DoW Approves $230 Million in Grants Under the Defense Community Infrastructure Program

Sept. 23, 2026 |

Today, the Department of War announces the award of twenty-six Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) grants from the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, totaling approximately $230 million in federal awards. DCIP is a competitive program for states, territories, and communities to undertake infrastructure enhancements to support the mission assurance of a military installation, military family quality of life, installation resiliency, and/or the training of cadets at independent "covered educational institutions," that benefits their local installations.

On August 4, 2026, the Assistant Secretary of War for Energy, Installations, and Environment instructed the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation to invite grant applications for projects based on a competitive ranking of all proposed projects in response to an April 17, 2026, DCIP Notice of Funding Opportunity.  

These awards derive from Fiscal Year 2026 appropriated funding and leverage an additional $77 million in non-federal, $43 million in other funding, for a total investment of $350 million.

"The Fiscal Year 2026 awards deliver historic funding to the Defense Community Infrastructure Program, driving critical infrastructure upgrades that directly strengthen military installations nationwide," said Mr. Dale Marks, Assistant Secretary of War for Energy, Installations, and Environment. "This year's program includes $100 million from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, helping to secure key investments to support our national security, as well as the readiness and lethality of our warfighters." 

The Fiscal Year 2026 grant awards are as follows, in alphabetical order by state: 

• A federal grant for $18,492,378 to the City of Anniston, Alabama, for a $19,092,378 project to improve the primary runway at Anniston Regional Airport in support of Anniston Army Depot. 

• A federal grant for $10,800,000 to the City of Huntsville, Alabama, for a $16,212,400 project to construct transportation access in support of Redstone Arsenal. 

• A federal grant for $8,540,886 to the City of Twentynine Palms, California, for a $8,540,866 project to construct transportation access in support of Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms.

• A federal grant for $9,784,000 to the County of Monterey Department of Public Works, Facilities, and Parks, California, for a $12,004,816 project to construct transportation access in support of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hunter Liggett.  

• A federal grant for $10,948,971 to the Muroc Joint Unified School District, California, for a $11,748,479 project to construct an educational facility in support of Edwards Air Force Base. 

• A federal grant for $19,286,800 to the Denver Board of Water Commissioners dba Denver Water, Colorado, for a $20,163,400 project to undertake a water supply project in support of Buckley Space Force Base.  

• A federal grant for $1,686,737 to Mountain View Electric Association, Inc., Colorado, to undertake a utility upgrade in support of Schriever Space Force Base.  

• A federal grant for $9,594,409 to the Hawai'i State Department of Education, Hawaii, for a $10,350,441 project to construct recreation and community-support infrastructure in support of Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

 • A federal grant for $4,500,000 to the City of Mountain Home, Idaho, for a $5,000,000 project to construct wastewater capacity for current and future growth in support of Mountain Home Air Force Base.  

• A federal grant for $6,765,530 to the City of Burlington, Iowa, to construct a fire station in support of Iowa Army Ammunition Plant.  

• A federal grant for $3,218,359 to the Commissioners of St. Mary's County, Maryland, for a $4,597,656 project to construct pedestrian and transportation access in support of Naval Air Station Patuxent River.  

• A federal grant for $1,040,000 to the North Dakota Department of Transportation, North Dakota, for a $1,300,000 project to construct transportation improvements in support of Minot Air Force Base. 

• A federal grant for $10,000,000 to the City of Midwest City, Oklahoma, for a $43,073,392 project to construct a recreation facility in support of Tinker Air Force Base. 

• A federal grant for $12,371,947 to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Oklahoma, to undertake rail improvement in support of McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.

• A federal grant for $982,100 to the Oklahoma Industries, Oklahoma, for a $1,590,350 project to construct additional food access in support of Tinker Air Force Base. 

• A federal grant for $954,100 to the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, Pennsylvania, for a $1,363,000 project to rehabilitate water infrastructure that supports Harrisburg Air National Guard Base. 

• A federal grant for $20,000,000 to Douglas School District 51-1, South Dakota, for a $64,498,712 project to construct a new elementary school in support of Ellsworth Air Force Base.  

