Center for a New American Security

Humvees burn through fuel quickly and leave more than tire tracks in their wake. Acknowledging the impact that high energy demand can have on operational effectiveness and broader strategic aims, the United States Marine Corps has recently taken steps to address the service’s challenges with operation fuel use. At the first ever USMC Energy Summit on 13 August, Commandant of the Marine Corps General James T. Conway called for greater battlefield efficiency and continued progress in creating “net-zero” installations, which when finished will produce as much energy as they consume. Following up on initiatives announced at the summit, Marines in Afghanistan began a battlefield energy audit this week to determine areas of improvement in energy efficiency.

Photo: Humvees stand parked at Patrol Base Jaker in the Nawa district of Afghanistan's Helmand province. Courtesy of Staff Sergeant William Greeson and the Department of Defense.