The Service des essences des armées (SEA), which translates as the Military fuel service is an inter-service branch of the French Army

French Army

The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...

 subordinate to the head of the defence staff.

History

During the First World War, facing the increased use of mechanised warfare

Armoured warfare

Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....

, the French armed forces

Military of France

The French Armed Forces encompass the French Army, the French Navy, the French Air Force and the National Gendarmerie. The President of the Republic heads the armed forces, with the title "chef des armées" . The President is the supreme authority for military matters and is the sole official who...

 needed to set up a new network for fuel supply. It was then composed of a service to stock and supply the fuel, and a transport service automobile to deliver it to the end users. At the same time, a wider service to provide petrol, oils and lubricants was created. After the war, from July 12 1920 the munitions service resumed the sourcing and stockpiling role, and the artillery

Artillery

Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...

 the distribution role. Then on November 25 1940 these functions were combined into a single body: it received the name Military fuel service (SEA), which it still bears.

The order of March 17 1945 defines the SEA as a central service in charge of refueling the whole of the armed forces. A 1991 decree further defined this mission. The service has "to assure at all times, in all places and in all circumstances the fuel support of the armed forces, while also acting as fuel advisor to the General Staff". It therefore supervises the supply of fuels and lubricants for the vehicles of the different French arms: Army

French Army

The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...

, Navy

French Navy

The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...

 (outside of naval fuels of hold), Air Force

French Air Force

The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...

 and National Gendarmerie, as well as providing fuel advice.

Unique Ranks in the SEA

The Ingénieurs Militaires des Essences ("Military Fuel Engineers") are engineer officers occupying posts involving scientific fuel research, technical fuel expertise, and administrative control of fuels. They hold the following grades:

• Ingénieur principal (equivalent to a Commandant)
• Ingénieur en chef de deuxième classe (equivalent to a Lieutenant-Colonel)
• Ingénieur en chef de première classe (equivalent to a Colonel)
• Ingénieur général de deuxième classe (equivalent to a Général de brigade).
• Ingénieur général de première classe (equivalent to a Général de division). Director of the SEA.

The officiers of the Corps Technique et Administratif ("Technical and Administrative Corps") occupy supervisory posts and manage the SEA.

The Corps des Agents Techniques (Corps of Technical Agents) provides fuel and lubricant experts, specuialists, and advisors to the SEA. Its sous-officers are in three grades:

• Agent Technique ("Technical Agent", equivalent to an Adjudant)
• Agent Technique en Chef ("Chief Technical Agent", equivalent to an Adjudant-Chef)
• Agent Technique Major ("Major Technical Agent", equivalent to a Major)