Page Title: Sustainable Army
Future readiness relies on sustainable actions taken today.
“Sustainable, Secure Future”
Sustainability principles and practices are critical requirements in meeting the military's readiness challenges in the 21st century. Global competition is increasing for limited resources such as land, air, water, and energy. Draught and global climate change represent emerging national security risks.
Future readiness relies on the sustainable actions taken today. The Army is transforming business practices, enhancing management procedures, developing innovative technologies, and integrating Net Zero approaches across an entire enterprise. These changes will eliminate organizational inefficiencies while achieving administration goals for increasing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conservingwater resources, preventing pollution, and eliminating waste through reduction, reuse and recovery.
Army Sustainability Campaign Plan 2010
A secure future will require sustainable solutions in the following areas:
Energy is essential to Army operations at home and abroad, whether it is energy to power barracks, offices, and depots, mobility fuels for tactical equipment, or fuels to support expeditionary forces. The availability, cost, and transportation requirements of fossil fuels create a substantial financial and logistical burden and energy security concern. In addition, providing fuel support to combat operations puts Soldiers at risk.
Water is essential for sustaining troops, producing materiel and operating and maintaining combat/support/service systems. The provision of water in combat scenarios creates substantial financial and logistical burdens and puts Soldiers at risk. At permanent installations, providing a safe and adequate supply of water, and the ability to collect, treat, and recycle sanitary and industrial sources of wastewater are key functions in stationing Soldiers and producing materiel. In addition, the need to acquire permits and mitigate water quality concerns can impact installation operations.
Air quality directly affects the health of military and civilian personnel. Any degradation of local air can disrupt operations and training, as well as contribute to global climate change. Particulates are often the byproducts of operating installations, producing materiel, operating and maintaining combat/support/service systems, and training. Greenhouse gases and other pollutants are generated from stationary sources such as energy production facilities and mobile sources such as vehicles, aircraft, and tactical equipment. In addition, toxic pollutants and greenhouse gases are emitted from production and maintenance facilities.
Waste can pose significant health and safety issues and involve substantial financial, logistical, and regulatory burdens. Depots, arsenals and industrial plants generate significant quantities of waste associated with manufacturing processes, maintenance activities, shipping, and other materiel-related functions. Troop installations and contingency operations generate refuse from food, administration, and personnel housing and sanitary wastes. Construction and demolition driven by stationing or closures and realignment also generate significant quantities of debris and other wastes.
Planning and Conservation are critical to readiness. Realistic and representative training environments are necessary in order to properly train personnel. Threatened and endangered species and their habitats, the presence of items of cultural significance or encroachment of surrounding communities can limit the timing, scope, and duration of operational activities. These constraints also can affect the ability to position and station troops.
