Expeditionary Fuels Technician

You are the fuel Marine. The tanks do not roll, the aircraft do not fly, and the generators do not run without what you pump, test, and store — and if you pump contaminated fuel or store it wrong, the equipment it touches costs more than you will make in a career.

You arrived from the Fuels Technician course at MCES Camp Lejeune and you are assigned to the bulk fuel section of an engineer support battalion or a Marine wing support squadron. Your day is built around receiving, storing, testing, and issuing fuel — JP-8, diesel, MOGAS — using the expeditionary fuel systems the Marine Corps fields. You operate SIXCON fuel modules, connect and disconnect fuel bladders, run the pump stations, and maintain the hoses, valves, and filtration equipment that keep fuel moving from the bulk storage point to the using units. You test fuel quality using the field test kit — checking for water, particulate, microbial contamination, and additive levels — and you document every test result and every fuel transaction in the system the battalion requires. Between fuel operations you maintain the equipment, clean the site, enforce the spill prevention measures, and learn the environmental compliance rules that make fuel handling a regulated activity, not just a pumping job. Fire safety is not a collateral duty — it is the central fact of your work. You stage fire extinguishers, AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) stations, and spill kits at every fuel point, and you enforce the no-smoking, no-electronics, and grounding/bonding rules without exception.

• 01Operate SIXCON fuel modules — connect, pump, filter, and disconnect the modular fuel storage and distribution system the Marine Corps uses for expeditionary fuel support.
• 02Set up and operate fuel bladders, pump stations, and hose lines for bulk fuel receipt, storage, and issue — including grounding and bonding every component before fuel flows.
• 03Test fuel quality using the field fuel quality testing kit — water content, particulate, microbial contamination, additive levels — and document results accurately to the standard the fuel quality control program requires.
• 04Maintain fuel handling equipment — pumps, hoses, valves, filters, nozzles, meters — to the applicable TM standard, including inspection for leaks, wear, and contamination.
• 05Enforce spill prevention and fire safety at the fuel point — fire extinguishers staged, AFFF ready, spill kits positioned, grounding/bonding verified, no-smoking perimeter enforced.
• 06Document every fuel transaction — receipt, issue, transfer, test result — in the fuel accountability system the battalion runs.

• —MCO 4410 series — Marine Corps Petroleum and Fuels Management (the order governing fuel operations, quality control, and accountability — verify the current specific order number).
• —MCO P4790.2 — Marine Corps Maintenance Management (maintenance of fuel handling equipment falls under the battalion's maintenance management program).
• —NAVMC 3500 (13xx T&R Manual) — Individual tasks for the 1391 apprentice level.
• —ATP 4-43 — Petroleum Supply Operations (Army reference widely used in joint fuel operations — the doctrine that governs FARP operations and bulk fuel distribution in a joint context).
• —MCO 6100.13 — Marine Corps Physical Fitness, Body Composition, and Military Appearance (PFT/CFT standards).

• —1st-Class PFT and CFT under MCO 6100.13 — anything below 1st-Class and the section chief is having a different conversation about you.
• —Complete all individual T&R tasks for the 1391 apprentice level on the timeline the section chief sets.
• —Demonstrate safe operation of all fuel handling equipment — grounding/bonding, spill prevention, fire safety, PPE — without being corrected.
• —Fuel quality test results accurate and documented to the fuel quality control standard — bad test data puts contaminated fuel in equipment, and the investigation starts with the technician who ran the test.
• —Tan Belt MCMAP out of MCRD, Gray Belt before you make LCpl — MCO 1500.54.

• —Pumping fuel without verifying the grounding and bonding connections. Static discharge in a fuel-vapor environment is an ignition source — and fuel fires are not theoretical. They are fast, hot, and fatal.
• —Skipping the fuel quality test because "it came from a known source." Contaminated fuel damages engines, turbines, and fuel systems. The aircraft that flames out or the generator that seizes traces back to the fuel point that did not test.
• —Not staging fire suppression equipment before operations begin. AFFF and extinguishers are positioned before the first valve opens, not when someone smells vapor.
• —Failing to document a fuel spill — even a small one. Environmental compliance is regulatory, not optional. An undocumented spill becomes a legal liability for the command when the base environmental office finds the contamination.
• —Leaving fuel handling equipment connected and unattended. Unattended fuel operations are unauthorized — the hose that separates, the valve that leaks, or the pump that runs dry while nobody is watching is how fuel incidents start.

