Spring 2004
This is an archived article. Facts and links are current as of publication date.

 

As the Army reorganizes into modular units to face the global challenges of the next century, sustainability is the focus of our strategy to support the Current Force – and the Future Force. In November 2003, the Army initiated a process to develop a bold, new strategic approach for addressing its relationship with the environment. We have commenced on a path that will support the Army mission with environmental principles and practices for years to come: to "Sustain the Mission – Secure the Future."

We will be a sustainable Army – one that simultaneously meets mission requirements worldwide, protects human health and safety, enhances quality of life and safeguards the natural environment. This is a significant commitment, made with full knowledge of the complete redesign that our equipment, operations and installations require, a transformation that has already begun and still has far to go. This is a long-term commitment, to radically change the way we design, build, buy, transport and otherwise perform our mission, as we transform our weapons systems, tactics and installations over the coming decades. This is a necessary commitment. Senior Army leadership is keenly interested in adapting the successful business model of balancing "the triple bottom line of people, profit, planet" for long-term military viability.

is the paradigm that the Army is using to focus our thinking and efforts to better address present and future needs of our installations, our relationships with communities, as well as impacts to our ability to equip, train and deploy our Soldiers. By applying the principles of sustainability, we are creating installations that are "flagships" capable of supporting Army operations throughout the world.

Sustainability is not just "doing better" in the way we manage our installations; rather, it is a completely different approach to the way we do business – the way we design, build, buy, maintain, operate, and dispose or reuse. In fact, it requires radical changes in almost all of the core business processes the Army performs today. For example, our current environmental funding policies do not adequately provide incentives for investment in the future. This is like an individual's personal budget, where one must take care of today's bills, such as food, housing, electric and gas, for example, and must also invest a portion of one's salary for retirement. For the Army to be sustainable, we must take care of today's needs while also making the right investments for the future.

Photo courtesy of Kemron Environmental Services, Inc.

Contractors from a small business construct drainage chutes at Fort Sheridan, Ill.

The quest for installation sustainability in the Army began in earnest in 2001 but has rapidly gained momentum with senior leadership support. Sustainability easily appealed to Army leadership because it is directed at "senior-level decision making" and illustrates that the Army can, in fact, accomplish its mission, safeguard people's quality of life, and protect human health and the environment. Sustainability also appeals to the troops and civilians in the field, the ones on the ground, as they become essential players in the goal-setting processes. This in turn motivates them to use and champion sustainable principles. Finally, sustainability appeals to the many stakeholders and regulatory communities since it focuses their collective efforts and resources to balance requirements that keep everyone more viable far into the future.

Since 2001, Army installations across the country have embarked on the journey towards sustainability, and the balance of this discussion spotlights their progress in three short years. Fort Bragg, N.C., was the first installation to quantify its pursuit of sustainability. Fort Lewis, Wash., followed soon after, seeking to harness the power of its newly certified ISO 14001 Environmental Management System. Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Carson, Colo., both began sustainability programs in 2002 with Fort Campbell, Ky., kicking off its sustainability initiative in 2003. The installations agreed to incorporate the SPiRiT guide into their respective Installation Design Guides to ensure sustainability principles are embedded in facility construction and renovation. Fort Carson just completed a 2,800-square-foot training building using these principles. Fort Bragg decreased its potable water consumption by 30 percent in one year. Something all these installations have in common is the incredible progress each has made, not with huge capital investments, but rather through better-targeted investment. And, of course, the dedication and tenacity of the installation staffs!

Another common outcome of using sustainability is the partnerships that every installation has not only sought to participate in but has agreed to act in as the leader. Fort Bragg created the Sustainable Sandhills initiative that encompasses the surrounding six counties. Fort Lewis, largely because of its leadership in cooperating with area Native Americans, was invited to sit on the Washington state Governor's Council for Sustainable Development. Fort Hood is leading a regional sustainability initative to address water, air, land use, growth and development surrounding the installation. Fort Carson is spearheading the Sustainability Indicators initiative for the Pikes Peak Region that will seek consensus on economic and societal indicators for the region. Fort Campbell hosted a sustainability conference including more than 200 participants from the installation and surrounding area to develop 25-year sustainability goals. The most important aspect of these partnerships is that they provide ready lines of communication to discuss and resolve potential issues and create a means to help insulate military training activities from having unforeseeable negative impacts on local communities, and, in turn, potential impacts on Army readiness far into the future.

As these successes show, highly motivated people both on and off the installation, along with the right focus, can make tremendous progress. Sustainability is the glue that holds these ideas together and makes them a reality. The Army expects sustainability to play a key role in shaping the culture on our installations and in local communities. As such, we will soon release a new Army environmental strategy with sustainability as its underlying framework. It is an exciting time for the Army as we take the next step toward a sustainable future.

Respond to this article
	Issue Contents