A coalition of retired military personnel signed a public letter calling for support of efforts by the U.S. military to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. The letter is running in today’s Wall Street Journal and it is addressed to the President, members of Congress, and the American public.

Among the signatories are American Security Project’s CEO, Brigadier General Stephen Cheney USMC (Ret.), as well as ASP Board Members and affiliates LtGen John Castellaw, USMC (Ret.) ; Vice Admiral Lee Gunn, USN (Ret.) ;  Lt. General Norman Seip, USAF (Ret.); and, Brig. General John Adams, USA (Ret.).

In total, 28 decorated military officers and over 300 veterans signed the letter, lending weight to the Pentagon’s alternative fuels and clean energy programs.

The group was organized by former Senator and Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, John Warner. It was also signed by former Congressman and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Ike Skelton.

The Department of Defense is the world’s largest single consumer of oil, which it uses in land, sea, and air operations. As a large consumer of oil, the U.S. military is vulnerable to price swings that are often common in global oil markets.

For every $10 increase in the price of a barrel of oil, the U.S. military suffers an additional $1.4 billion in unbudgeted annual costs. When this happens, military leaders must reduce training, personnel, or equipment, which damages our nation’s military readiness.

The Defense Department has begun making investments in alternative fuels to reduce oil consumption.

Last week, the U.S. Navy demonstrated the effectiveness of a 50/50 blend of biofuel and petroleum-based fuel as part of its Green Strike Group off the coast of Hawaii.

While costs per gallon of biofuel remains high, the Department of Defense can use its position as a large consumer to help drive down costs over time. It is projected that biofuels could become cost-competitive with fossil fuels as early as 2017.

Check out ASP’s mini site on Defense Energy here.

To read the full ad, see below.

The DOD must reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and deploy clean energy technology