Cryo Airmen give lift to mission

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Nicole Leidholm
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  A white fog billowed out from underneath the tuck. Two individuals cloaked in rubber aprons, boots and thick gloves stood next to it, checking gauges next to a giant white vessel. They have white helmets on, with the word "Cryo" in black letters on the back of them.

One of them works in the petroleum, oils and lubricants flight as a cryogenics technician.

It is the work of Travis Air Force Base, California's cryogenics Airmen who help make it possible to fly at 40,000 feet and keep the airlift mission in the air.

The petroleum, oils and lubricants flight, which falls under the 60th Logistics Readiness Squadron, is in charge of maintaining and issuing liquid oxygen as well as liquid nitrogen needed to maintain flight for pilots and aircrew.

"We service 50 gallon carts of liquid oxygen and trucks of liquid nitrogen to be transferred to the aircraft," said Senior Airman Sarina Trego, 60th LRS cryogenics technician. "The LOX is used for the pilots and aircrew to breath while the liquid nitrogen is used for fire suppression."

The liquid nitrogen suppresses the fire by dispersing the oxygen in the area.
"After we get the trucks serviced by cryo, we take them out to the aircraft so they can be serviced," said Senior Airman Damien Gish, 60th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron C-5M Super Galaxy crew chief. "The liquid oxygen is pumped into the aircraft during flight to pressurize the plane and provide oxygen at the high altitudes."

Trego maintains and issues LOX and LIN, which are stored in super cold, pressurized tanks and are distributed to the crew chiefs in need of servicing the aircraft.

The high expansion rates of the liquids and cold temperatures make safety an important part of the job.

"The boiling point of liquid nitrogen is minus 320 degrees Fahrenheit while liquid oxygen is minus 297 degrees Fahrenheit," Trego said. "We must have proper protective equipment so we don't freeze ourselves with the liquid."

Trego added that she needs to be careful that no grease or oils come into contact with the liquids.

"We place grease pans under the trucks to make sure if they have any leaks they don't come into contact with the liquids," Trego said. "They react badly when they come into contact and can explode."

Though the job may be dangerous and repetitive, without the cryogenics Airmen, there would be no mission.