFSP Manchester and DFSP Whidbey Island fed into operational and strategic level planning for U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and in support of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM). We wanted to draw the connections between our weekly bulk petroleum contingency report (REPOL) and quarterly bulk petroleum capabilities report (POLCAP) – required by Joint Publication 4-03 Joint Bulk Petroleum and Water Doctrine – and its impact decisions made by the NORTHCOM Joint Petroleum Officer or DLA-E Americas West.
The working group was highly collaborative across the services and areas of responsibility (AORs). It highlighted the need to validate assumptions, go back to the actual requirements, ensure consistency across data sources and make data driven decisions.
Infrastructure Planning
DFSP infrastructure is maintained and upgraded through a variety of means to include military construction (MILCON), sustainment, restoration, and modernization (SRM) and recurring maintenance and minor repair (RMMR). SRM and RMMR are handled through the Service Control Point (SCP), but the DLA-E MILCON program is truly joint. The program weighs the priorities of each SCP and combatant command (CCMD) joint petroleum officer (JPO). Each service-generated project is briefed before an Installation Planning and Review Board (IPRB) comprising of each SCP and CCMD JPO in accordance with DoD Manual 4140.25, Volume 8. The projects’ prioritization across the DLA-E Enterprise are elevated to the DLA-E Commander.
