Logistics: Fuel Flood

Archives

April 4,2008: The U.S. military consumes about 50 million gallons of fuel (gasoline, diesel, aviation) per month in Iraq. During World War II, fuel consumption averaged out to about 1.66 gallons per day per soldier, sailor or whatever. In Iraq, sixteen times as much fuel per man is needed (over 27 gallons per day). The main reason for that increase is the greater use of aircraft, including helicopters, and electricity generators. Armored vehicles are also more than twice the weight of their World War II counterparts, and trucks are larger as well. The trucks also carry armor, which increases fuel consumption. The fuel is bought on the world market, and it currently costs about $3.30 a gallon.

X

ad

Help keep us a float!

Your support helps us keep our ship a float. We appreciate anyway you chose to help out. Visit us daily, subscribe, donate, and tell your friends.

You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  2. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage.
  3. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on X.
Subscribe   Contribute   Close