U.S. Military spends $20 billion dollars a year on air conditioning

sorry but, i fail to see the problem

you have any idea how hot it is over there? If i were stuck in the middle of a +110 degree desert, id want an ionic breeze or something in every room too.

Neo-ganon

The problem is that the USA has been spending 20 billion dollars on AC, for soldiers, on a stupid war.luisen123

Yeah, we got your opinion on the war already. Now explain, why is spending AC on soldiers a problem? What does the stupidity of the war have to do with that?

Because there is no reason justification for a war, any war at this current era so, basically, there is no need for the soldiers to need the AC, since they shouldn't even be on the desert on the first place.luisen123

The justness of the current war is not in question here, "here" being this thread. What is in question is whether or not troops in the current war should or should not have AC. This question has a much more limited scope than the question of the war itself. Do you understand?

The justness of the current war is not in question here, "here" being this thread. What is in question is whether or not troops in the current war should or should not have AC. This question has a much more limited scope than the question of the war itself. Do you understand?Palantas

Okay, then go make a thread about pacifism. That's entirely out of the scope of this topic.

Uhh~, you're such a dogmatic person, you need to relax a bit.luisen123

It is true that you are derailing the topic a bit. This topic isn't about the rationality of having a war, but rather the rationality of spending 20 billion on air conditioning.

Also, comparing the air conditioning to NASA's budget is kind of stupid, because the US is pretty much shutting down their space program.

I fail to see a problem. With the temperatures there, not having AC could pose serious health issues.

[QUOTE="NoobisMaxcimus"]While that sucks the extreme heat can really **** people up.mrbojangles25

and yet millions of Iraqis and Afghanis deal with it every year.

I can understand why people feel the need for AC, but c'mon just deal with the heat.

Yes because an Afghan or Iraqi person who has lived and worked in such heat their entire life, is wearing light and breathing clothing, and is doing simple labor is the same as a soldier wearing 40lbs of gear, coupled with up to an additional 20lbs in armor depending on how much they have, doing all the same types of labor, and hiking miles each day......... And grew up in New York, Idaho, Nebraska, etc.......... Which is hardly the same as Iraq desert heat of upwards of 115 degrees...

Awesome comparison...

Not to mention that tens of thousands die of heat stroke in the middle east every year... And the infant/child mortality rates in those countries (from natural causes of course) are multiple times that of everywhere else... Yep, they are handling it just fine if by handling you mean dying because of it...

[QUOTE="Neo-ganon"]

sorry but, i fail to see the problem

you have any idea how hot it is over there? If i were stuck in the middle of a +110 degree desert, id want an ionic breeze or something in every room too.

luisen123

well would you rather have the soldiers suffer more than they already are in the swealtering heat? and would you rather have things like heatstroke and dehydration posing much more of an issue and a distraction, possibly even increasing casualties?

I don't know whether to be apalled at the amount of spending or be indifferent because they're fighting in extreme heat.DroidPhysX

They shouldn't be there but I guess the spice must flow.

As for the AC, the job is bad enough already so can't really deny them that.

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[QUOTE="Blue-Sky"]

Could you imagine what U.S. would be like now if we never elected bush and didn't go to Iraq?

Palantas

It'd be about the same.

I'm not exactly sure what the issue is here. How much is spent on air conditioning for public schools and government offices each year?

[QUOTE="NoobisMaxcimus"]While that sucks the extreme heat can really **** people up.mrbojangles25

and yet millions of Iraqis and Afghanis deal with it every year.

I can understand why people feel the need for AC, but c'mon just deal with the heat.

how about we get out of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya? or we could play this party line political bull and point out the waste and ineffectiveness of the welfare state.

how about we get out of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya? or we could play this party line political bull and point out the waste and ineffectiveness of the welfare state.

surrealnumber5

Yeah, I'm not really upset about that. Its hot over there, let them have their AC.

Some questions for the servicemen in this thread. Is air conditioning used solely for temperature regulation for recreational areas/living quarters or also used for weapon and vehicle storage so that the metal would not expand and contract? And how often does the air conditioning break down if it does at all?

Go out in 90 + degree heat wearing all the gear that the troops wear and then see if you say "deal with the heat" again. Iraqis and Afghans are used to that heat because they live in it. Plus, their clothing isn't as thick, so it's easier to deal with.

gamerguru100

by your logic american troops should be used to wearing that gear all the time, so by itself that shouldn't the issue.

maybe they would get used to the heat too if they turned the AC off?

