America's North Shore Journal

The Marine Corps has deployed an experimental forward operating base to Afghanistan to assess how it stands up to rugged operational conditions while relying solely on renewable technology and energy-saving techniques. The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment’s Company I is moving into position in Helmand province, where it will sustain itself almost entirely using renewable energy, Marine Corps Col. Bob “Brutus” Charette said during a panel discussion this week. Charette, the Marine Corps’ “energy czar,” cited this milestone as the Defense Department observed a week of energy security events. The project began with an experiment to determine baseline requirements for company-size and smaller FOBs that typically have to provide their own fuel, electricity, water and food. From there, the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, Combat Development Command, acquisition community and others evaluated existing commercial, off-the-shelf … Read entire article »