Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Liquid OxygenLiquid life
                        
                        
                        Senior Airman Daniel Kardas, 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron aerospace equipment journeyman, operates ground equipment that replenishes liquid oxygen systems on a C-17 Globemaster III May 9, 2019, at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. These maintainers enable aircraft to perform global airlift missions ranging from combat support operations and humanitarian relief to aeromedical evacuations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua R. Maund)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Liquid OxygenLiquid life
                        
                        
                        Staff Sgt. Yair Rubinov, 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels distribution noncommissioned officer in charge, brushes frost off of an extension pipe connected to a liquid oxygen tank during a delivery process on April 17, 2019, at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Liquid oxygen is used to provide clean oxygen to pilots and anyone on an aircraft above 10,000 feet and temperatures of -279 degrees fahrenheit. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Daniel Garcia)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Liquid OxygenLiquid life
                        
                        
                        Staff Sgt. Yair Rubinov, 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels distribution noncommissioned officer in charge, and Airman 1st Class Jason Griggs, 375th LRS fuels distribution operator, complete a required safety checklist to receive a delivery of liquid oxygen on April 17, 2019, at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Liquid oxygen, or LOX, is used to provide clean oxygen to pilots and anyone on an aircraft above 10,000 feet. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Daniel Garcia)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Liquid lifePublished March 12, 2020
                    
                    By Airman 1st Class Shannon Moorehead
                    
                    
                    375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
            **SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFNS) --**Air is a key component people need to survive in this world, yet it’s often a second thought. From **C-21** pilots flying at 45,000 feet to **aeromedical evacuation** teams needing oxygen for their patients, oxygen has to be readily available to support rapid global mobility.
Members of the 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron manage the supplemental liquid oxygen, or LOX, systems at **Scott Air Force Base**, Illinois, and stand ready to support those who require LOX to accomplish their missions.
“I find it very rewarding to be one of the reasons why our pilots can breathe clean air during their flights,” said Staff Sgt. Martez Little, 375th LRS noncommissioned officer in charge of fuels training and support. “I like to know that my work supports our mission at any installation with birds in the air.”
One of the units that require the use of LOX is the 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron. AES Airmen are responsible for transporting wounded or injured personnel by aircraft.
“Oxygen is something all living things need to survive--even more so when someone is ill or injured,” said Staff Sgt. Harsh M. Vaidya, 375th AES mission planning technician. “When you add altitude on top of that, it would be impossible to transport a patient safely (without) oxygen.”
When an individual is injured, they experience a decrease in circulating blood volume. This can cause decreased cardiac output, which impairs the delivery of oxygen to the tissues and produces a state of shock, which includes symptoms of breathlessness and hypoxia.
In addition to medical uses, LOX systems are used in a variety of Air Force aircraft, including **C-17 Globemaster III****s**, **C-130 Hercules** and **C-5 Galaxies**, when altitudes exceed 12,000 feet.
“LOX has an expansion ratio of 900 to one,” said William Murphy, 375th Operations Support Squadron transient alert lead servicer. “This makes it highly beneficial to larger cargo aircraft because of the large amount of oxygen needed for periods of unpressurized flight during airdrops and the large number of passengers they may haul.”
While LOX is a valuable asset used for patients and military aircraft, it doesn’t come without risk.
LOX, while integral to the mission, is also a highly dangerous compound that supports and accelerates combustion, said Murphy. To safely handle LOX, the 375th LRS Airmen must eliminate all possible dangers including the fuel and ignition sources. By eliminating the fuel and ignition sources from the equation, they are able to safely handle the material. To further ensure their safety, all aircraft and equipment are grounded and Airmen who handle LOX are equipped with special clothing and equipment to eliminate static electricity as an ignition source. These precautions ensure Airmen are safe and capable of completing their mission.
Whether it is a mission that airlifts essential material or transports injured personnel, something as simple as an oxygen system can be the difference between life and death.USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



Air Mobility Command 



aeromedical evacuation 



liquid oxygen 



LOX 



pilots 



patients 



logistics readiness 



AES 



AMC 



LR Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil