Over a few decades, while sustaining or improving performance, the Pentagon's land, sea, and air platforms could cost-effectively save two thirds of their fuel directly, plus more fuel to deliver platforms and fuel. Such fuel efficiency would save many lives, billions of dollars a year in fuel cost, and perhaps ten times that in logistics cost, while making war-fighting more capable-and ultimately less necessary. This letter to the editor, by Amory Lovins, appeared in the July/August issue of The Atlantic Monthly (www.theatlantic.com) (August 2005).