From March 6-22, in preparation for a deployment to Afghanistan, U.S. soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Europe are being trained to “operate and maintain multiple hybrid-power management systems.” The training is being provided by the Army’s “Rapid Equipping Force” or REF, as part of the Energy to the Edge program, and is designed to support “small tactical units operating at remote locations with suites of energy harvesting, power management and distribution systems.” These kinds of programs, the logic goes, will reduce the need for soldiers to protect dangerous fuel resupply missions, which are often the targets of attack, and will allow soldiers to better focus on the combat mission at hand. According to Col. Peter A. Newell, director of the REF:

This initiative is not just about saving-fuel…It’s about saving lives.

Thanks to Sharon E. Burke for the heads up.