Photo By Sgt. Charlie Helmholt | A fleet of electric plug-in vehicles sits, ready to roll at Los Angeles Air Force Base...... read more read more
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GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - The face of the vehicles will be changing at Joint Task Force Guantanamo over the course of the next several months as the J4 transportation implements the General Services Administration initiative to transform its fleet to a greener, more efficient one.
Some of the changes to expect are smaller vehicles across the board, including the replacement of the larger trucks and cars with more economical ones. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jeffrey Swem, the officer-in-charge of the J4 transportation office, gave us a sneak peak.
“The Malibu’s and Avengers will be going to a Ford Focus-type car and full-size trucks will transition to a two-door Ranger-style truck,” said Swem. During the 45th annual Earth Day celebration on April 22 the GSA’s Office of Motor Vehicle Management highlighted some of the many ways it has promoted energy efficiency throughout the federal fleet. For example, during GSA’s 2015 annual vehicle replacement cycle, MVM covered the entire incremental cost of acquiring
62 bi-fuel compressed natural gas pickup trucks for five federal agencies: the Army, NASA, Marine Corps, Navy and the Veterans Administration. The goal of the initiative is to support customers in their efforts to acquire an alternative fuel vehicles in the pickup truck category while furthering the GSA’s goal of decreasing our dependence on foreign fuel sources. But, the hope is to not only cut back on fuel usage, but also generate efficiency over the long term. Swem said, prior to this change, GTMO has seen roughly 25 types of different vehicles here, which can make ordering parts and training personnel much more time consuming and expensive. Whittling the number of different vehicles down should allow a more streamlined process, be it ordering parts or changing the oil. There have been several issues raised related to vehicle swaps. One of those is whether or not the smaller, more economic vehicles will be able to deliver the horsepower
needed to accomplish tasks in some of the tough terrain, specifically the dramatic inclines over the unfinished roads throughout the hills around GTMO.
Swem answered these challenges with two suggestions. The first is for units to swap vehicles to meet the specific tasking. For example, if someone drives a smaller car, switching out that vehicle for a larger truck may resolve the issue. Swem also stated heavier vehicles will still be available in the form of Humvees. The second is a more common-sense approach. For example, if the grip on dusty roads and hills is an issue, Swem suggests letting out a bit of air from the tires before your trip up, allowing the tire to settle and grip better and refilling them when finished with that route. “We are more concerned with the mission, this is a reality and long term I think it will be a good thing. Being more eco-friendly is just a side effect of that,” said Swem. Joe Madison, the natural and cultural resource manager with the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Public Works Department, described the impact this change could have on the environment. “It will create cleaner air and cleaner water (locally) there is no question about it,” said Madison. The geography of a place is a determining factor in the environment, especially when it comes to air. Mexico City, for example, sits in a valley effectively trapping the air and unfortunately the pollution. GTMO similarly sits in a valley surrounded by hills, and while the pollution produced here is not on the scale of a major city, there is a footprint nonetheless. “So, it will definitely benefit wildlife and plants here from the perspective of cleaner water and cleaner air,” said Madison. With every dollar saved in gas, the eco footprint of the world is reduced. Globally, less fuel used results in less mining and drilling.
Going green is becoming a reality for GTMO and the rest of the military. Embracing and working through this mission can ultimately have an impact on a large scale.
| Date Taken: | 02.19.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.02.2016 10:02 |
| Story ID: | 190821 |
| Location: | GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Web Views: | 179 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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