From readiness to resilience: Two decades of extreme weather impacts on US military infrastructure
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US military installations—whether large coastal hubs, inland training ranges, logistics nodes, or forward-operating bases—function as essential national infrastructure. They host critical assets, serve as staging areas for operations, enable global force projection, and support the daily readiness of service members. Because these installations often sit in regions of strategic value that are also highly exposed to environmental hazards—coastal zones, river basins, arid regions, and fire-prone landscapes—they face an increasingly complex risk environment. Damage to installation infrastructure, disruptions to training and operations, and stress on energy and water systems can quickly cascade into broader challenges for mission assurance and force readiness.
The strategic relevance of these extreme weather event disruptions is profound. Extreme weather events have repeatedly curtailed or delayed operational activities, reduced training availability, and forced the relocation of high-value assets.
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Over the past decade, the DoD has begun to formalize its approach to environmental risk. Key directives—from early climate adaptation guidance in 2014, to the 2019 and 2021 climate reports, to the Climate Adaptation Plan released in 2021 and updated through 2024—have emphasized the need to integrate environmental considerations into installation planning, acquisitions, and mission assurance frameworks.
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Cross-cutting impacts on military readiness and operations
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Physical infrastructure damage
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Each event compounds long-standing maintenance backlogs, leaving installations more vulnerable to subsequent hazards.
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Operational readiness
Extreme weather routinely interrupts training, force generation, and deployment cycles.
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These disruptions cascade into reduced sortie rates, diminished unit preparedness, and compressed training timelines once normal operations resume.
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Mission assurance and strategic concerns
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When critical nodes are disrupted, mission assurance is jeopardized.
Financial costs
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Environmental disasters have generated tens of billions of dollars in repair costs, often requiring multi-year appropriations and diverting funds from modernization priorities.
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Human factors
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Finally, extreme weather imposes significant human costs on service members and their families. Housing shortages following hurricanes or wildfires displace families for months, while repeated crises contribute to fatigue, stress, and disruptions to childcare and schooling.
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