• A federal grant for $17,830,308 to the City of Corpus Christi, Texas, for a $25,471,869 project to modernize a water line corridor in support of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi 

• A federal grant for $20,000,000 to the City of San Angelo, Texas, for a $28,633,852 project to construct transportation and utility infrastructure improvements in support of Goodfellow Air Force Base. 

• A federal grant for $13,835,926 to San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District, Texas, for a $14,879,186 project to construct an elementary school in support of Laughlin Air Force Base. 

• A federal grant for $9,268,020 to Davis County Government, Utah, for a $13,268,020 project to construct transportation access in support of Hill Air Force Base. 

• A federal grant for $3,003,000 to the City of Portsmouth, Virginia, for a $4,290,000 project to upgrade wastewater infrastructure in support of Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads.

• A federal grant for $313,000 to the County of York, Virginia, for a $391,114 project to construct a pedestrian crosswalk in support of Joint Base Langley-Eustis. 

• A federal grant for $13,170,030 to the Hampton Roads Sanitation District, Virginia, for an $18,814,329 project to construct sewer infrastructure improvements in support of Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads. 

• A federal grant for $1,024,848 to Selah Fire Department/Yakima County Fire District 2, Washington, for a $1,191,198 project to construct a firefighting training facility in support of Joint Base Lewis-McChord Yakima Training Center.

• A federal grant for $2,236,500 to Spokane County, Washington, for a $3,195,000 project to construct transportation access in support of Fairchild Air Force Base. 

Groundbreaking on these projects may commence once all environmental requirements have been met.  

The Defense Community Infrastructure Program is authorized under 10 U.S. Code § 2391(d).  

Pentagon Showcases Dozens of Advanced Energy Projects

Sept. 22, 2026 | By C. Todd Lopez, Pentagon News |

On display at the Pentagon for three days are more than 100 exhibits related to energy innovation, including the Army's Tactical Microgrid Standard, the Navy's system to use microwaves to beam limitless power from space and the Air Force's Modular Energy for Tactical Expeditionary Operations Resource, or METEOR power system. 

The Energy Sentry - Pentagon: DoW's Energy Innovation Expo, which began today, showcases War Department efforts to address the modern reality that operational energy at the tactical edge and energy used to power the installations inside the United States are the same thing. 

"For too long, defense planners operated under a false construct," said Dale R. Marks, the assistant secretary of war for energy, installations and environment. "We built a firewall between installation energy — the power running our bases at home — and operational energy — the fuel and the batteries powering our assets at the tactical edge. Today, that seam is completely gone; it's blurred into irrelevance." 

America's adversaries, Marks said, do not distinguish between a microgrid in Georgia and a generator in the Pacific. 

"They know that they don't have to defeat our warfighters on a distant battlefield if they can cripple the domestic grids that power our control centers, our logistics hubs and our deployment platforms," he said. "Our installations are warfighting platforms, and we have to treat them that way. ... If the power at home is vulnerable, our force projection is compromised before a single boot hits the ground." 

The energy expo, Marks said, showcases efforts by the department and military services to respond to the realities of energy security at home and abroad. 

"The emerging technologies showcased here ... represent the rapid, aggressive innovation designed to secure American energy dominance," he said. 

Marks highlighted four key energy focus areas within the War Department: Golden Dome for America, nuclear capabilities, space and energy superiority. 

The Golden Dome kill chain, he said, is energy-intensive, and the War Department prioritizes getting what it needs to power directed energy systems. 

"We're delivering the energy backbone for [the] Golden Dome," Marks added. "We're rapidly innovating to reduce integration risks for high-power weapon systems and advanced sensors. And if we want to deploy directed energy, high-energy microwave and advanced radar systems, we must solve the energy equation." 

Directed-energy systems lower cost per shot and increase magazine depth, but Marks said they are "power-hungry," and the War Department must meet that power demand to make the Golden Dome a success. 

"Energy is the lifeblood of the entire Golden Dome kill chain," he said. "It goes from space-based early warning sensors to ground-based radar and kinetic and non-kinetic interceptors." 

