Got Fuel, but No Way to Transfer It?:

Sept. 27, 2005

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Two quick-thinking Texas Air National Guardsmen know the answer. They fixed up a custom fuel truck nozzle that enabled them to refuel 100 stranded civilian buses at Ellington Field in Houston. The buses were needed to continue evacuation efforts for Hurricane Rita. MSgt. Lynn Bailey, of the 147th Fighter Wing’s fuel shop, and SSgt. Vic Taylor, a refueling mechanic, developed the makeshift nozzle. Using this system, the Guard refueled 260 buses overall in Beaumont and Houston.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Trending Stories

F-15E Downed over Iran, A-10 Crashes in Region: 2 of 3 Airmen Rescued

Pentagon Plans Major Boost in Spending and Research on Mass-Producing Munitions

Nation’s Top Airmen Honor Bud Anderson as Legendary WWII Triple Ace Buried at Arlington

Pentagon Requests 38 F-35s for the Air Force in 2027 Budget

Related

F-15E Aviator Missing in Iran Rescued by US Forces

April 5, 2026
The second crew member of the F-15E shot down April 3 has been rescued from Iran. U.S. forces recovered the aviator alive and all American forces involved in the operation are believed to be safe, U.S. officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

Pentagon Plans Major Boost in Spending and Research on Mass-Producing Munitions

April 3, 2026
The Pentagon's research labs are ramping up their search for munitions that can be mass-produced—an effort likely to be buoyed by billions of dollars in the department's new fiscal 2027 budget request and tens of billions in the upcoming years. While the topline information shared about the President’s defense budget…

B-52s Carrying JDAMs over Iran as US Bombers Play Growing Role in Air War

April 2, 2026
B-52 Stratofortress bombers marked a new first in Operation Epic Fury when some of the BUFFs flew over Iran carrying JDAM-guided gravity bombs, according to people familiar with the matter. The development signals a weakening of Iranian air defenses and a new use for the venerable bomber in the nearly…

Space Force to Create Futures-Like Group on HQ Staff

April 2, 2026
The Space Force plans to establish a new headquarters staff group focused on force design and analysis that will oversee and guide a number of future-oriented organizations, including the Space Warfighting Analysis Center and the Chief Science Officer. 

What Options Does the Air Force Have for E-3 Taken Out by Iran?

April 2, 2026
When an E-3 Sentry battle management aircraft was damaged in an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, it sparked a host of questions about one of the Air Force’s oldest, smallest, but most critical fleets. Experts say the service doesn’t have many options to answer those questions.