The good junior 1391 is the Marine the SSgt sends to run the fuel point without standing behind him — because the grounding is verified, the test kit is out, the fire suppression is staged, and the fuel accountability log is filled out before the first customer arrives. By month twelve the section chief is trusting him to run a fuel issue point during a field exercise, and by month eighteen he is on the list for the next FARP training event.

You are the NCO at the fuel point. Every Marine on your team follows your lead on safety, quality, and accountability — and every shortcut you tolerate is a shortcut that becomes standard practice until something catches fire or someone drinks bad JP-8 through an engine intake.

You run a fuel point or a section of the bulk fuel operation. You supervise the fuel technicians, you verify grounding and bonding before every operation, you run or supervise the fuel quality tests, and you sign the fuel accountability records that track every gallon in and every gallon out. You train the junior Marines on equipment operation, safety procedures, and the environmental compliance rules that govern fuel handling. In the field, you are the fuel point supervisor the platoon commander relies on — you site the fuel point, set up the SIXCON modules or fuel bladders, establish the fire safety perimeter, and run the operation from receipt through issue. You manage the section's equipment inventory, order consumables (test reagents, filters, hoses, nozzles), and ensure the equipment maintenance is done to the TM standard. During FARP (Forward Arming and Refueling Point) operations, you are on the hot side — supervising fuel delivery to aircraft in a compressed, high-risk environment where every second counts and every safety rule is non-negotiable.

• 01Supervise a fuel point operation from setup through teardown — siting, equipment layout, grounding/bonding, fire safety, fuel quality verification, accountability, and environmental compliance.
• 02Run or supervise FARP operations — fuel delivery to aircraft under hot conditions, safety perimeter enforcement, crash/fire/rescue positioning, and the communication discipline that keeps the flight line alive.
• 03Train junior Marines on fuel handling equipment operation, safety procedures, and environmental compliance — demonstrate, supervise, correct, and sign the T&R task completion.
• 04Manage fuel accountability for the section — receipt, issue, transfer, and loss documentation — so the numbers balance and the platoon sergeant does not get a surprise at the end of the exercise.
• 05Operate and maintain the Expeditionary Mobile Fuel Additization Capability (EMFAC) or equivalent fuel conditioning equipment when the section fields it.
• 06Conduct fuel quality testing at the journeyman level — interpret results, make the accept/reject decision, and communicate the result to the supported unit and the platoon sergeant.

• —MCO 4410 series — Petroleum and Fuels Management (you enforce this at the section level now).
• —ATP 4-43 — Petroleum Supply Operations (the FARP operations doctrine you plan and execute against in a joint context).
• —NAVMC 3500 (13xx T&R Manual) — Cpl/Sgt-level individual and collective tasks for the 1391 MOS.
• —MCO 1610.7 — Performance Evaluation System (you are writing proficiency and conduct marks now).
• —Applicable fuel system TMs — SIXCON modules, pump stations, HEMTT fuel tankers, EMFAC.
• —MCO P5090.2 — Environmental Compliance and Protection Manual (spill prevention, reporting, and cleanup requirements).

• —Green Belt MCMAP at minimum; Brown Belt is the bar you chase before Sergeants Course.
• —Corporals Course graduate — required and gated; do not let the slot drop.
• —1st-Class PFT and CFT — your Marines do not respect a team leader whose fitness does not match his fuel-point authority.
• —Composite score tracked monthly — pull the current cutting score for 1391 to Sgt.
• —Zero fuel spills uncontained or unreported on your watch — every spill documented, contained, cleaned, and reported per MCO P5090.2.

• —Letting a junior Marine pump fuel without verifying grounding and bonding first. You signed the safety checklist — the static ignition event is your signature.
• —Accepting fuel from a source without running the quality test because "we are behind schedule." Contaminated fuel in an aircraft or a generator is a safety-of-flight or equipment-damage incident that starts with your fuel point.
• —Running FARP operations without a crash/fire/rescue capability staged and ready. The aircraft at the FARP is carrying ordnance, fuel, and people — a fuel spill during hot refueling without CFR is a mass casualty event waiting for a spark.
• —Not reporting a fuel spill because "it was small." There is no small spill in the environmental compliance program. The unreported spill becomes a soil contamination finding that the base environmental office discovers during a routine survey — and the investigation goes back through every fuel point log you signed.
• —Losing accountability of fuel — the gallons issued do not match the gallons received minus the gallons on hand. Fuel accountability gaps in a combat zone are theft investigations; in garrison they are IG findings. Neither is where you want your name.