He referenced two systems that will help make the Golden Dome possible: the Army's Tactical Microgrid Standard and the Navy's Common Operational Resilience and Energy Storage. 

Nuclear Advancements 

The department is accelerating development of TRISO — tristructural isotropic particle fuel — as a commercially available fuel for advanced reactors. Marks said TRISO creates a domestic nuclear fuel supply chain that supports the Army's initiative to deploy commercially owned and operated nuclear microreactors at domestic military installations, called the Janus program, and the Air Force's Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program, called ANPI. 

"We're ensuring that we never rely on a strategic competitor for our nuclear fuel," he said. 

The department is also investing in the Versatile Autonomous Kilowatt-Class Reactor Experiment project, called VALKRE, along with NASA. The program advances development of kilowatt-class nuclear reactor technology for use on Earth and in space. 

"Project VALKRE directly supports [President Donald J. Trump's] national initiative for American space nuclear power, advancing space nuclear technologies as a national priority," he said. 

More Energy To and From Space 

"We're no longer treating space assets as static, disposable systems," Marks said. "We're building a dynamic, maneuvering orbital force. This requires space logistics and in-space refueling." 

Two technologies on display at the energy expo for providing power to space and from space include the Navy's Assured Space Power Initiative and its limitless power from space exhibit, which Marks said can deliver power to the farthest reaches of Earth. 

"By transmitting energy [wirelessly] across vast distances from space to space, space to ground [and] ground to ground, we can resupply remote sensors, unmanned aerial vehicles and isolated units," he said.  

Asserting Energy Superiority 

"If a commander on the ground does not have real-time, energy-informed decision-making capabilities, they are operating blind," Marks said. 

Tactical microgrids, vehicle-centric power systems and fast-forming microgrids, he noted, can keep operating, even when supply chains are disrupted.  

"At the installation level, we're pairing these microgrids with long-duration energy storage and ironclad cyber hardening," Marks said. "We're ensuring that our bases can stand alone and fight through any cyberattack or physical disruption." 

A Better Customer 

The War Department must do a better job of being a customer to ensure the best technology developed in the private sector can get through the "valley of death" — a difficult period in technology development between success in the lab and becoming a fully funded War Department acquisition program.  

The department, Marks said, is committed to bridging that valley. 

"We've aligned our innovation funding programs to act as a unified pipeline," he said, citing the Operational Energy Capital Improvement Fund, the Operational Energy Prototyping Fund, the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program as examples. 

"These programs ensure that energy innovation reaches the warfighter," Marks said. "It goes to the warfighter, whether the need is at the point of action or at the base that sustains it." 

The War Department must focus its limited funds on technologies that actually matter to the warfighter, he added. 

"As we streamline this process, we must hold ourselves accountable to an uncompromising standard," he said. "We're not funding science projects for their own sake. Every dollar we spend must go to the warfighter. Whenever a new technology is presented, I don't ask for a list of its theoretical capabilities; I only ask one simple question: 'Will we deploy with this?'" 

If a capability cannot be deployed, is too difficult for a soldier to use, or is too dependent on a supply chain that might not always be there, he said, then resources might need to be redirected to something the warfighter can use. 

"We're putting warfighters first," Marks said. "We're integrating our operators into the deployment process from Day 1. We're integrating our operators in development, and this is not a one-way street. This is a conversation we must have together: innovators, industry and operators."

Air Force, Japan Exercise Tsunami Evacuation Procedures

Sept. 21, 2026 | By Air Force Senior Airman James Johnson, 18th Wing |

Members of the Air Force's 18th Wing and local government officials in Okinawa, Japan, conducted a joint tsunami evacuation drill across Kadena Air Base, Sept. 19, 2026.  

Nearly 100 residents of the coastal town of Chatan traveled through the base to practice moving to higher ground under simulated disaster conditions.

Executing the exercise for the third consecutive year required close coordination among several installation agencies. The 18th Wing Command Post sent out the initial emergency alert, followed by the 18th Security Forces Squadron escorting participants across the base. 

While Chatan's shoreline faces exposure to coastal hazards, routine exercises help teams streamline entry procedures, ensuring residents can reach higher ground without delay. 

