Fuel ration cards are in your mailboxes Published Aug. 6, 2008 By 52nd Mission Support Group SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- The new fuel ration cards are here. All Sabers should have received their new ration cards in the mail. The envelope has an appointment sticker that lists the date, time and location you are scheduled for activation. Regardless of the location on the envelope, AAFES is asking that all Sabers with an appointment report to the Bitburg Exchange Customer Service counter up until Aug. 22 2008. Extra personnel and equipment are on hand there for processing and activating fuel ration cards and AAFES intends to activate as many fuel ration cards as possible during this time. AAFES requests that all Sabers try to activate their fuel ration cards when they are scheduled to alleviate long lines and waiting as well as to speed up the process to give everyone a chance to activate his/her fuel ration card in a timely manner. After Aug. 22, Sabers will only be able to utilize the Spangdahlem Power Zone Exchange Customer Service counters to activate the fuel ration card. AAFES fully understands the commitment to the job and other scheduling conflicts and is willing to accommodate all schedules. Sabers with conflicts are allowed to activate their cards at their most convenient day and/or time. All Sabers must activate their fuel ration cards by Dec. 31 2008. After this date, fuel purchases using ration blocks on registration documents will no longer be authorized. Keep in mind, gas coupons are no longer valid if the ration card for the car they were purchased for is activated. Bring gas coupons with you when you activate your ration card to turn in and receive a refund. Instead of coupons, money can be loaded onto the fuel ration card and used for fuel purchases at ESSO stations in Germany to guarantee the AAFES prices for fuel on the economy. Sabers are encouraged to maintain a balance on their fuel ration card for long trips and in case of emergency. If a customer had enough ration but not enough pre pay in their account the charge gets accepted (as long as they still had a positive balance prior to the transaction) and the customer gets a receipt that shows the negative balance. The customer then needs to pay that negative balance just like if they were loading their account. If the customer does not pay the negative balance the next transaction at the ESSO Station gets denied (which is non refundable, and they pay full price). The customer will get a notice after 30 days if not paid - if not paid they get another noticed that it will go in to collection and the Commander of the customer gets the same message. Sabers registering a vehicle for the first time or re-registering a vehicle and receiving new plates must begin using the fuel ration cards as the new registration documents no longer contain fuel ration blocks. If a vehicle is under the fuel ration card system and either vehicle plates are changed or re-registration does not occur before the expiration date on the original registration document, the data linked with the old plate is deleted from the fuel ration card system within 24 hours, deactivating the associated fuel ration card. To avoid being deleted from the system, Sabers must re-register their vehicles before the expiration date on the original registration document or they must take their new registration document to one of the Customer Service counters to receive a new fuel ration card. Pay close attention to the card issued -- there are different cards for unleaded and diesel fuel. Fuel purchases under the fuel ration card system require Sabers to present the fuel ration card as well as the matching registration document. Money loaded onto the fuel ration card account or any form of payment accepted by AAFES (Cash, Military STAR, Credit Card, Debit, etc.) can be used to purchase fuel.