The 87th Air Base Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., recently received the Air Force's 2010 American Petroleum Institute Gold Award.

The other award winners were:

Silver Award - 86th Air Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany
Bronze Award - 49th Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.
Air National Guard Award - 121st Air Refueling Wing of the Ohio National Guard
Air Force Reserve Award - 514th Air Mobility Wing at Joint Base MDL

For their part, 87th ABW Airmen supported 25,000 joint customers with 91 million gallons of petroleum product, according to the AFPA report. The base pumped 14 million gallons of fuel to 9,500 aircraft, ultimately moving 50,000 short tons of cargo in direct support of the warfighter in the area of responsibility.

Aside from their home station mission, members of the 87th Logistics Readiness Squadron flight provided support in the Department of Defense's area of operations. They supported 21 mobilization taskings, sending 30 combat-trained fuels Airmen to Iraq, as well as numerous locations in Southwest Asia, Honduras and Colombia. In Iraq, fuels Airmen supported unmanned aerial vehicles that were instrumental in the confirmation and removal of eight improvised explosive devices and the capture and confinement of one of the coalition's most-wanted insurgents.

The squadron also stood out in the awards innovation category by spearheading the completion of a $720,000 E-85 fuel-system installation project, and completing a six-month test on a 17,500-gallon-large-capacity refueling vehicle. Both projects resulted in reduced operator requirements and increased support capabilities.

"This was a total team effort in every way," said Chief Master Sgt. Eric Stone, the 87th Logistics Readiness Squadron flight chief. "Every person in this flight had a part in winning this coveted award. The accomplishments for the package were collected from our home base, down range, (and from) Army, Navy and Marines Corps personnel, making this a true joint-base accomplishment."

According to a report from the Air Force Petroleum Agency, besides submitting a nomination form, the competitors were asked to submit a short video depicting a "day in the life" of their fuels flight by highlighting their Airmen, infrastructure and mission accomplishments.

"The video, along with the original written package, are then closely scrutinized, and the board president recommends a winner and two runners-up to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters U.S. Air Force," said Chief Master Sgt. Mark Knapp, the chief enlisted manager of the Air Force Petroleum Agency. "The winning base must clearly illustrate an unparalleled distinction in fuel handling operations, equipment and facility maintenance, and safety to be selected for this highly-coveted award."

There are approximately 5,500 total force fuels technicians assigned across 219 bases and other locations, AFPA officials reported.

"The role of the fuel handler is integral to the success of the Air Force mission," Chief Knapp said. "These professionals must do their work at all times with the utmost precision and compliance to ensure their mission is accomplished safely each and every day."

(Airman 1st Class Dennis L. Sloan contributed to this story.)