Imagining the Human Camel: Water, Climate Change, and the (Super)Soldier

ABSTRACT: Water molecules are the building blocks of life, but they’re also the building blocks of war: without water, soldiers cannot fight, and militaries cannot function. The paths and routes of water molecules into the bodies of soldiers can mean success or failure, life or death, on the battlefield. In this article, I’ll examine US military plans to weaponize water in the form of hydration enhancement and the body’s ability to store and process water so that soldiers can fight longer and more effectively with less water and fewer logistical problems. These projects deal with the intersection of military human performance enhancements and logistics, ideas and projects that we normally don’t associate together. I also examine the implications of current plans and projects the US military has underway to circumvent its water/biology/logistics problems and the limitations posed by water and climate change on soldiers, equipment, and operations.