High-Stepping Fuel Man

SSgt. Michael Baker, in the first two months of a four-month deployment to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, has broken three fuels records. Deployed from Minot AFB, N.D., Baker said of his feat, “It helps the days go quicker if I am working hard.” He pumped 610,487 gallons of fuel in October, breaking the previous monthly record by more than 73,000 gallons. Baker next surpassed the million-gallon milestone in 58 days, three days faster than the last record holder. The other record he broke was for most fuel pumped in one week (no data available). Baker has pumped most of this fuel into the close air support fighters, and, as he said, “They call and need the gas so they can get up and go.” He expects to best another record next month, by pumping more than 1.6 million gallons in one rotation. Lt. Col. Gregory Vaughan, commander of the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, noted that Baker does more than fuel aircraft, he also “volunteers for a number of organizations” at Bagram, including the USO, Red Cross, and the military hospital. (Bagram report by SSgt. Rachel Martinez)