The good Cpl 1391 is the fuel point supervisor the platoon sergeant sends to the FARP with three Marines and a SIXCON, and the operation runs clean — grounded, tested, documented, and zero spills. His junior Marines enforce the safety rules because he taught them why, not just what. The section chief is already talking about his Sergeants Course packet.

You run the fuel section. The platoon commander sends the fuel support question to you — where do we put it, how do we move it, is it clean, and can we sustain the operation for the duration.

You lead a fuel section of four to eight Marines responsible for the bulk fuel storage and distribution capability the battalion provides to supported units. You plan fuel support operations — FARP layout, bulk fuel point siting, distribution routes, storage capacity, resupply timelines — and you execute them with your team. You supervise fuel quality control across the section, you manage the fuel accountability program, and you are the environmental compliance voice the platoon commander relies on. You write FitReps on your Cpls, you build the section's T&R training plan, and you coordinate with the supported units on fuel requirements — how much, what type, where, and when. In the field, you run the fuel support element that keeps the engineer equipment, the vehicles, and the aviation assets fueled. You manage the section's equipment readiness — pumps, hoses, SIXCON modules, fuel bladders, HEMTT tankers, EMFAC, fuel quality test kits — and you ensure everything deploys operational and comes back accounted for.

• 01Plan a fuel support operation — FARP layout, bulk fuel point siting, distribution route, storage capacity, resupply timeline, fire safety plan, environmental protection plan — and brief it to the platoon commander as an executable package.
• 02Manage the section's fuel quality control program — test schedules, result documentation, accept/reject decisions, and the corrective actions when a fuel lot fails testing.
• 03Write FitReps on your Cpls under MCO 1610.7 — observed performance, specific operational outcomes, honest marks.
• 04Build and execute the section's T&R training plan — FARP operations, bulk fuel handling, fuel quality testing, spill response, fire safety — tracked against NAVMC 3500 task completion.
• 05Coordinate with supported units on fuel requirements — projected consumption rates, type, delivery schedule, priority — and translate those requirements into a supply plan the S-4 can resource.
• 06Run the section's environmental compliance program — Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) procedures, spill response kits, waste fuel disposal coordination, and the documentation that keeps the command compliant.

• —MCO 4410 series — Petroleum and Fuels Management (you are the operational authority on this at the section level).
• —ATP 4-43 — Petroleum Supply Operations (FARP and bulk fuel doctrine).
• —NAVMC 3500 (13xx T&R Manual) — Sgt-level individual and collective tasks.
• —MCO 1610.7 — Performance Evaluation System.
• —MCO 1400.32 — Marine Corps Promotion Manual (composite scores, board eligibility for SSgt).
• —MCO P5090.2 — Environmental Compliance and Protection Manual.

• —Sergeants Course graduate — required and gated on the path to SSgt.
• —Section fuel accountability balanced — gallons received minus gallons issued equals gallons on hand, every exercise, every operation.
• —Brown Belt MCMAP minimum; Black Belt is what the company gunny notes on the next FitRep.
• —1st-Class PFT and CFT; your section average is reported.
• —Zero uncontained spills on the section's watch — every spill contained, cleaned, documented, and reported per the environmental compliance program.

• —Planning a fuel support operation without verifying the consumption rates with the supported unit. Over-staging wastes resources; under-staging deadlines the operation when the fuel runs out and the S-4 cannot push a resupply fast enough.
• —Letting fuel quality testing lapse because the tempo is heavy. One bad fuel lot issued to aviation is a safety-of-flight incident — and the investigation goes directly to the fuel section leader who signed off on the issue without testing.
• —Not pre-staging spill response equipment before a fuel operation. Spills happen — the question is whether the containment and cleanup are immediate or whether the fuel reaches the soil and becomes a remediation problem.
• —Doing the work yourself instead of teaching the Cpls to run the fuel point. The section fails when you go to Sergeants Course because nobody learned the planning and quality control.
• —Hiding fuel accountability discrepancies from the platoon sergeant. He will find out from the S-4 audit — and the conversation about your FitRep is happening without you.

