The Department of Defense introduced a strategy last week to provide sustainable living facilities that improve quality of life for service members and their families.
The Resilient and Healthy Defense Communities Strategy details three main objectives, one of which is to create environments that are policy-compliant, utilitarian and foster camaraderie, productivity and purpose for DOD’s workforce, the agency announced Thursday.
The plan will be implemented on 538 DOD installations, which include 280,000 buildings housing 2 million servicemen, civilian personnel and their families.
DOD will focus on aligning its infrastructure’s scale and scope with the needs of its personnel. It will also seek sustainment investments that will have the best impact on the condition of existing facilities and natural environment.
“This strategy focusing on improving our defense installations reflects the Department’s ongoing commitment to take care of our people and improve the quality of life of our Service members and their families,” Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said. “It ensures we put our people’s experiences at the very center of our recruit and retain approach,” the four-time Wash100 awardee added.
William LaPlante, under secretary of Defense for acquisition and sustainment, echoed the sentiment of his fellow 2024 Wash100 inductee. “We owe it to our Service members and their families to honor the sacrifices they are voluntarily making by creating environments that help our total force bring their best self to the mission—and this strategy will help ensure we are aligning our resources to outcomes which do exactly that,” he commented.