The directive brings military supply chains, energy security and infrastructure resilience under a single program aligned with the Future Year Defense Program. It requires basing and infrastructure projects to contribute collectively to greater independence, with efforts coordinated across every military installation.
FORTRESS America 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. Together, these priorities are intended to preserve access to the materials, energy, production capacity and secure infrastructure that support American military power.
The memorandum describes the program as the “nation’s insurance policy” and presents homeland resilience as the foundation for projecting strength. Its stated objective is to ensure the military retains the resources and capabilities it needs to fight and win, even under adverse conditions.
The Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment is responsible for establishing the FORTRESS America Program Office within 30 days of the memorandum. The office will report directly to the under secretary, placing responsibility for implementation within the department’s acquisition and sustainment leadership.
A member of the Senior Executive Service will lead day-to-day operations, assisted by a two-star military adviser. The office will start with a small core staff and expand to full operating capability within months, with the directive calling for “results in weeks, not years.”
The memorandum designates FORTRESS America a priority and directs all military departments, defense agencies and field activities to support its execution. It also calls for a permanent structure to carry out the program’s homeland defense mission.
The directive sets out the program’s scope and leadership but provides no funding total or list of individual projects. It names a strategic defense reserve among the five pillars without specifying its contents, size or implementation timetable.