The good Sgt 1391 runs a fuel section that delivers clean fuel on time, keeps the accountability balanced, and runs every FARP with the safety discipline that lets the aviation commander trust the fuel point. His Cpls are running fuel points because he trained them to, and the platoon commander sends the hardest fuel support tasking to his section because the operation runs right the first time. The company gunny has already mentioned his name for the SSgt board.

You are the platoon sergeant or the senior fuels supervisor. The company commander and the S-4 rely on you to keep the battalion's fuel support capability running — storage, distribution, quality, safety, and the environmental compliance program that keeps the command out of legal trouble.

You run the fuel platoon or the senior fuels section in the engineer support battalion or the wing support squadron. You manage ten to twenty Marines through your section leaders, you own the battalion's bulk fuel capability, and you are the senior enlisted voice on fuel operations planning. You coordinate with the S-4 on fuel resupply, with the S-3 on fuel support tasking, and with the company commander on FARP and bulk fuel point employment in support of the MAGTF. You write FitReps on your Sgts, you build the platoon training calendar, and you manage the relationship with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and the host-nation fuel providers when the battalion operates in a joint or coalition environment. You run the platoon's safety program — fire prevention, HAZMAT handling, personal protective equipment — and you own the environmental compliance program that keeps the command from generating the kind of spill or contamination finding that costs real money and real careers.

• 01Own the battalion's bulk fuel support capability — storage capacity, distribution assets, quality control posture, FARP readiness — and brief the S-4 and the company commander on fuel support status weekly.
• 02Write three to four Sgt FitReps per cycle that the reporting senior can defend at the battalion review.
• 03Plan and coordinate fuel support for a MAGTF deployment or major exercise — consumption projections, resupply timelines, storage requirements, FARP positioning, and the environmental protection plan the base or host-nation requires.
• 04Run the platoon's environmental compliance program — SPCC plan, spill response readiness, waste fuel disposal, hazardous material storage, and the documentation that survives an environmental audit.
• 05Manage the platoon's equipment readiness — SIXCON modules, pump stations, HEMTT tankers, fuel bladders, EMFAC, test kits — to the maintenance schedule and the operational requirement.
• 06Coordinate with DLA Energy or host-nation fuel providers for bulk fuel receipt — contract requirements, fuel specifications, quality acceptance testing at receipt, and the accountability transfer that keeps the command's fuel inventory clean.

• —MCO 4410 series — Petroleum and Fuels Management (you are the senior enlisted authority on this at the company level).
• —ATP 4-43 — Petroleum Supply Operations.
• —NAVMC 3500 (13xx T&R Manual) — platoon-level collective standards.
• —MCO 1610.7 — Performance Evaluation System.
• —MCO 1400.32 — Marine Corps Promotion Manual (SSgt-to-GySgt board mechanics).
• —MCO P5090.2 — Environmental Compliance and Protection Manual.

• —Career Course completed; SNCO Academy slot identified for the GySgt board.
• —Platoon fuel accountability balanced across every operation — no unexplained gains or losses in the fuel inventory.
• —Black Belt MCMAP at the SSgt level.
• —Platoon PFT/CFT pass rate at or above 95%.
• —FitRep relative value above battalion average — the SSgt-to-GySgt board is FitRep-driven.

• —Reporting a fuel accountability number that does not match what is actually in the bladders and tanks. The S-4 will audit — and the SSgt whose numbers do not match reality is the SSgt who loses credibility for the rest of the tour.
• —Allowing FARP operations to proceed without a full safety brief and crash/fire/rescue posture in place. One fuel fire on a flight line is a mass casualty event and a career-ending investigation for the fuels supervisor who signed the safety plan.
• —Writing inflated FitReps on Sgts who are not performing. The reporting senior remembers, and the board reads the inflation.
• —Not tracking the environmental compliance documentation. An IG environmental finding or a base environmental violation lands on the company commander — and the SSgt who signed the SPCC plan is the first person asked for documentation.
• —Deferring equipment maintenance because the operational tempo is heavy. The pump that fails during a FARP operation because nobody followed the PM schedule is your schedule to own.

