Energy to the Edge (E2E) U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force

Operational Energy is critical in sustaining troops and executing operations. The Army Rapid Equipping Force initiated the Energy to the Edge project to provide contractor support in Afghanistan where fuel resupply was hazardous. Contracted personnel acted as Operational Energy Advisors. The team traveled to over fifty sites and completed thirty-nine assessments that included recommendations to improve safety, incorporate non-materialmaterial changes and implement hybrid energy solutions. The REF leveraged existing government and commercial-off-the-shelf COTS technologies integrated with legacy military equipment. Documenting these findings is critical to provide a body of information for developing future energy efficient systems, warfighter doctrine, training and combat operations. The greatest impact of Operational Energy is that it is not just about saving energy, but reducing maintenance requirements and improving system operational reliability. Soldiers once tasked with transporting fuel and refueling and maintaining generators, are now freed up for other tasks. Energy to the Edge E2E became more than saving fuel, it became a force multiplier.