New Warren Lab Could Save Soldiers Lives

WARREN (WWJ) - A new Army lab in Warren aims to make soldiers on the battlefield safer by making military vehicles more fuel-efficient.

"Today's military marches on its gas tanks, not just as Napoleon says, on its stomachs," said Senator Carl Levin. "Our troops only go as far as fuel allow."

Levin was joined by Senator Debbie Stabenow and leaders from the Pentagon at the Wednesday morning event dedicating the Ground Systems Power and Energy Laboratory.

The lab will allow the military to do more testing on conventionally powered vehicles, and develop new alternative systems of propelling battlefield and supply vehicles.

Major Genearl Kurt Stein, who is commanding officer of the local installation says more fuel-efficient vehicles mean that the military will need fewer convoys to supply troops. That puts fewer troops at risk. Stein says he asks himself one question every day.

"How can we as an Army reduce the number of logistics convoys on the battlefield and get our young men and women off the roads, ultimately saving lives."

The Army cited statistics showing that during the current campaign in Afghanistan, there's one casualty for every forty-six security convoys.

The lab is a part of the Army's TARDEC operations in Warren, which work on developing the military vehicles of the future. Senator Levin said that this plays into the Detroit area's proud military history.

"We are justifiably proud in Detroit as our heritage as the Arsenal of Democracy, from bombers and tanks rolling off the assembly lines to help win World War II, to today's developments of technologies that will help keep our military the best equipped and finest in the world."