NPR: The US's $20B annual air conditioning bill in Iraq and Afghanistan

[futurebeachbum]

Here's a cost associated with the Iraq and Afghanistan adventures that you haven't heard much about until now.

NPR has the story: 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.

That's more than NASA's budget. It's more than BP has paid so far for damage during the Gulf oil spill. It's what the G-8 has pledged to help foster new democracies in Egypt and Tunisia.

"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,"

How much more valuable would that $20B be invested in our infrastructure; in energy efficiency; in school lunches???

Don't get me wrong. I don't want our troops to have to suffer from the heat or lost readiness in Iraq or Afghanistan (or Libya or...)

I just don't want them there at all.

 

[idlewind]

We are going to go down in history as being really stupid for wasting so much blood and treasure in an effort that has nothing to do with our national interests. We should have killed those who needed killing in Afghanistan and got out. And we should never have went to Iraq or Libya either for that matter.

 

[scooterbug44]

That is just nuts - is the price so high because they are using gas/oil generators?

One would think solar panels in Iraq and Afghanistan would be a no-brainer.

 

[Andy A]

We could go back to the good ol' days of VietNam where I spent 10 months is an air conditioned tent. Oh, and it was air conditioned by the elements. Thank goodness our troops have air conditioning. Anything we can do to better their time away from their families is good. What we need to do is bring them home. We didn't learn a damn thing from VietNam, did we?

 

[scooterbug44]

Note: We can spend $20 billion on AC, but not $3 billion to maintain and repair hundreds of schools for the troops' children.

Glad we have priorities.