"I am deeply grateful that the training and coordination we have conducted together on a regular basis help us respond effectively when an actual emergency occurs," said Mayor Masashi Toguchi. 

The real-world importance of the training was underscored in June, when a tsunami advisory was issued, prompting base personnel to quickly open the gates so residents could evacuate to a safer location.

"This is more than just a drill or practice; it is an opportunity to prepare for the potential of having to save lives," said Air Force Col. Byron Buzan, 18th Mission Support Group commander. "We have seen the importance of practicing for this scenario firsthand." 

Situated directly between the coast and Kadena Air Base, Chatan relies on long-standing mutual-assistance protocols that allow civilians to access base gates when low-lying coastal areas become unsafe. 

With every exercise, Kadena Air Base and Chatan continue to refine their coordination and eliminate potential delays, demonstrating a shared commitment to community safety and emergency readiness that grows stronger each year.

Department of War Publishes Sixth Release of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Files on WAR.GOV/UFO

Sept. 18, 2026 |

Statement Attributable to Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs and Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell:

Today, the Department of War is publishing the sixth release of declassified and historical Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) files as part of the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE). The collection continues to be housed on WAR.GOV/UFO, and the Department will release additional files on a rolling basis.

The Department of War and our agency partners are actively working on the next release of UAP files. The sixth release of UAP files is available now on WAR.GOV/UFO.

Statement by Chief Pentagon Spokesman, Sean Parnell, on the Clinical Guidance for Testosterone Deficiency in the Male Service Member

Sept. 17, 2026 |

The Department remains focused on building and maintaining a ready, lethal fighting force prepared to dominate the battlefield and achieve peace through strength.

In his July 15, 2026, memorandum, "Health and Human Performance Optimization to Enhance Military Readiness," the Secretary of War directed mandatory testosterone deficiency screenings for all Service members aged 30 and older during their Periodic Health Assessments, with optional screenings available for warfighters under the age of 30.

Consistent with this memorandum, on September 17, 2026, the Director of the Defense Health Agency issued comprehensive clinical guidance to the Military Departments and medical care providers. Effective immediately, this guidance addresses male testosterone deficiency, establishing uniform screening and treatment pathways across the DHA enterprise and assigning responsibility for compliance.

By proactively identifying and treating suboptimal hormone levels, the Department continues to invest in the health of its warfighters, strengthen their performance, and maximize force readiness.

The "Clinical Practice Guideline: Testosterone Deficiency in the Male Service Member" memorandum can be found here, the "Health and Human Performance Optimization to Enhance Military Readiness" memorandum can be found here, and the "Warfighter Performance Optimization – Total Force Fitness" memorandum can be found here.

Defense Health Agency issued clinical guidance can be found here https://www.dha.mil/HHPO

Department of War Signs Framework Agreement With Lockheed Martin to Increase Production of AIM-260 JATM, Boost FMS Sales

Sept. 17, 2026 |

The Department of War, in cooperation with Lockheed Martin, today announced a new framework agreement to expand production capacity of critical next generation air-to-air missiles, the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM). This agreement is critical to ensuring long-term demand signals flow to key suppliers, allowing Lockheed Martin and the munitions supply chain to invest in manufacturing capacity, workforce, and production efficiencies.

"Speed, scale, and stability drive acquisition excellence, and these gears must turn in unison," said Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment. "Today's announcement reflects our commitment to sending clear, long-term demand signals across the defense industrial base, ensuring our Warfighters receive unmatched capability exactly when and where the mission demands."

This agreement represents the latest milestone in expanding the Arsenal of Freedom under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth's joint vision. It establishes a framework for future Multi-Year Procurement (MYP) of JATM, executing congressional authority to secure the nation's highest-priority missile systems.

Executed in direct support of the Department's Acquisition Transformation Strategy, the initiative reflects close collaboration among the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Munitions Acceleration Council, the Economic Defense Unit, the Navy, and the Air Force.

Navy Awards First Production Contract for MQ-25A Stingray

Sept. 15, 2026 | By Neil Lobeda, Unmanned Carrier Aviation |

The Navy awarded a fixed-price incentive contract valued at $562 million to the Boeing Company for Lot 1 of the low-rate initial production of the MQ-25A Stingray carrier-based unmanned aircraft.

