world's most expensive fill-up

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates today warned members of Congress that the US will have to stay in the Middle East for 10 years just to extract enough oil in order to get all of the military vehicles deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan back into this country.

The US military is the largest single consumer of oil in this country. Petroleum consumption in Iraq by the Defense Department is running about 2 million gallons a day. The Department of Defense will consume approximately 150 million barrels of oil in 2007 and at the current cost of oil, the military (read US CITIZENS) are spending $150 billion dollars a year on this product.

Just how insane is this level of consumption? The President requested about one-third of the amount it will spend on fuel for military vehicles for education (56 billion). The U.S. military consumes more oil on a daily basis than many countries i.e. Greece.

In a related item, a federal judge has ruled that fuel standards for infantry vehicles, tanks, and bombers are not valid because the government has not adequately taken into consideration the environmental consequences of the fuel consumption. Let's see, this tank gets 3 gallons to mile and how many lives? and how many wounded?

elsewhere:
bush announces plans to leave all children behind

military bankrupt?

new fuel standards for tanks?