An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Captain has 'deja fuel' moment at Cannon

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. George Tobias
  • 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  As he pumped the last gallons of fuel into the last two F-16s here on a cold Jan. 30 afternoon, it could easily have been a deja vu moment for one Cannon Airman.

Capt. Jonathan Whittaker, 27th Special Operations Mission Support Group executive officer, was at Cannon when the F-16s first arrived in 1995. Now, 13 years later, he had the honor of being the last person to fuel the remaining two F-16s before they departed for their new home at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

Arriving in 1995 with just one stripe on his sleeve, Capt. Whittaker was assigned to the 27th Logistics Readiness Squadron's fuels fight. Coincidentally, he was one of the first Airmen to fuel the initial two F-16s that arrived to replace the F-111s.

"I showed up here in April of 1995, straight out of tech school and they still had the F-111s," said the captain. "It wasn't until May of 1995 when the first two F-16s showed up and I was the first person to fuel (them)."

The first F-16s to arrive became part of the now inactivated 522nd Fighter Squadron, with a more-than-appropriate slogan of "First in...Last out.

"It was pretty exciting, and I was nervous," said the captain, who had just become fully qualified in fuels.

He, like other Airmen in his career field, was very competitive to see who could pump the most fuel during the day.

"It was kind of the heat of the moment; as young Airmen we were really competitive as far as trying to get as many gallons as possible," said the captain. "I was really lucky I was able to get out there in enough time to fuel (the first two F-16s)."

However, he did not realize that F-16s do not carry as much fuel as the F-111s.

"I was the first person to fuel them, but I lost the gallon race that day," Capt. Whittaker remembered.

The captain soon came to a crossroad in his life at Cannon, and took the one that led to his eventual commission.

"I was stationed at Cannon for a second time. It was 2001, I was finishing up my bachelor's degree and September 11 happened," said Captain Whittaker.

At the time he was contemplating either separating from the Air Force or becoming an officer. Then he got orders to deploy to Afghanistan.

"I decided to put in my package right before I deployed to the desert as a fuels troop," he said. "It was while I was over there, in February of 2002, that I got accepted to Officer Training School."

It is now Capt. Whittaker's third tour at Cannon and once again he played a part in the base's history by fueling one of the last F-16s before it took off for its new home.

"It's kind of funny," said Capt. Whittaker, about the two planes heading to Spangdahlem. "That was the first assignment I had as an officer working with F-16s."