GREAT FALLS — The 120th Airlift Wing is turning the page on decades-old fuel infrastructure with the opening of a new petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) facility at the Montana Air National Guard Base in Great Falls.
Watch Madison Collier report from the ceremony:
Leaders cut the ribbon on the new complex Friday, marking the completion of a $33 million project that replaces the wing’s underground fuel storage system with modern, above-ground tanks and updated fueling equipment.
“It’s a real transition from the old to the new,” said Col. Jason Green, commander of the 120th Airlift Wing. “The new infrastructure drastically simplifies routine maintenance and enhances ecological safety.”
The new complex adds 100,000 gallons of above-ground fuel storage and new fueling capacity.
Maj. Aaron Jewett, who previously served as deputy base civil engineer for the 120th and now serves as director of operations for the 219th RED HORSE Squadron, said the project also addresses an environmental issue that has been in place for decades.
“The ribbon cutting today marks a significant day and a historical moment for the 120th Airlift Wing,” Jewett said, pointing to the new storage capacity and the removal of what he described as a 50-year-old environmental concern.
The wing has relied on underground fuel tanks, but Jewett explained that changes in state policy called for those systems to be removed and replaced with above-ground storage. The new tanks are double-walled, making it easier to identify potential leaks.
Once operations transition to the new POL facility, the underground tank system will be demolished and removed, which officials said is the last underground fuel storage system across the Air Force.
The upgrades are also expected to make daily operations more efficient. During Friday’s ceremony, Green said the new system increases the fuel flow rate to about 600 gallons per minute, effectively cutting fuel truck turnaround times in half.
The facility is still going through final system integration and is expected to be fully operational in early September.
While the project was years in the making, Jewett said the new infrastructure also positions the wing to support future mission requirements as it prepares for the C-130J aircraft transition.
Friday’s ceremony also offered a glimpse at the broader changes ahead for the Montana Air National Guard Base.
Green said the 120th Airlift Wing has roughly $400 million in infrastructure work planned over the next five years, including a new entrance and additional projects aimed at modernizing the installation.
“We’ve got a lot coming,” he said.
