Tallahassee Democrat. Oct 4, 2010.
Strong fuel efficiency standards can help save a soldier’s life.
Nick Breeze

The most dangerous job in Iraq, and now in Afghanistan, is probably not what you expect — it’s driving a
truck.

Fuel convoys, snaking their way across the mountains of Afghanistan or, for the past few years, through
the streets of Baghdad, are vulnerable and easily accessible targets for insurgents in these countries.
The fact is that America’s reliance on oil — on the battlefield, and here at home — makes us vulnerable
to foreign forces and unfriendly nations.

The failure of the Senate to act on energy legislation was a disappointment, but senators still have the
opportunity to cut our dependence on oil and take advantage of clean, domestic energy production by
raising fuel efficiency standards.

As a veteran who protected convoys during my tour in Iraq, I have seen how dangerous it is to be so
dependent on a single source of energy. I am no longer willing to stand idly by while our men and
women of the armed services are put in harm’s way to protect our oil interests abroad.

From a national security standpoint, our dependence on oil makes us extremely vulnerable. As a former
soldier, I understand the value in going to unfriendly nations with the intent of protecting our country.
However, I do not see the value in allowing our dependence on oil to put our troops in even more
danger.

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