The Cost of Doing Business

The Air Force needs to change the way it measures energy, said Air Force Materiel Command boss Gen. Donald Hoffman. “Just looking at the amount of fuel burned per hour is not the right focus,” said Hoffman at the Army & Air Force Energy Forum in Arlington, Va., Wednesday. “We need to look at energy consumed versus what is delivered.” More importantly, the Air Force must realize that there is a “significant difference” in the cost of fuel at its domestic installations and at its forward operating bases in Afghanistan and then consider those costs when making operational decisions, he said. The service also should re-evaluate its incentive process to ensure that all airmen understand the importance and the cost of energy in the military, said Hoffman. “We need an enduring set of policies that endures across [Presidential] Administrations to truly acknowledge the cost of energy in our lives, the cost of doing business, and the cost of defending our nation,” he said.