The contract provides funds for three Lot 1 Stingrays and additional funding for the advanced acquisition of long-lead components to support three Lot 2 MQ-25As; initial deliveries from Lot 1 are expected to begin arriving in 2029.

"Awarding this first LRIP contract marks a pivotal transition from development to operational reality and is a testament to the focused effort of our joint government and industry teams," said Navy Capt. Daniel Fucito, the program manager for Unmanned Carrier Aviation. "MQ-25A will deliver the advanced reach, lethality and survivability our warfighters need to outpace evolving threats and dominate the future battle space."

In May, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao announced that the MQ-25A Stingray program received approval to move into the production and deployment phase.

The MQ-25A program of record comprises 76 air vehicles, including four engineering development and manufacturing and five system demonstration test articles. Currently, seven test aircraft are in production.

As the world's first fully integrated, carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle, the MQ-25A serves as the pathfinder for the future of unmanned carrier aviation. The Stingray will provide the carrier air wing with essential organic refueling, allowing more F/A-18 Super Hornets to focus on strike missions. This will expand the wing's operational reach while preserving the service life of the aircraft, improving readiness across the Super Hornet fleet. The Stingray is also at the forefront of integrating unmanned systems alongside manned platforms within the carrier air wing, setting the stage for future advancements in naval aviation.

Deputy Secretary of War Directs Actions to Foster One Strong Industrial Base

Sept. 15, 2026 |

Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg today signed a memorandum, Fostering One Strong Industrial Base, directing the Department of War to remove the accounting, audit, and compliance barriers that have separated the companies serving the warfighter from the rest of the American economy. The memorandum and its implementation appendix set deadlines for the Department's senior leaders to open competition, confine government-unique cost accounting to the narrow set of work that requires it, and rely on the financial controls and audits companies already maintain.

For decades, the Department walled the most dynamic economy on earth off from the industrial base that serves the warfighter. The wall was built from cost accounting rules, duplicative audits, and compliance obligations that attach to entire companies rather than the work procured. It was built to control contractor costs; instead it limited who competes and raised prices. The memorandum moves the Department from government-unique Cost Accounting Standards to the accounting every American company already uses – Generally Accepted Accounting Principles – and pushes those benefits to every tier of the supply chain.

"Selling to the Department of War should be a line of business, not a corporate identity. Our nation's greatest strength is its private sector, and our defense industry must harness and mimic it – unleashing industry first, and protecting taxpayers by confining our most burdensome oversight tools to the narrow set of work that genuinely demands them," said Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg. "Transparency and partnership runs both ways: the Department opens its buying to market forces, pays fair prices with honest margins, and in exchange industry shares, when asked, the cost and pricing information it already keeps."

The memorandum governs how the Department requests and uses contractor cost and pricing information and is the next step in the Warfighting Acquisition System reforms the Secretary of War directed on November 7, 2025. It implements Executive Order 14402, which makes fixed-price contracts the default and cost-reimbursement the exception, and carries forward the August 18, 2026 direction on supplier transparency so that contracting officers can see through the prime to its suppliers when needed – and connect those suppliers to Office of Strategic Capital loans, Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment funds, and the Department's business operators. Where there is a market – competition, comparable sales, reliable price history – the Department will rely on the market to set the price. Where no market exists, the Department will rely on cost, drawing on the cost and pricing information companies already keep, with no new accounting systems or special data formats required. Information industry provides is used only for authorized Government purposes and is never made available to another company for its own use.

Three objectives drive the change:

•     Compete continuously for speed and volume. Carry several performers to production, send real orders to those who deliver, and keep future opportunities open.

•     Attach rules to contracts, not companies. One award that carries an oversight regime must not force a company to remake itself. No company should be barred from this market, or trapped in it, by government-unique requirements.

•     Audit only what matters, only when risk exists, and never twice. Rely first on the independent audits companies already pay for; reserve government-unique oversight for high-risk work where the Department has no alternative.

