WASHINGTON — That’s interesting — The Department of War has established a new program, FORTRESS America, designed to ensure the U.S. military can keep fighting under any conditions by securing the energy, infrastructure and resources it depends on, according to a memorandum sent to senior Pentagon leadership, combatant commanders and defense agency directors. Posted Sept. 30; see the memo at the end of the story.
I’m not saying we need to load up on six months’ worth of toilet paper as some folks did during the scamdemic, but the memo is food for thought, particularly since we live near military bases in Eastern NC. Don’t know. Seems like common sense, but I wonder what’s ahead. Europe is reported to be on alert too. I wonder if Dr. Doofensmirtz is planning anything?
The memo, effective immediately, describes the initiative as the nation’s “insurance policy.”
It is aligned with the Future Year Defense Program and aims to move military bases and infrastructure projects toward greater independence.
Makes sense as global supply chains would be affected if things get hot. That said, in the immortal words of Hank Williams Jr., “a country boy can survive.”
The program rests on five pillars: energy independence; supply-chain and defense-industrial base resilience; a strategic defense reserve; installation hardening and cyber resilience; and resilience in space and spectrum.
The memo stresses that the effort “is not a retreat,” calling it a foundation for projecting American strength from a homeland that “cannot be starved out, shut down, or cut off.”
The Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment has 30 days to create a FORTRESS America Program Office. A member of the Senior Executive Service will run day-to-day operations, assisted by a two-star military adviser. The office will start as a lean core cell and reach full operating capability within months, the memo says, delivering results “in weeks, not years.”
All military departments, defense agencies and field activities must support the program “without reservation.”
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