Move over national defense, being green is now part of the U.S. military’s mission.
Tad Davis, the deputy assistant secretary of the Army for environment, safety amd occupational health told ClimateWire that,
“What we can’t allow us to become is a bunch of well-meaning, well-intended, well-educated environmental folks sitting around the fireplace singing ‘Kumbaya,'” he said. “If we are really going to be successful, it has to be embedded in our mission.”
But according to ClimateWire,
… many officers will want solid proof that “greener” fuels and equipment are reliable and perform just as well. Glenn Schmitt, environmental director at a Navy fleet fuel depot on Puget Sound, got a waiver to go back to jet fuel when he realized that biodiesel was clogging his engine filters, for example…
You can almost hear the battlefield conversation:
Tank commander: Put this thing in gear and let’s get out of here!
Tank driver: I can’t sir. It’s stuck in carbon neutral!
Shouldn’t the military just focus on its core mission — which is already difficult enough — without worrying about solving imaginary problems that have costly and performance hampering solutions?
Besides, Al Gore doesn’t worry about his carbon footprint, so why should Sgt. Fury?
Sadly, I must disagree with bear865.
Indeed, as a 20-year USAF retiree, I resent political correctness forcing USAF into wasteful social experiments. Make no mistake: it is forced, and the military really has no actual choice.
Worse, my experience confirms what kaziklibey mentions, that higher ranks are more politician than military leader. They have to be, or they aren’t selected for promotion. Pure politicians do indeed select all who are promoted to flag rank (general, admiral). Pure politicians also have the final say on all other lesser-ranked officers’ promotions, such as ensuring the PC notion of proper racial and gender percentages, regardless of merit or ability compared to eeeeevil white guys who resultingly do not make the percentage promoted.
As merely one result of bending to political masters’ PC notions, eco-socialism is wasting millions of dollars better spent on manpower and weapons; PC notions divert money from essentials that would keep the country free enough to even have the choice to run airplanes on things besides petroleum. Thus the USAF has endured nearly annual personnel cuts while the leaders tell the survivors “Do more with less” as an official USAF leadership motto.
Unfortunately, the Armed Forces WILL HAVE TO stand for this waste, since the Armed Forces are, by law & custom, politically mute (aside from voting) and completely at the whim of the political overlords.
Only “the public” can stand up for the military when the brown fecal matter hits the circular rotating atmospheric moving machine. Is there a public ‘out there’ who gives a damn about the tax dollars or the military men & women who defend the public rights to choose to care, assess, *and act* about anything?
I fear the day is close at hand when Liberals may finally realize their dreams to illegally misuse our military to enforce their “humanitarian” missions here at home, and we will finally suffer the full consequences of their authoritarian insanity as subjects ruled under a green iron fist.
Hopefully, I’m mistaken, and you are correct, bear865, still it may be worth considering that civilians command our military, and having served myself, it is my opinion that any officer ranking above lieutenant colonel is more politician than military officer. While using our military in such a domestic role would be a clear violation of the Constitution, when has the Constitution ever stood in the way of the Left who consider it to be a “Living Breathing Document” (in other words it says any damn thing they say it does).
Just as the smoke police wants to ban smoking in the military , my goodness is there nothing these jerks wont’ do . they are hit with being under age and can’t drink and can’t do adult things but then when it comes to doing their killing and protecting it is ok for them to grow up real fast and be a killer . if we can expect them to take on this type of noble mission we should let them drink or smoke . any time any where they please.Lets get them off the military’s back. Yep I can see the tank sitting there with a windmill on its back and no wind .
This is typical. But the Armed Forces will not stand for this shit. It will eventually hit the fan, and all in all, that will probably be a good thing.