Actions directed in the appendix include:

• a Department proposal to the Cost Accounting Standards Board to make exemption the default and confine coverage to cost-based development contracts awarded without adequate competition
• immediate use of the higher cost-accounting thresholds enacted in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act;
• senior-level approval before any acquisition strategy brings a new business unit under full coverage;
• commercial product and service determinations within 15 business days;
• simplified, commercial-aligned business-system criteria with acceptance of independent public accounting firm certification in place of separate government review;
• risk-based audit rules;
• expanded use of other transactions and advance market commitments;
• and profit policy under which negotiated margins reflect value delivered, risk carried, and private capital invested – not merely cost incurred.

No new organization or compliance framework will be created, and implementing guidance may not add requirements beyond the memorandum and applicable law.

The memorandum and its implementation appendix are available here. Information for companies seeking to do business with the Department is available at business.defense.gov.

Department of War Announces a $450 Million Investment in The Elmet Group to Secure America's Tungsten Supply Chain

Sept. 14, 2026 |

The Department of War's Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy, in partnership with the Economic Defense Unit, announced today a $450 million redeemable preferred equity investment in The Elmet Group through the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program. This strategic investment will strengthen domestic tungsten capacity, bolster U.S. industrial resilience and military readiness, and help secure an essential material for the defense industrial base.

"This investment reflects the Department's commitment to rebuilding critical industrial capacity in the United States," said assistant secretary of War for industrial base policy Hon. Mike Cadenazzi. "Expanding domestic tungsten processing will strengthen supply chain resilience, support high-quality manufacturing jobs, and reinforce the production base behind essential defense systems."

The Elmet Group is the only U.S.-owned, fully integrated producer of tungsten and molybdenum materials and components, supports more than 100 Department of War programs, including the F-35, Patriot PAC-3, Trident D5, NGI, PrSM, and Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines. Tungsten is a foundational input for the defense industrial base, prized for its hardness, heat resistance, density, and durability, and used in critical components across missiles, munitions, aerospace, propulsion, naval, undersea, electronics, and industrial manufacturing applications.

"The Economic Defense Unit was created to identify critical industrial chokepoints before adversaries can exploit them and before they become battlefield risk," said George K. Kollitides II, director of the Economic Defense Unit. "Tungsten is essential to the systems that protect American warfighters and sustain deterrence, and this investment helps secure a domestic processing capability the United States cannot afford to leave exposed. By pairing targeted Department support with a disciplined preferred equity structure, we are strengthening the supply chain behind more than 100 defense programs while protecting taxpayers and delivering for the joint force."

The Department's investment into Elmet will also establish the only independent ammonium paratungstate facility in North America, which is a key step for tungsten processing and one of the largest chokepoints across the U.S. industrial base. By expanding U.S.-aligned refining and processing capacity, this investment will help reduce reliance on adversary-dominated supply chains in markets where China currently dominates global supply, including an estimated 85 percent of tungsten and 40 percent of molybdenum.

The Department's investment is expected to generate substantial economic benefits, including new high-tech jobs across Coldwater, Michigan, and Lewiston, Maine, preserving high-paying manufacturing jobs in Euclid, Ohio, and increasing demand for upstream mining jobs in Nevada.

It is also expected to support approximately 1,200 downstream jobs across manufacturing, engineering, and logistics networks tied to major defense suppliers.

The investment reflects the Department's broader strategy to secure critical industrial inputs, protect the defense supply chain, and ensure the United States can produce the materials required for sustained military advantage.

Department of War Issues Legal Waiver to Authorize Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Disclosures to PURSUE

Sept. 14, 2026 |

In direct alignment with President Trump's mandate for comprehensive transparency on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), the Department of War (DOW) today announced the issuance of a targeted legal waiver. This waiver establishes an authorized, legally protected disclosure mechanism for current and former personnel to provide UAP-related National Defense Information (NDI) to designated representatives of the PURSUE effort.

Under this directive, all current and former DOW service members, civilian personnel, and contractors holding or previously granted access to UAP-related National Defense Information (NDI) are authorized to disclose protected information directly to official PURSUE representatives. The waiver supersedes civil and administrative enforcement provisions contained within Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and Special Access Program Indoctrination Agreements (SAPIAs) previously executed within the United States, strictly for communications directed to the PURSUE team.

