Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2025 - 29

Tech Briefs
could be to POL Airmen working in joint
and coalition environments.
Stratton's SN adapter allows POL Airmen
to pull a fuel sample from other services
and country's distributors and test it to
ensure their fuel is safe for Air Force aircraft.
That capability did not exist in an AFPA-approved
form before the SN adapter.
" The jet fuel we use in Air Force aircraft
has very specific standards and properties
it must meet. If we don't have the
capability to sample other organization's
fuel, we could be issuing fuel that doesn't
meet those standards, " said Stratton, who
added that without those fuel checks,
water and contaminants can cause serious
damage to an aircraft engine.
Stratton once again brought his SN
adapter idea to his new flight at Eglin in
2024 and was quickly connected with
the 96th Test Wing and AFWERX's innovation
incubator.
" Seeing the SN adapter in action really
opened our eyes to how we can find,
even in the smallest areas, ways to reduce
our lengthy processes, " said Senior Master
Sgt. Thomas Montgomery, POL
superintendent. " These adjustments to
our daily battle rhythm makes for a more
agile and capable Airman that can execute
operations downrange. "
Eglin's innovation office pushed Stratton's
idea forward to the base's iSpark Cell,
who approved it late last month, and larger
Air Force innovation projects. Those
projects, like the Aether Sprint and AFWERX
refinery, helped him scale up the SN
adapter pitch to reach higher-level Air
Force to possibly grant enough funding to
provide adapters to all base POL units.
Generally, Airmen entering the Air
Force's innovation competitions have an
idea and need funding to develop, create a
prototype and test their idea. Stratton
said he believes he has an advantage on
the competition because, in his case, he
basically reverse-engineered the innovation
process. His SN adapter idea is already
created, tested and approved for Air Force
use. Stratton just needs funding to be able
to provide it to his fellow POL Airmen.
The technical sergeant said he knew
he would never financially benefit from
his idea and that was never his intention.
His goal from the beginning was
improving the tedious and sometimes
dangerous fuel sampling process.
Approximately four in 10 times a fuel
sample is taken, jet fuel leaks or sprays on
the individual taking the sample.
" I know the adapter works. It's easier and
safer to use and saves time, " said Stratton, a
POL Airman for 10 years with three deployments.
" Now that the product exists, we
just have to get it into the hands of those
POL Airmen, who will benefit from it. "
This article was written by Samuel
King Jr., Chief of Command Information,
Team Eglin Public Affairs, for the
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), it
has been edited. For more information,
visit www.afrl.af.mil.
Aerospace & Defense Technology, February 2025
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Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2025

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