AJO, Ariz. – It’s pretty much universally agreed that with the assistance of aviation assets from the National Guard, success of air operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has dramatically increased since the beginning of Operation Jump Start (OJS).

Unseen by the many, who only observe the OH-58 Kiowas and UH-60 Black Hawks soaring through the sky, is a divergent cast of supporting characters ranging from mechanics to crew chiefs, test pilots to refuelers.

It’s bright and early on the morning of Sept. 8 as Task Force Raven Army Warrant Officer Candidate Steven Ernst, of Anchorage, Alaska, with Company E, 1-207th Aviation Regiment, Alaska Army National Guard gathers his crew in preparation for a long day ahead.

Ernst and his team are Petroleum, Oil, and Lubrication specialists (92F series military occupational specialty), refuelers, working the “daily” Forward Ammunition and Refueling Points (FARP).

“Some of our sites are constantly manned - where we push out teams to the locations to be on-ground for a seven day rotation,” said Ernst. “And some sites, like those we’re going to now, we drive out to every day to check the quality and quantity level of the fuel and to make sure the TPU (Tank Pump Unit) is full.”

Located at the Army Aviation Support Facilities, Silver Bell Army Heliport in Marana, Ariz. the Ajo CBP Border Patrol station is the first, and closest at 145 miles away, of the crews several stops for the day.  Upon arrival, the team of three quickly gets to work pulling and testing a fuel sample, yanking hoses from the M985 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) to hook up to the TPU.

“Army regulations say that fuel can be no more than 10 parts per million water,” said Mich. Army National Guard Spc. John Mix, from Company E, 1-238th Avn. Reg. attached to OJS-Arizona, TF Raven.

“We try to shoot for under 2 parts per million,” said Mix, a resident of Hastings, Mich.

Siphoning out a sample bottle full of fuel, Mix heads over to a machine that analyzes the sample.  After a few minutes he calls back “Under 1 ppm!” indicating to Ernst and Tucson resident and Ariz. Army National Guard Sgt. Daniel Lopez, to begin filling the TPU.

“There’s a lot of things that could cause water in the fuel mixture,” said Mix noting that rain and condensation in the fuel tank are the most common culprits.

Just as the team gets the first TPU filled, a Kiowa crests a hilltop, coming down for a landing. Like clockwork, Ernst, Lopez and Mix don their protective equipment and standby.

“We don’t do hot refuels (refuels while the helicopter is still running) out here,” explained Ernst. “We wait for the electronics on the bird to completely shutdown and the rotors to come to a complete stop before we ground the helicopter and begin refueling,” he said.

 “Kiowas are really fun and quick to refuel,” said Ernst noting that compared to the up-to 15 minutes it can take to refuel a Black Hawk, Kiowas are much easier at only 5-6 minutes on average.

Testing fuel samples, refilling helicopters and the various other tasks that fill the days all add up to a rewarding experience each of these Soldiers will take back to their home units.

“Working out here in Arizona for OJS has been a phenomenal training experience,” said Ernst. “Members from my unit in Alaska came down here before they deployed to Afghanistan and they are constantly emailing me, telling me that the experience they gained here, in Arizona, has been a tremendous asset to them there.”

Mix agreed, “Being on OJS has definitely been great from a training and learning perspective.  I know I’ll go home and be able to mentor my younger Soldiers with all the experience I’ve gained here.”

Mix and Ernst said that not only does the day-to-day repetition of doing their job reinforce good habits, but with the wide breadth of experience all the different Soldiers and Airmen bring to TF Raven, tips and tricks of the job are freely traded.

“There are so many guys here who have so much know-how doing this job,” said Ernst. “And they pass on those years of knowledge to the younger troops, knowledge that would have taken them years to learn.”

            Even with the harsh desert conditions and remote locations to some of the FARPS, “We have some spots that the only thing around for miles is our refueling point,” said Ernst; Soldiers and Airmen of TF Raven, OJS-Ariz. agree, they wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

            “We conduct exit interviews on all our rotating troops,” said Ernst, “and every single one of them has said the same thing – this has been one of the best experiences of their military career.”

            Refueled, the Kiowa takes back to the air to perform its mission of spotting undocumented aliens, protecting the Southwestern border. The Soldiers of the refueling team get back to the business of filling the second TPU. Ernst, soon on his way to Warrant Officer School to become a pilot, takes a special joy in his mission making sure aircraft of TF Raven have the fuel so essential to their mission.

            “I hope to fly those birds one day,” he said.  “And working out here, I get a real appreciation for all the hard work these guys put into making sure the pilots can do their job.”