This targeted legal relief establishes an authorized pipeline for systematic review, security evaluation, and potential declassification of historical and ongoing UAP data in furtherance of national mission objectives.

Historically, individuals with direct knowledge of UAP-related programs cited concerns regarding potential legal liability, loss of clearances, or administrative prosecution stemming from standard NDAs and SAP indoctrination terms.

This waiver removes those barriers by explicitly authorizing covered disclosures to PURSUE representatives without triggering breach-of-agreement penalties or standard NDA violations.

Rebuilding Defense Industrial Base Requires Skilled Labor

Sept. 8, 2026 | By C. Todd Lopez, Pentagon News |

To remain competitive, the United States must rebuild its defense industrial base — the private sector companies that provide the military with hardware and munitions — and that means more than just facilities and businesses.  

That was the message delivered by Michael Cadenazzi, the assistant secretary of war for industrial base policy, during a field hearing before the House Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee in Santa Clarita, California, Sept. 4. He noted that rebuilding the defense industrial base also means having the right people lining up to do the skilled work at those facilities, such as welding and machining.

"My focus here today is on the skilled tradespeople we need to rebuild and scale the [defense industrial base]: the engineers, the pipe fitters, the welders and those who make the world's finest weapons for our warfighters," Cadenazzi said. 

Through a variety of initiatives, the War Department has made it a priority to encourage young Americans to choose skilled trades to provide the workforce needed to rebuild America's industrial base. 

"Decades of government policy and societal pressure have driven millions of talented young Americans toward degrees, which haven't delivered the benefits they were promised, and have left defense manufacturers with few skilled workers waiting in the wings," Cadenazzi said. 

The secretary said there are some 400,000 unfilled skilled-trade jobs in the defense industrial base today, and that number could grow to 2.5 million over the next decade. 

Getting Americans into those jobs means convincing young people that skilled-trades work is good work, and meaningful; it is a tall order, he said. 

"We need to reach Americans in their living rooms and classrooms, break the stigma of blue-collar work and drive a massive influx of passionate, capable people into these programs," Cadenazzi said. 

The next workforce that will work in the trades and fill skilled labor positions, he said, is in grade school right now. Those young people need to be reached now to pique their interest. 

"Our approach is that if you don't get kids excited in elementary [and] middle school about the trades, by the time that they graduate high school, they're not actually interested," Cadenazzi said. "[Our] next generation of submarine builders is in middle school today ... so we've got to get them excited in the moment." 

He noted that one potential hurdle will be parents, who may be reluctant to encourage their children to choose a path other than continuing their education in college, because they may themselves be the first in their families to have attended. 

"The idea of their kid going to the trades needs to be something they consider," he said. "We need to help the parents understand that this is a great alternative for their children for the future."

Earlier this summer, the War Department launched the Build Freedom Initiative, which promotes and funds blue-collar careers. Through the initiative, coupled with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's arsenal of freedom effort, the department aims to strengthen the nation by encouraging more Americans to choose the skilled-trade workforce. For the War Department, that means rebuilding the defense industrial base, including training more young Americans to build and repair ships, aircraft and munitions. 

"Build Freedom will act as a national hiring, training and awareness campaign to drive America's resurgence in defense manufacturing," Cadenazzi told lawmakers. "Build Freedom aligns more than 70 industrial-based analysis and sustainment, or IBAS, workforce projects under one campaign, ensuring that federally funded workforce opportunities reach the Americans they were designed to serve." 

The Build Freedom Initiative was initially launched in three states — Texas, Michigan and Pennsylvania — and DOW plans to expand the program nationwide.  

"This national awareness will drive individuals to our new buildfreedom.us website, a one-stop shop where their interests can be converted into scholarships, training, credentials and job opportunities," Cadenazzi said. "Our goal with Build Freedom is to send a clear, compelling message to the American public: there are hundreds of thousands of good-paying, [artificial intelligence-proof] jobs available today in the [defense industrial base] and in other skilled trades."

