US military spends $20 billion a year on air conditioning in Iraq/Afghanistan

Seriously? What about... I don't know... THEY GET USED TO THE HEAT? Hell people who have lived there for thousands of years never had freaking air conditioning... this is so ridiculous.

Among The Costs Of War: $20B In Air Conditioning

The amount the U.S. military spends annually on air conditioning in Iraq and Afghanistan: $20.2 billion.

"When you consider the cost to deliver the fuel to some of the most isolated places in the world — escorting, command and control, medevac support — when you throw all that infrastructure in, we're talking over $20 billion," Steven Anderson tells weekends on All Things Considered guest host Rachel Martin. Anderson is a retired brigadier general who served as Gen. David Patreaus' chief logistician in Iraq.

Why does it cost so much?

To power an air conditioner at a remote outpost in land-locked Afghanistan, a gallon of fuel has to be shipped into Karachi, Pakistan, then driven 800 miles over 18 days to Afghanistan on roads that are sometimes little more than "improved goat trails," Anderson says. "And you've got risks that are associated with moving the fuel almost every mile of the way."

Get used to the heat or don't go in the freaking army you pansies. Yeah you need that air conditioning to heat buildings during winter or in high mountains... but come on, if it's used to cool the air, it's a waste of money.

reply to post by Vitchilo


This has been posted

Though I do find your post ironic I rather have no heat only ac you can always layer up but you try sleeping in 85 degree plus room...I can't make it happen

the bankers make more in a day of war then a year of peace
Canadians are coming home
I saw the "last patrol" in the news..
just in time for Libya I guess...

Danm our people are to good to waste like this...
My landlord's buddy's son had a leg blown off...
Who knows maybe it was some one dressed as a taliban..
as we have seen happen before...


they hate us for our air conditioning...

Posted already.

You sure you didn't mean to post this in the rant forum?

Whatever, dude you're gonna miss those soldiers when they're gone. You don't know how good you got it.

Originally posted by rbnhd76
Whatever, dude you're gonna miss those soldiers when they're gone. You don't know how good you got it.

Yeah the world would miss them so much if all the soldiers were just to disappear tomorrow... NOT.

Soldiers are part of the problem.

Is a fan not good enough? Jeez....

If helliburton can get two million USD for putting up a tarp..
they ought to be able to get a mil for a fan....

I wanna see how half you whiners would do in the sweltering heat without your AC

20 billion dollars would feed 547,000 for a year.
At least, if you keep your food budget at 10 dollars a day, per person.
Just sayin'

Originally posted by Vitchilo

Originally posted by rbnhd76
Whatever, dude you're gonna miss those soldiers when they're gone. You don't know how good you got it.

Yeah the world would miss them so much if all the soldiers were just to disappear tomorrow... NOT.

Soldiers are part of the problem.

Really? They are part of the problem? I fail to see your NON-SMART logic. I think the problem is your itching...

I think your logic should catch what itching really means.

Why don't you go live over their if it isn't that "bad." I guarantee YOU that you cry like a little wuss.

Get off your high horse BRO

From source

"When you consider the cost to deliver the fuel to some of the most isolated places in the world

What they fail to tell you in the article is that fuel would be delivered to those isolated places even if there weren't any A/C units.

Hummer's and generators don't run on water.

But never fear, a solution is on its way.

This summer, frontline troops in Afghanistan will begin using two diesel-battery hybrid generators that could cut fuel use by 50 to 70 percent. The diesel generators currently used at military camps waste a lot of energy because there's no way to store excess power that's being produced, but not used. The new hybrid generators, built by Virginia-based Earl Energy, will not only satisfy energy needs for the camps, but store energy in a bank of lithium-ion batteries.

ecogeek.org...

I remember sleeping outside, or if we had tents they had no A/C and were like 150 degrees inside.

reply to post by johngrissom

Get off your high horse BRO

Listen, BRO. Soldiers in history never helped anybody. They are always the arm of dictatorships, oppressing population. That is historical facts. Soldiers worldwide are part of what is wrong with humanity.

Originally posted by abilitiy
I remember sleeping outside, or if we had tents they had no A/C and were like 150 degrees inside.

Been there done that.

I wanna see how half you whiners would do in the sweltering heat without your AC

What AC? Maybe in your area everyone has AC, but not here. Never had AC in my house. I rarely use a fan, even if temperatures are very high.

Originally posted by Vitchilo
Listen, BRO. Soldiers in history never helped anybody. They are always the arm of dictatorships, oppressing population. That is historical facts. Soldiers worldwide are part of what is wrong with humanity.

I see.. So the soldiers in WWI and WWII didnt help liberate Europe/Asia/Africa etc from the Nazis or Japanese? While I understand your argument, we all saw first hand what appeasement brings. While war should always be used as an absolute last resort, sometimes that is whats going to be needed to fix a problem. Stereotyping in this instance doesnt hold water for your argument.

Originally posted by Vitchilo

Originally posted by abilitiy
I remember sleeping outside, or if we had tents they had no A/C and were like 150 degrees inside.

Been there done that.

Then you know exactly why we take the position we do about when supplying our troops.

Originally posted by Vitchilo

I wanna see how half you whiners would do in the sweltering heat without your AC

What AC? Maybe in your area everyone has AC, but not here. Never had AC in my house. I rarely use a fan, even if temperatures are very high.

edit on 26-6-2011 by Vitchilo because: (no reason given)

A valid point if we were comparing apples to apples, which by the way we are not. Its one thing to not have A/C and find it difficult to sleep at night. Its another thing entirely when your primary concern is not the heat, but rather will we be attacked tonight? Having a place to sleep, albeit far from being 100% secured, where your concern is geared towards the missiion at hand. It shouldnt be distracted by issues that can be rectified.

Our soldiers dont need to be fighting their own fatigue while engaging the enemy.