MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, S.C. --
The Fightertown Fuels Division added their third consecutive Civilian of the Year Award to their list of achievements recently when Tim Polk, an Air Station fuels distribution system worker was recognized as the American Petroleum Institute Marine Corps Fuel Civilian of the Year.
In 2005, Polk’s section distributed more than 17 million gallons of aviation fuel to more than 13,000 aircraft.
“Mr. Polk has demonstrated superior professionalism, initiatives and dedication to his duties not only in the past three years, but has gone above and beyond in the year of 2005,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 James Hendrix, the Air Station Fuels officer.
Fightertown’s fuel is transferred from Jacksonville, Fla., by fuel barges that travel on the Intercoastal Waterway on a weekly basis. Once the barge arrives, the fuel is tested and pumped off the barge and into the Air Station’s fuel tanks, all the while being monitored by fuel section personnel.
“Safety is key, since we are dealing in navigable waters; we don’t want to leak any harmful liquids that would hurt the environment or put the Air Station at risk of any fire danger,” Polk said.
Polk conducts and supervises all scheduled transfers and deliveries of petroleum products and assists in the coordination of all training and administration for the civilian fuel facility workforce here.
“It’s great that we have civilians who work just as hard as any Marine to provide the outstanding services to the tenant and transient units on the Air Station,” said Alan Archer, Fightertown’s deputy director of operations.
In 2005, Polk was instrumental in the planning, coordination and execution of fuel receiving operations.
“It feels good to be part of a team that is able to plan, receive and issue this quantity of fuel to the Marines who need it,” Polk said.
Polk also advises the fuels officer concerning all fuel facility matters.
“Mr. Polk is truly an outstanding fuel distribution worker who has been working for the fuels section since 2001 and is a technical expert in both mobile and in-line petroleum distribution systems,” according to Hendrix.
Polk is one of many highly experienced fuel section workers on the Air Station staff.
“Winning this award was a team effort for the entire fuels division, we can’t do it by ourselves,” Polk said. “I am privileged to be in a shop with a lot of other experienced workers.”
The Air Station now has three employees in the Department of Energy Hall of Fame; Polk joined fellow fuel section workers Kevin Bickle and Clifton Johnson. Bickle and Johnson were previously recognized as the American Petroleum Institute Marine Corps Fuel Civilian of the Year award in 2003 and 2004 respectively.
“Having one of our fuels personnel receive this award is well deserved recognition of the effort the fuels personnel put into maintaining our high level of readiness and the outstanding support MCAS provides to the MAG and Navy squadrons, as well as to any visiting aircraft to the air station,” Archer said.