Scholarship Program

Larry Dipoma had over 30 years of experience in all phases of bulk petroleum operations and management. He was the best in his field with an astute insight in corporate planning, programming and budgeting. A remarkable officer with great personal character, he was a role model and visionary leader with an innate ability to work with diverse groups, from flight line fuel service personnel to the Board of Directors and Members of Congress. He was a program planner and manager with proven ability to build people, projects – and achieve results. His greatness is largely embedded in bravery and the courage to escape from old ideas and old standards by forcing us to break free of traditional paradigms. A motivator and mentor, his pride was a personal commitment and an attitude that separates excellence from mediocrity. Mr Dipoma served as a consultant, teacher and training course developer for the DoD. He led the efforts for restructuring DoD petroleum management that transferred bulk fuel ownership form the military services which led to establishing the Defense Fuels executive agency.

Having served 26 years in the U.S. Air Force attaining the rank of colonel, he worked in fuels management assignments at base level, major command, Headquarters USAF and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. A major focus of his military career involved initiatives designed to enhance fuel quality and the ability of the military services to use commercially available jet fuel. While assigned to the Pentagon, he was responsible for winning approval for the conversion from naphtha-based JP-4 to a much safer kerosene-based JP-8 jet fuel with military additives. He developed the first additive injection systems built to enable field injection and was the principal innovator of the “Single Fuel for the Battle Field.” He managed the turbine fuel technology program and worked with the Air Force Research Laboratory on the development of what became known as JP-8+100 (enhanced thermally stable jet fuel). He was a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Air War College, held a Master of Science as well as a Bachelor of Science Degree and received post graduate training in Environmental Law.