The Unsung Heroes of the Flightline
This poem was originally written on the wall of a pumphouse in Guam. Enjoy
Most people don't care, or realize as well
The job done by base POL
To the pilots and crews, refueling's a bore
And the reason, I feel, is they don't know the score
From drawing board to production line, it takes large appropriations
To build a great aircraft, and get it on station
And lost in the shuffle, at least seems the rule
Is the need for this "bird" to bed fed good clean fuel
The engine men settle for no less than perfection
And the radar men strive for much finer detection
But exposed to the corrections of every known tool
The aircraft goes nowhere without the right fuel
But POL's job can be very complex
From receiving at bulk to their quality checks
They too, tune equipment with no element of guess
To ensure that pumps hum and filters coalesce
They check each sample by chemical test
And their quality control plan is always the best
From lead acetate paper to isometric titration
The fuel runs the gamut to meet specifications
The process seems simple: You place a call
To the POL dispatcher, who checks the chart on the wall
He sends out a unit in accordance with the order
Be it JP, or AVGAS, or demineralized water
So the next time you observe an aircraft go off
Full bore down the runway with nary a cough
And rise in the air, a most thrilling show
POL played a big part in making it go
-Roger Glass