The good SSgt 1391 runs a platoon where the fuel accountability is honest, the FARP runs clean, the environmental compliance records are current, and the spill response kits are staged before the first valve opens. His Sgts are SSgt-board-ready, the S-4 trusts his numbers, and the company commander is willing to lose him to a B Billet because the platoon he built will sustain the operation without him.

You are the company gunny or the senior fuels chief. The battalion's fuel capability runs through you — planning, quality, safety, environmental compliance, and the Marines who make it work. If the MAGTF runs dry, everyone is looking at your section of the BUB slide.

You are the company gunny or the senior fuels chief in the engineer support battalion or the wing support squadron. You manage the company's entire fuel support capability through your platoon sergeants, you advise the company commander and the S-4 on fuel support planning and employment, and you set the quality, safety, and environmental standards the fuel operations run under. You write FitReps on your SSgts, you sit in the company training board, and you coordinate with the battalion S-4 and higher headquarters on fuel logistics planning for deployments and major exercises. You run the company through pre-deployment fuel operations exercises — verifying that the FARP capability works, the bulk fuel systems deploy, and the Marines can set up, operate, and tear down on the deployment timeline. The 1stSgt and the BSgtMaj are watching, and the MSgt-vs-1stSgt conversation is on the table.

• 01Build and defend the company fuel support readiness posture in the battalion BUB — equipment status, FARP readiness, fuel quality control program currency, environmental compliance status — without surprises.
• 02Write three to five SSgt FitReps per cycle that the battalion FitRep board can defend.
• 03Advise the company commander and the S-4 on fuel logistics planning — consumption forecasting, distribution network design, storage capacity, resupply coordination, and the fuel quality assurance framework that protects the MAGTF's equipment.
• 04Run the company through a pre-deployment fuel operations validation — FARP, bulk fuel point, quality testing, spill response, fire safety — and identify the gaps before the deployment does.
• 05Mentor four or five SSgts into Career Course graduates and GySgt-board-ready candidates.
• 06Brief the company commander honestly on enlisted morale, retention, and the safety culture that determines whether the fuel section operates without incidents or generates the kind of finding that ends careers.

• —MCO 4410 series — Petroleum and Fuels Management (you teach this now).
• —NAVMC 3500 (13xx T&R Manual) — company-level collective tasks.
• —MCO 1610.7 — Performance Evaluation System.
• —MCO 1400.32 — Marine Corps Promotion Manual (GySgt-to-MSgt/1stSgt board mechanics).
• —MCO 5354.1 / MCO 1000.9 — SAPR and Equal Opportunity policy.
• —MCO P5090.2 — Environmental Compliance and Protection Manual.

• —SNCO Academy Advanced Course (Career Course) graduate; SNCO Academy Senior Course slated for the MSgt board.
• —Black Belt Instructor (MCMAP) is the bar at this rank.
• —1st-Class PFT and CFT; the formation watches the company gunny's scores.
• —Company fuel operations — FARP, bulk fuel, quality control, environmental compliance — defensible at the battalion BUB and validated by the last pre-deployment exercise.
• —FitRep profile that the senior reporting official can defend at MSgt/1stSgt board.

• —Letting one platoon sergeant drift because you trust him. That is the platoon the IG finds the environmental compliance gap in.
• —Confusing being tight with the CO with being aligned with the CO. The company needs honest fuel readiness reporting, not comfortable reporting.
• —Letting safety standards slide because the FARP tempo is heavy. One fuel fire, one environmental violation, one failure to test — the consequences are bigger than the deployment schedule.
• —Not fighting for training resources. Fuel operations training requires fuel, equipment, and range/field time. The GySgt who does not advocate for that in the training meeting is the GySgt whose Marines deploy unpracticed.
• —Going around the 1stSgt to the BSgtMaj. You will be wrong on the facts and relieved on the spot.

The good GySgt 1391 is the SNCO the BSgtMaj sends to the worst fuel section in the battalion because the FARP comes back safe, the accountability comes back clean, and the environmental records come back current. His SSgts get GySgt, his company's fuel support runs without safety incidents, and the BSgtMaj is already mentioning his name to the regimental SgtMaj.

