At Joint Base Andrews (JBA), Akima’s mission is twofold: fuel and supply. “We fuel almost every aircraft that lands on this base,” says Phil Waring, ALS project manager for Fuels and Supply Services Contract. When a top military or civilian leader — including POTUS or military officials — needs to jet somewhere in the world, Akima fuels their aircraft quickly and securely.
Featured Contract: Fuels and Supply Support for U.S. Air Force at Joint Base Andrews (JBA), Prince George’s County, Maryland
Mission
At Joint Base Andrews (JBA), Akima’s mission is twofold: fuel and supply. “We fuel almost every aircraft that lands on this base,” says Phil Waring, ALS project manager for Fuels and Supply Services Contract. When a top military or civilian leader — including POTUS or military officials — needs to jet somewhere in the world, Akima fuels their aircraft quickly and securely.
Akima has personnel with special security clearances that allow access to the presidential area to deliver fuel, explains Phil, who notes that “every time you see the President in a limo in a foreign country, it probably originated here in one of the large-frame aircraft.” Election years typically bring increased traffic, but this year COVID-19 has slowed campaign air travel a little.
Akima also delivers fuel to the Maryland State Police’s helicopter fleet on the base. On the supply side, Akima supports the Air Force by maintaining individual protective gear — including helmets, vests, jackets, gas masks, and weapons — issued to military members about to deploy. “Our mission a no-fail mission,” Phil says.
Strategy
Over the last year, the Akima team pumped well over 15 million gallons of fuel and serviced over 10,000 aircraft. “We make sure clean, dry fuel is delivered quickly and safely — 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” says John Neiffer, Fuels Flight Manager at JBA.
Fuel technicians prefer to use the underground refueling system to refuel planes, which can often hold 20,000-30,000 gallons of fuel; however, if a plane is parked away from the underground system, Akima uses a fuel truck from its new fleet of 5,000-gallon fuel trucks.
For the presidential support mission, the Akima team must stay vigilant. A fuels laboratory runs several extra tests to ensure that the fuel going into the presidential aircraft (as well as the tanks that hold the fuel) is clean and secure.
Expertise
Akima’s team on base includes fuel specialists and supply technicians, managers, and other experienced professionals. “When the clipboard hits the window, our fuels technicians move with singular purpose and get out to the plane as quickly and safely as possible,” says John, who’s retired from 25 years in the Air Force and takes pride in seeing his fuels team execute the mission every day, regardless of the weather — or global pandemic.
Akima’s team includes many former military men and women, as well as civilians who have fuels or supply experience. Earlier this year, ALS employees at JBA earned four awards for safe, fast, and efficient fuel delivery.
On the leadership side, Phil meets with four managers daily to troubleshoot and ensure smooth operations. “My managers collectively have over 100 years of experience in the U.S. Air Force,” says Phil, who himself is retired from 28 years of Air Force service.
Ready for Anything
When foreign dignitaries visit the capital region, they typically land at JBA, and Akima gets to work refueling. Visitors typically pay by credit card, but occasionally, they pay cash: “We have to be sure we have processes in place to handle, at times, tens of thousands of dollars when we have a cash sale,” Phil says, which happens a couple of times a year. “It’s daunting when it’s 2 a.m. and we’re collecting cash — it makes a manager nervous, but we have never had a problem.”
Results
Our nation’s leaders and administration rely on air travel to accomplish their jobs governing the country and stewarding international relations. Planes that are fueled up safely and ready to go are key for such important trips. “We provide the fuel and expertise to get it done,” says Phil. “We think that contributes greatly to our national defense.”
On the supply side, Air Force men and women need gear that fits, works properly, and is ready to go so that they can stay safe while defending our country. Ensuring that service members have clean and maintained gear they need, notes Phil, “is vital at the national level and at the personal level for the members that have to deploy.”
About Akima
When it comes to ensuring smooth logistics in complex missions, Akima has a proven track record of success in its Logistics & Supply Chain capability.
When a customer needs logistical support — whether in a federal facility or military installation — Akima’s experts can handle all the details. We specialize in behind-the-scenes problem-solving, such as moving an Army unit across the country; weapons maintenance; providing glider aircraft towing support; and managing thousand-vehicle transportation fleets.
Our experience includes inventory management — managing warehouses of nearly a million square feet — as well as aviation and facility support for military operations around the world.
