What do the Olympics have to do with Veterans or Energy production?

February 21, 2018

By Anthong Caldarelli, Pennsylvania Vets4Energy volunteer Chairman.

As a veteran of the U.S. Army and the PA Vets4 Energy Chair, I asked myself “what do the Olympics have to do with Veterans or Energy production?”

The Olympics as founded were basically tests of military skills. Even in today’s Olympics, sports like the various shooting competitions, Judo and the other “combative” sports and the Biathlon (cross country skiing and rifle marksmanship combined) are skills useful to the military.

The Army’s 10th Mountain Division, in particular, trains on cross country skis, and of course, rifle marksmanship. The gear worn by our Olympians this year comes from Nike, a company founded by 10th Mountain Division Veterans of WW II.

Olympians wear the same things soldiers wear with fabrics made from oil & gas liquids. High performance fabrics like polypro and microfiber that keep us temperature regulated and dry. From the plastic helmets worn by Luge Sliders and Hockey Players to the Kevlar vests and helmets worn by Infantrymen, soldiers and athletes wear “oil” to protect themselves from injury.

I would like to remind everyone that the Petroleum Industry was founded in Titusville PA in 1859. Pennsylvania has been an important Petroleum producer since then. Recently, with the new drilling technologies that have opened natural gas and oil production from shale rock, Pennsylvania has become internationally important.

America’s energy independence is the issue that got me involved in Vets4Energy. An energy independent America is a much more secure America.

-- Anthony Caldarelli, PA Vets4Energy Chair