Col. Robert Kline recognizes two service members for returning a fuel transport vehicle to mission-capable status by overhauling its pumping system and swapping out the engine.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Justin Vigil, at left, and Senior Airman Samuel Marranca, both 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle management specialists, stand ready to be recognized by wing leadership within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The Airmen were recognized for completing a critical engine swap and pumping system overhaul that returned an R-11 fuel truck to service.
Tank truck technicians are always in high demand. These two are worth keeping an eye on—in case they ever return to civilian duty.
U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Kline, commander of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, recently recognized Staff Sgt. Justin Vigil and Senior Airman Samuel Maranca with special “challenge coins” for performing critical maintenance on an R-11 fuel truck that allowed the vehicle to return to service.
According to an Air Force release, the tank truck languished in “non-mission capable status” for 439 days before the service members overhauled the truck’s pumping system and swapped out the engine, returning the asset to service and ensuring sustained refueling operations that enable mission success.
The tanker now is “100% mission capable,” the Air Force reported.
Kline and Vigil, both 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle management specialists, displayed their outstanding performance within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
Julian Atkins | U.S. Air Force
Leaders with the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing speak to U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt Justin Vigil and Senior Airman Samuel Maranca, both 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle management specialists, while recognizing them for their accomplishments within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The Airmen were recognized for performing critical maintenance on an R-11 fuel truck.
Jason McDaniel, based in the Houston TX area, has more than 20 years of experience as an award-winning journalist. He spent 15 writing and editing for daily newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle, and began covering the commercial vehicle industry in 2018. He was named editor of Bulk Transporter and Refrigerated Transporter magazines in July 2020.
