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No Worries
06-09-2005, 01:18 PM
GWB goes green.

Stung by High Gas Prices, Uncle Sam Buys Minivans to Replace Army Humvees (http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Articles/articleId=105726)
Date Posted 05-23-2005

WINDSOR, Canada — The U.S. Armed Forces have ordered 19,000 minivans and 5,000 Pacificas from the Chrysler Group for use as light-duty vehicles in Iraq and elsewhere around the world, displacing less fuel-efficient Humvees, according to the Windsor Star.

The switch to the gas-powered school-carpool mainstays is designed to reduce fuel consumption and improve passenger-carrying ability. The U.S. military has complained it is inefficient to use Humvees to carry a few soldiers at a time, especially in noncombat situations.

The minivans — all gold-colored — will be built at Chrysler's St. Louis, Missouri, and Windsor assembly plants.

"The U.S. government has put their down payment on the vehicles and we're building them already," a plant source told the Star. "They're supposed to be going to Iraq as taxis and stuff."

What this means to you: The minivan: Soccer-mom tested, U.S. Army approved. Nice to see the government is actually looking to save taxpayers some cash.

Mulder
06-09-2005, 01:21 PM
"They're supposed to be going to Iraq as taxis and stuff."

Not to be a dick or anything, but why are we buying taxi's so that someone can start up a business in Iraq?

Hippieloser
06-09-2005, 02:13 PM
"They're supposed to be going to Iraq as taxis and stuff."

Not to be a dick or anything, but why are we buying taxi's so that someone can start up a business in Iraq?

Uh, I think they'll be military taxis. Not cabs.

mc mark
06-09-2005, 02:30 PM
GWB goes green.

What this means to you: The minivan: Soccer-mom tested, U.S. Army approved. Nice to see the government is actually looking to save taxpayers some cash.

Well while the Minivans will likely save the Army billions of dollars in fuel costs, some soldiers are objecting to the Army’s move to rename troop movements “play dates.”

A-Train
06-09-2005, 03:32 PM
Hmmm...die from dehydration while tranversing the Iraqi desert in triple digit heat, or voluntarily ride in a mini-van...tough choice...

Invisible Fan
06-09-2005, 03:33 PM
A medal goes to the spinster that labels them Freedom Vans.

RocketMan Tex
06-09-2005, 03:36 PM
Will they have any more armor than the Humvees, or will our troops be rummaging through garbage dumps looking for sheets of metal to attach to their shiny new minivans?

Sishir Chang
06-09-2005, 03:44 PM
I'm all for the Army getting green but I can't resist the irony of them going to minivans to save gas in the country with the second largest known reserves.

KingCheetah
06-09-2005, 03:50 PM
24,000 Chryslers...

Iraq just became a very dangerous place.