You are the standard-bearer. At 1stSgt you own the formation. At MSgt you are the occupational authority — the Marine the MMPB calls when the fuel technician training pipeline, equipment roadmap, and environmental compliance framework need rewriting. Either way, the MAGTF runs because your fuel Marines trained under the standards you set.

As 1stSgt you run the company — the Marines, the platoon sergeants, the company office, and the boundary between what the CO needs and what the company can deliver. As MSgt you are the senior occupational expert — operations chief, battalion S-4 fuels chief, or the SNCO the career MOS roadmap board consults on the future of the fuel technician field. As SgtMaj you advise the battalion or regimental commander on every enlisted decision and set the standard by what you walk past in the fuel farm and in formation. As MGySgt you are the occupational pinnacle — the Marine the MMPB calls when the 13xx fuels roadmap needs rewriting. You are the senior voice on the environmental compliance framework, the equipment modernization plan (SIXCON replacements, EMFAC upgrades, automated fuel accountability systems), and the civilian certifications (HAZMAT, CDL with tanker endorsement, environmental compliance certifications) that give your Marines options after the Corps.

• 01Run a 1stSgt's call that produces actions — accountability, sick call, training, discipline, family readiness, finance — in 30 minutes flat.
• 02Build a company training and tasking calendar with the CO and the GySgt that survives the battalion BUB.
• 03Mentor four GySgts and the senior SSgts as the next 1stSgt / MSgt cohort — honest reads on troop-leadership vs. SME track.
• 04Walk the fuel farm, the motor pool, and the FARP site and identify the broken systems — safety, quality, accountability, environmental compliance — before the evaluators do.
• 05Brief the BC and the BSgtMaj on enlisted morale, retention, and the safety culture the battalion is actually running vs. what the slide says.
• 06Advocate at the MMPB level for the 1391 MOS — training pipeline improvements, equipment modernization, HAZMAT certification funding, and the CDL/tanker endorsement pipeline that keeps fuel Marines competitive in the civilian market.

• —MCO 4410 series — Petroleum and Fuels Management (you teach this).
• —MCO 1610.7 — Performance Evaluation System (you are the rater or reviewing officer on the FitReps that decide the next slate).
• —MCO 1400.32 — Marine Corps Promotion Manual (1stSgt / SgtMaj / MGySgt board mechanics).
• —MCO 1900.16 / MCO P1900.16 — Marine Corps Retirement / Separation.
• —MCO 5354.1 — SAPR; MCO 1000.9 — Equal Opportunity.
• —The Commandant's Planning Guidance and the current Sergeants Major Symposium reading list.

• —SNCO Academy Senior Course graduate; Sergeants Major Course at Marine Corps University before competing for command SgtMaj slate.
• —Company UCMJ rate, retention rate, and SAPR/EO climate index in the top tier of the battalion.
• —Personal FitRep profile that the reporting senior can defend at HQMC.
• —Zero senior-enlisted-level integrity incidents — financial, fraternization, OPSEC.
• —Post-service transition plan running 24-36 months out — VA disability claim filed pre-EAS, HAZMAT/CDL certifications or SkillBridge identified, no retirement walked into cold.

• —Going public with disagreement with the CO. In his office, door closed, every time.
• —Confusing seniority with leverage. The Corps keeps senior enlisted who serve the formation.
• —Stopping personal PT because you are "too senior." Marines stop respecting the chevrons when the body stops carrying them.
• —Letting a GySgt run a bad safety culture because he is your guy. One fuel fire or environmental violation under a GySgt you did not supervise is your climate, your FitRep, and your career.
• —Not advocating for the MOS. The 1391 field competes directly with civilian petroleum distribution jobs that pay well and do not require field exercises. If the Corps does not fund HAZMAT certifications, CDL tanker endorsements, and competitive retention incentives, it loses its best fuel Marines at their first window — and the senior Marine who did not fight for those programs owns part of that loss.

The good 1stSgt / SgtMaj is the senior Marine every boot at the fuel point knows by face and reputation. He is the reason the re-enlistment line forms after a hard deployment. The CO trusts him with the worst news at 0200. The good MGySgt is the Marine the MMPB calls when the 13xx fuels roadmap needs rewriting — and the GySgts in the battalion run their fuel operations to the standard he set without needing to be told twice.