During the fifth installment of the Association of Defense Communities’ Keynote Series of its annual summit, the conversation focused on the future of national defense.
To discuss this issue in depth, ADC invited Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy.
“The role of defense communities and their military families is essential, it’s multidimensional,” said Flournoy. “Your community is an essential link between all volunteer force and the communities they serve.”
Areas of collaboration she mentioned included: communities fighting COVID-19 together and preparing for the next pandemic, dealing with effects of climate change, and using DoD to create new jobs in construction and green technology. “The partnerships in defense communities are absolutely critical to success,” she said.
With regards to climate change, Flournoy said that more and severe climate events will affect the mission of the Department of Defense. Specifically, she pointed to there will likely be more cases of civilian response being overwhelmed requiring the military to step-in. “Those types of demands on the military will become more frequent,” she said.
Furthermore, she said climate change will cause more competition over scarce resources (i.e. arable land and water), thus causing populations to migrate. The result of which may also cause a demand signal for the military.
Flournoy said that the DoD could become a “market accelerator” in hybrid and electric cars, green construction and sustainable infrastructure. “This is an area that you could see DoD make a big contribution over time.”
She also discussed quality of life issues facing service members throughout the nation. “We’ve got to have a culture where we value every individual and we try to help them contribute their absolute best to the mission.” Flournoy said investing in professional development, mentoring and incentives in career development are key factors to success.
“We have to create an environment where every American is welcomed and appreciated if they offer their service to the U.S. military. Diversity is a strength in this nation. We are better when we tap into the full range of talent as a democracy.”
