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The longest tactical fuel pipeline ever constructed by the U.S. rmy was hastily built in Iraq to support combat operations and today serves the rebuilding operation in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Adequate supplies are essential to modern combat forces in armed conflicts. In modem warfare, fuel makes up more than 70 percent of the tonnage of supplies that must be moved forward to support war fighters. The Army's Inland Petroleum Distribution System (IPDS) was essential in supplying fuel to air and ground forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The IPDS contained the longest tactical fuel pipeline the Army has ever constructed. It was rapidly built by hand to transport fuel. The pipeline construction began in Kuwait and continued into Iraq as Coalition forces moved forward during the war.
The IPDS is a rapidly deployable system for bulk fuel storage and transportation. It includes Tactical Petroleum Terminals (TPTs) for bulk storage and a pipeline system to transport fuel. IPDS consists of pipe, pumps, valves, fuel storage bags, fittings and other associated equipment that can be quickly coupled together and put in service by military personnel (Figure 1). AU components of the IPDS are stored in 20-foot ISO (International Standards Organization) containers for transportation and ease of handling.
By Army doctrine, Army engineers design and build the IPDS pipeline and the Army Quartermaster operates it. Army engineers serve on active duty and in the reserves. Roth active duty and mobilized Reserve units constructed and operated the Operation Iraqi Freedom IPDS. The 41oth Engineer Command (Reserve unit from Darien, U) was given the mission of designing and constructing the IPDS in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 4loth Engineer Command assigned the mission of constructing the IPDS pipeline to the 62nd Engineer Battalion (Active unit from Ft. Hood, TX).
Construction started in mid-January and continued as the 808th Engineer Pipeline Company (Reserve unit from Texas) arrived to provide technical expertise. The 226th Engineer Company (National Guard unit from Kansas) and C Company 46th Engineers (National Guard unit from Paris, TN) assisted in the construction. The 49th Quartermaster Group (Active duty unit from Ft. Lee, VA), and their 240th Quartermaster Battalion (Active duty unit from Ft. Lee, VA) operated the TPTs and IPDS pipeline pump stations when construction was completed (Figure...