436th LRS - it's not science fiction Published Aug. 6, 2012 By Airman 1st Class Samuel Taylor 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- In the 1991 box-office topper "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," there is a scene in which the evil Terminator (Robert Patrick) is snap-frozen when doused in sub-freezing liquid nitrogen, then shattered by a shotgun blast from the good Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger). It is an iconic moment of science-fiction cinematography in a film that boasted some of the most advanced special effects of its day. The shooting of that scene likely looked similar to a day spent with the men and women of the 436th Logistics Readiness Squadron's cryogenics facility, to whom frosty fog and chemicals are everyday realities. These Airmen are charged with maintaining, testing and distributing a maximum of more than 10,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and more than 25,000 gallons of liquid nitrogen for use at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Two of the Airmen entrusted to look after these resources are Airman Mackenzie Newman and Airman 1st Class Lyric Ester, both cryogenic facilities specialists with the 436th LRS. Every day, these Airmen handle chemicals that boil at -297 degrees Fahrenheit, and can explode when mixed with minute doses of grease. "This stuff is so cold it will literally freeze your hand on contact, so we make sure to work by-the-book," said Newman with an ice-encrusted fuel nozzle by her side. "We have a checklist for everything." To avoid scenarios like that in which the hapless Terminator found himself, the Airmen of the 436th LRS don a copious amount of protective equipment, including multi-layered gloves, facemasks and oversized rubber shoes that, according to the Airmen, never go out of style. The primary use of LOX here is in life-support systems aboard aircraft, specifically in the oxygen masks that deploy in the event of cabin depressurization. LIN is used in aircrafts' fire suppression systems as an effective flame retardant. The LOX and LIN are transferred from large tanks into smaller carts which are then transported to the flightline. Both are critical to ensure the safety of multi-million dollar aircraft and cargo loads, and priceless crew members. The Airmen of the cryogenics facility extensively test samples of the LOX and LIN before distribution to the aircraft. If there are impurities, the vapors may exude a rotten egg smell and harmful chemicals when used, resulting in at least a distraction, if not worse, for aircrews while airborne. So in effect, cryogenics facilities specialists are responsible for both the safety of aircrews and their own wingmen. Ester said this responsibility is one cause of the palpable family atmosphere within the squadron. "We are a family here: we go to the gym together; we hang out together; we look after each other," said Ester. "I wouldn't feel safe or confident at work if I felt we didn't care about each other. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving my wife, Sara, and children, Evan and Tenley, if I didn't think I was going to return home safely." And so Airmen like Ester and Newman continue to don their chemical suits, with one eye on their checklists and another on their wingman, as frigid vapors swell up from their LOX carts. The sight lends credence to an Air Force maxim: "It's not science fiction, it's what we do every day."