JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
A small crowd was on hand to witness the reopening of fuel tank five during a ribbon cutting ceremony July 15 at Joint Base Charleston - Air Base.
The fuel tank has been under refurbishment since January 2007 due to a faulty floating pan, but is now fully functional.
During the ceremony Capt. Melissa Thurman, 628th Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels flight commander, said it's phenomenal to get fuel tank five back in service.
"Fuel tank five holds 60 percent of Joint Base Charleston's fuel capacity and is a major asset to our installation and mission," she added.
According to Senior Master Sgt. Nathaniel Hawkins, 628 LRS Fuels flight superintendent, fuel tank five holds 1.8 million gallons of fuel.
"Having fuel tank five back in action will help reduce the number of man hours used in our shop," Hawkins said. "When the fuel tank was down for refurbishing, we received fuel five days a week. With fuel tank five's enormous capacity, we will only have to receive fuel once a week, cutting 24 man hours weekly."
Having the fuel tank operational is a big leap for the 628 LRS as it will reduce the amount of effort needed to keep C-17s fueled, Hawkins said.
"The fuel tank helps Joint Base Charleston become more efficient and directly supports our air mobility mission," he concluded.