The Patriot Files Forums  

Go Back   The Patriot Files Forums > Military News > DoD

Post New Thread  Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 01-19-2019, 02:15 PM
Boats's Avatar
Boats Boats is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sauk Village, IL
Posts: 21,784
Arrow DoD: Majority of mission-critical bases face climate change threats

DoD: Majority of mission-critical bases face climate change threats
By: Tara Copp 1-18-19
RE: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/y...hange-threats/

Photo link: https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/w9...CNIUHIGAJI.jpg
A military police officer walks near a destroyed gate at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael on Oct. 12, 2018. The storm caused extensive damage to nearly every building on the base. A new Defense Department report finds that most of the military’s operationally critical installations face a threat from climate change. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

More than two-thirds of the military’s operationally critical installations are threatened by climate change, according to a new DoD report.

The January 2019 report, “Report on Effects of a Changing Climate to the Department of Defense,” was submitted to Congress Thursday without an official announcement of the report or a public release. Several environmental organizations made the report publicly available early Friday.

After several reporters questioned why the report was not made public by DoD, the Pentagon published it on Defense.gov mid-Friday.

The Pentagon did not assess all of its hundreds of installations, instead it selected “79 mission assurance priority installations based on their operational role,” the Pentagon said in its report.

In its assessment of those 79 installations, which included Army, Air Force and Navy installations — and notably no Marine Corps bases — the services reported that 53 of the 79 faced current threats from flooding; 43 of the 79 face current threats from drought and 36 of the 79 faced current threats from wildfires.

More than two-thirds of the military’s operationally critical installations are threatened by climate change, according to a new DoD report.

The January 2019 report, “Report on Effects of a Changing Climate to the Department of Defense,” was submitted to Congress Thursday without an official announcement of the report or a public release. Several environmental organizations made the report publicly available early Friday.

After several reporters questioned why the report was not made public by DoD, the Pentagon published it on Defense.gov mid-Friday.

The Pentagon did not assess all of its hundreds of installations, instead it selected “79 mission assurance priority installations based on their operational role,” the Pentagon said in its report.

In its assessment of those 79 installations, which included Army, Air Force and Navy installations — and notably no Marine Corps bases — the services reported that 53 of the 79 faced current threats from flooding; 43 of the 79 face current threats from drought and 36 of the 79 faced current threats from wildfires.

Note: On site there is a Chart with all the bases effected - please review to find your base.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/y...hange-threats/

The Pentagon also looked at logistics sites and other support that it considered operation critical, including Washington Headquarters Services, which includes the Office of the Secretary of Defense and supporting offices. the Defense Logistics Agency, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

“The effects of a changing climate are a national security issue with potential impacts to Department of Defense missions, operational plans, and installations,” the report found.

Critics said the report not only fell short of Congress' direction but also questioned why not a single Marine Corps Base was included. The report also did not mention last year’s massive storm damage to military installations. Tyndall Air Force Base sustained serious damage to almost all of its buildings by Hurricane Michael and the Marines' Camp Lejeune was badly damaged by Hurricane Florence.

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, had a few choice words for it.

“The report reads like a introductory primer and carries about as much value as a phonebook,” Reed said in a statement.

The NDAA language also required cost estimated to mitigate the risks at the bases, and a list of the top 10 most climate-vulnerable bases, which it did not, said John Conger, director of the Center on Climate Security.

“It will be interesting to see how Congress views this sort of non-compliance of the law” with the report, Conger said.

When asked why no Marine Corps installations were included, Pentagon spokeswoman Heather Babb said that “in developing the report, DOD focused on mission assurance.”

“The report highlights the climate vulnerabilities of the top 79 mission assurance priority installations. By using this alternative approach, we are able to highlight where there are operational risks,” Babb said.

Conger previously served at the Pentagon as a deputy under secretary in the comptroller’s shop, and as the assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations and environment.

The report, which was directed by the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, required the Pentagon to produce an “assessment of the significant vulnerabilities from climate-related events in order to identify high risks to mission effectiveness on installations and to operations.”

About the writer: Tara Copp is the Pentagon Bureau Chief for Military Times and author of the award-winning military nonfiction "
__________________
Boats

O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"IN GOD WE TRUST"
sendpm.gif Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:09 PM.


Powered by vBulletin, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.