American Military Units Using More Portable Air Conditioning

Cooling Tents and Other Temporary Shelters

Military troops often have to live and work in makeshift shelters, yet these shelters need to be comfortable. Extremes of temperature have direct health implications. In some cases heat exhaustion and heat stroke cause more casualties than enemy fire. Heat has indirect health and safety effects as well, interfering with sleep or causing stress that erodes a soldier's ability to perform in combat. However the transient nature of military shelters makes it difficult to control climate.

Portable air conditioning can turn the stagnant air inside a tent or other shelter into a comfortable environment. They not only cool but also provide airflow and dehumidification, making them valuable in a wide range of surroundings settings. These spot coolers are as easy to move as the structures they cool, allowing an army to carry cooling capacity with them anywhere in the world.

Equipment Trailers

Today's soldier needs on more than a uniform and a weapon to perform in the field. Modern military forces depend on large electronic installations that provide intelligence and communication to the whole unit. Electronics are sensitive to temperature changes so must be kept cool in any environment.

As technology has advanced, military electronics have become more widespread and gotten smaller. These smaller devices allow more equipment to be packed into a smaller space, making the installations harder for the enemy to detect, but this has compounded the cooling problem. Electronics put out huge amounts of heat and the more devices in a space, the greater the heat produced. Portable air conditioning units keep these equipment installations cool, allowing soldiers to depend on the information and organization modern electronic systems provide.

Extreme Environments

Military forces have to be prepared to fight in any environment in the world. The largest operations the American military has been involved in during the last few decades have been in sweltering jungles and burning deserts, exposing both soldiers and equipment to temperature extremes they might not have been prepared for. These extremes have taken their toll and required the development of new climate control technologies.

Portable air conditioning has been an essential component of effective military operations. It allows a modern combat unit to control the local environment to their advantage. There are fewer incidents of heat-related illness and less equipment failure. Military units are able to occupy and operate in environments that would have been impossible in the past. The spot coolers are inexpensive, rugged and easily transportable.

While it may not be the most glamorous military technology, portable air conditioning has changed modern combat operations and given our armed forces a greater ability to complete their missions.