Stand-to! update Beginning May 2022, STAND-TO! will no longer be published on Army.mil and/or distributed to its subscribers. Please continue to learn about the U.S. Army on www.army.mil and follow @USArmy on our social media platforms. Thank you for your continued interest in learning about the U.S. Army.

Energy Informed Culture

Wednesday April 17, 2013

What is it?

To use energy more effectively, the Army is conducting a synchronized campaign to achieve an energy informed culture by 2020. An energy informed culture is one that integrates energy consideration into decisions, processes, and behaviors to ensure the greatest net benefit for operational success. An energy informed culture will maximize energy contributions to readiness and performance, and, make Soldiers routinely self-assess smarter management of energy.

What has the Army done?

The Secretary of the Army, the Army Chief of Staff, and the Sergeant Major of the Army identified development of effective energy solutions as a top priority. In October 2012, the Army launched “The Power Is In Your Hands” campaign, and in, February 2013, the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, issued an ALARACT (All Army Activities) to establish an energy informed culture as a key component of total Army operational capabilities.

In addition, the G-4 stood up an Operational Energy portal for Army-wide communication and coordination. The Army has many energy informed culture efforts underway from the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command schoolhouses, to institutional business processes, to the battlefield. Energy coursework was incorporated into military occupation specialty (MOS) and leadership training, as well as into the curriculum at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Multiple projects, initiatives, and efforts are underway by the active component, National Guard, and U.S. Army Reserves and Army’s efforts are paying off. The Army has reduced Soldier energy loads, fielded more fuel efficient technologies, reduced risks, cut costs, and incorporated energy curriculum in training, all with the positive effect of executing sound Energy Informed Operations.

What continued efforts does the Army have planned for the future?

The Army Campaign Plan serves as an integration tool for Energy Informed Operations (Army Campaign Plan Major Objective 8.2). The need for energy informed decisions extends from the tactical to the strategic levels, and includes generating force functions to sustain training, increase awareness and improve long-term force capabilities. The desired end state is that the Army balances energy-related benefits and liabilities in everyday decisions.

Why is this important to the Army?

Soldiers have increased speed, agility, endurance, and a lethal edge on the battlefield thanks to Operational Energy, but it comes at a cost. In combat it takes more than 20 gallons of fuel per day to sustain each Soldier. Every time the Army delivers fuel or batteries on the battlefield, the Soldiers are put at risk.

Energy informed operations provide advantages in the form of extended range and endurance, flexibility and resilience, enhanced mobility, and freedom of action, thereby reducing the risk to our Soldiers and formations.

Resources:

Subscribe to STAND-TO! to learn about the U.S. Army initiatives.