As every branch of the military moves toward energy efficiency, the Army is playing a significant role in the process. The number of non-tactical vehicles and those with low gas mileage have been on the decline over the last three years, which is indicative of the shifting priorities of the Armed Forces, according to Army News Service.
Non-tactical vehicles include everything from trucks, tractors and ambulances, and have declined considerably since 2009. The current total stands at around 74,000, which is down from the peak number of 82,600 three years ago.
There has also been a significant drop in the number of gas guzzlers in the Army. Many of the low mileage cars have been replaced by vehicles that are either more fuel efficient or powered by electric or hybrid technology. In fact, the cost of maintaining the fleet dropped by more than $50 million since 2009, the news source reports.
The impressive strides are not the only improvements being made by the military when it comes to going green. Among the most recent initiatives was a $9.6 million solar power renewable energy project, which began in August at Utah’s Tooele Army Depot.
The United States’ role in Afghanistan has come under much scrutiny lately. With a deadline for withdrawal set for 2014, there has been some disagreement over what the timetable will be and whether there will be any American presence after the date has passed. In an effort to settle some of the most pressing matters, President Barack Obama met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Friday, reports The Associated Press.
No official announcement
While the two world leaders spent most of the day together, holding a private Oval Office meeting and a working lunch, the White House maintains that Obama will not make any official announcement as to what the next phase of troop withdrawals will be and whether there will be soldiers left in Afghanistan post-2014.
This has grown to be one of the biggest issues facing Obama’s national security team. Much of the military brass has recommended leaving at least 6,000 soldiers in Afghanistan after 2014, but the White House doesn’t seem to be quite on board with the prospect.
Creating a smooth transition
Aside from discussing the future of American forces in Afghanistan, Obama brought up his changing national security team with Karzai, according to the AP. Both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta are expected to officially leave their posts in the near future. Senator John Kerry and former Senator Chuck Hagel have been nominated for the two respective positions.
What progress has been made
The last 12 months have seen considerable changes in Afghanistan. A lengthy Pentagon report released last year touted the decline in enemy initiated attacks and the dent that the American troops made in the capacity of the insurgency.
“After a long and difficult path, we finally are, I believe, at the last chapter of establishing an Afghanistan, a sovereign Afghanistan, that can govern and secure itself for the future,” Panetta said at a recent press conference.
Challenges lie ahead
Although progress has been made, a number of challenges still face the United States and Afghanistan. Chiefly, the Afghan people still have to grapple with ongoing peace talks with the Taliban as well as upcoming elections.
Over the last 10-plus years, there have undoubtedly been countless acts of heroism in Iraq and Afghanistan, but only a select few have been deemed worthy of the Medal of Honor. Last week President Barack Obama announced that another soldier would receive the medal. Former Army Staff Sgt. Clinton L. Romesha will become the fourth living recipient of the Medal of Honor from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan when he is presented with the medal on February 11, reports Army News Service.
Romesha earned his Medal of Honor during an intense firefight at Combat Outpost Keating on October 3, 2009. The soldiers awoke that morning to find themselves surrounded by an estimated 300 enemy fighters. Under heavy fire, Romesha neutralized an enemy machine gun team, and even when a rocket-propelled grenade hit him with shrapnel, he kept fighting. Not only did his efforts help turn back enemy forces, but he also assisted wounded troops and braved enemy fire to recover soldiers who had been killed.
“I thought it was great,” his father, Gary Romesha, told NBC News. “But I’m more thankful he is able to receive it on his own and it’s not given to us after he is dead.”
When he is given the Medal of Honor, Romesha will become the the 10th recipient from the two wars. In 2011, the Medal of Honor was given to Dakota Meyer, a Marine who was credited with saving 36 lives during a 2009 ambush in Afghanistan.