Military Fuel Use Up 175% Since Vietnam

On a per-soldier basis, the amount of fuel used by the U.S. military in combat operation is up 175 percent since the Vietnam War, according to new analysis by Deloitte.

While today’s soldier consumes about 22 gallons of fuel per day, that amount is projected to grow 1.5 percent a year through at least 2017, according to Deloitte.

The increase has come despite advances in fuel economy for everything for armored vehicles to jets. In some cases, the military is relying on unmanned drones, thus increasing the fuel used per enlisted soldier.

The Army recently began work on what will be the defense industry’s largest solar facility at Fort Irwin.

Meanwhile, the Navy has instituted a host of energy efficiency measures, as well as adoption of solar and wind, to help reduce its energy use.