I don't know about that... $20 Billion seems like a stretch to me. I guess with the intense heat over there, the A/C systems are running constantly. Also, as someone posted... any computer stations must be cooled, which would also cause the systems to run continously. I don't really have an idea of how large our facilities are over there, but I'm guessing rather expansive all together. I don't have a problem with it though. My question is... Why doesn't anyone ever mention decreased funding for NASA? It's always about military spending. What exactly have we accomplished with NASA that has been of such great importance that we can't bring it into the defunding discussion?jshaas

Ultimately, if we don't colonise other planets humanity will not survive. Space stuff is important.

[QUOTE="jshaas"]I don't know about that... $20 Billion seems like a stretch to me. I guess with the intense heat over there, the A/C systems are running constantly. Also, as someone posted... any computer stations must be cooled, which would also cause the systems to run continously. I don't really have an idea of how large our facilities are over there, but I'm guessing rather expansive all together. I don't have a problem with it though. My question is... Why doesn't anyone ever mention decreased funding for NASA? It's always about military spending. What exactly have we accomplished with NASA that has been of such great importance that we can't bring it into the defunding discussion?tenaka2

Ultimately, if we don't colonise other planets humanity will not survive. Space stuff is important.

[QUOTE="tenaka2"]

Ultimately, if we don't colonise other planets humanity will not survive. Space stuff is important.

surrealnumber5

I didn't realise he had, I don't really keep up to date with politics, but I guess climatology is good also.

It has been past time to bring our troops back home, we can't afford any wars.

[QUOTE="surrealnumber5"]

[QUOTE="tenaka2"]

Ultimately, if we don't colonise other planets humanity will not survive. Space stuff is important.

tenaka2

I didn't realise he had, I don't really keep up to date with politics, but I guess climatology is good also.

Uhh~, you're such a dogmatic person, you need to relax a bit.luisen123

Heh, the irony of accusing someone else of being dogmatic when you just made some very dogmatic statements related to your pacifism.

Could you imagine what U.S. would be like now if we never elected bush and didn't go to Iraq?

Blue-Sky

When you fight in the sandbox, then you can complain about how much our AC bill is.

Try walking around in 120 degree heat with a hot-air dryer blowing in your face constantly.

airshocker

Or you know we could have NEVER GONE there to begin with.

Craps expensive. We have a lot of personnel over there and it's hot. If we are going to send them, we are going to take care of them. We aren't going to send them over there to do something and not give them the tools. A/C is one of the things keeping moral up. You ever work in a building where everybody was stupidly hot? You don't get crap done, people get upset, and productivity drops to nothing. It's not different for our soliders or their support.

[QUOTE="airshocker"]

When you fight in the sandbox, then you can complain about how much our AC bill is.

Try walking around in 120 degree heat with a hot-air dryer blowing in your face constantly.

sSubZerOo

Or you know we could have NEVER GONE there to begin with.

Yup. Let's just forget about the 3k people that got killed for no reason. I guess we deserved it anyways right?

[QUOTE="airshocker"]

When you fight in the sandbox, then you can complain about how much our AC bill is.

Try walking around in 120 degree heat with a hot-air dryer blowing in your face constantly.

sSubZerOo

Or you know we could have NEVER GONE there to begin with.

Heat casaulties would skyrocket. It is a necessity to perform combat operations.

Link

The U.S. military spends $20.2 billion every year just to keep air conditioning running in its facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan.National Public Radiopoints out that this amount is "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." Not only does the U.S. spend a lot to cool the troops, it risks a lot as well. Steven Anderson, David Patreaus's former chief logistician explained on All Things Considered that "to power an air conditioner at a remote outpost in land-locked Afghanistan, a gallon of fuel has to be shipped into Karachi, Pakistan, then driven 800 miles over 18 days to Afghanistan on roads that are sometimes little more than 'improved goat trails.'" He estimates that "more than 1,000 troops have died in fuel convoys, which remain prime targets for attack."

I don't know whether to be apalled at the amount of spending or be indifferent because they're fighting in extreme heat.

DroidPhysX

Heat casaulties would skyrocket. It is a necessity to perform combat operations.

ImaPirate0202

Considering the climate of the middle east, let them have AC. I'm not about to **** and moan about the cost of AC as I type this from my nice air conditioned office.

what a waste but i don't think it's the grunts and foot soldiers who get to enjoy the AC, i would think it would be mostly used for officers and command posts and whatnot.Kh1ndjal

You'd be wrong. Most troops get AC.

Or you know we could have NEVER GONE there to begin with.

sSubZerOo

What does that have anything to do with this topic?

Its necessary. God knows i wouldn't like it if I was in a hostile environment, 120 degree heat wearing heavy equipment walking 40+ miles every week. AC is very necessary, even for the most hardened soldier.

Seems a little too expensive but it's necessary, after all, soldiers aren't machines built to function in all climates.