Hegseth Attends First Space Academy Commission Meeting

Sept. 9, 2026 | By Matthew Olay, Pentagon News |

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth traveled to NASA's headquarters in Washington today where he attended the first meeting of the presidential commission on the U.S. Space Academy. 

President Donald J. Trump called for the development of a space academy via an Aug. 28 executive order. The order states that the space domain is critical to national security and that the nation must prepare the next generation of space professionals — including those in the military — in order to defend national interests. 

The commission, which is chaired by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, brings together senior leaders from the War Department, the Office of Management and Budget, and the National Security Council. 

During his brief remarks at the meeting's outset, Hegseth praised Isaacman and Air Force Secretary Troy Meink — both of whom attended — as well as President Trump for their leadership in getting the counsel assembled and on the path toward developing a space academy. 

"We are full speed ahead on this partnership on the United States Space Academy and the need for it. The president's been a leader in this domain from the beginning: the Space Force in the first term, [the] Space Academy in the second term," Hegseth said. 

Trump established the Space Force, which falls under the Department of the Air Force, Dec. 20, 2019, when the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 was signed into law. 

Hegseth went on to say that space is a domain that the U.S. can't just be "good at." 

"We need to dominate [in space]; and it's not just what we do at the War Department — it's what we do across government, at NASA, in private industry, in collaboration at every echelon," he said. "And so, we see this academy as a key component of ensuring we don't just lead, but we dominate." 

During his opening statement, Isaacson said that the U.S. is currently in another space race, namely with China and Russia, and that "success and failure comes down to months, not years." 

"This is why I think President Trump created the Space Force in his first term … and why now he has charged us to create the United States Space Academy: to make sure we have this training ground for the next generation of technicians, engineers, operators, pilots and astronauts to serve the needs of NASA, as well as the Space Force and other government agencies," he said. 

"Having an academy where we can train the next generation of space professionals — whether it be civilian or military — is just critically important," Meink said during his remarks. "So, we are really looking forward to working with [NASA] to make sure that happens, as well as just the increasing partnership we have [with] NASA across the board. ... I'm really looking forward to [the collaboration]."  

Per the executive order, the committee has until late December of this year to submit a report to the president proposing key details for the establishment of the academy.

Department of War Announces Navy's First Advanced Nuclear Microreactor Deployment at Naval Weapons Station Crane, Indiana

Sept. 9, 2026 |

The Department of War announced the planned installation of the State of Indiana's first advanced nuclear Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) at Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Crane no later than September 2028. This action implements President Donald J. Trump's Executive Orders, Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security and Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base, which advances a clear mandate to restore American nuclear leadership globally, remove barriers to innovation, and rebuild the domestic nuclear workforce.

The overall project is being executed jointly by the Army's Janus Program, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)), and the State of Indiana. Together, these partners will secure continuous power for one of the Nation's most important defense technology and weapons installations, create highly skilled American jobs, strengthen the American nuclear supply chain, and rebuild the industrial capacity required for national defense.

The commercially owned and operated MMR at NWS Crane, one of the United States' premier warfighting innovation and capability development hubs, marks the first step in a larger, unified Department-wide effort to deploy safe and secure nuclear power for national security. The MMR installation will provide reliable, around-the-clock power independent of the commercial electric grid, capable of sustaining critical operations under the most demanding conditions. As the first power-producing reactor installed in Indiana, this project expands the United States' power generation capacity and modernizes the energy infrastructure needed to serve local communities and advance missions critical to national security.

The MMR installation is being executed through the Army's Janus Program, in coordination with the Department of the Navy, the Department of War Innovation Unit, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies (OASW(CT)). This cross-service effort brings together the Army's role as the Department's executive agent for installation nuclear energy, the Navy's operational mission at NWS Crane, DIU's access to commercial innovation, and the Department's critical technology enterprise.

"Under President Trump's bold leadership, the Department of War is rapidly fielding next-generation energy solutions for our warfighters," said Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering. "We are unleashing the American nuclear industrial base to ensure our military installations possess the resilient infrastructure required to maintain uninterrupted operations."

OASW(CT) is leading the coordination of key stakeholders across the Department to integrate and execute the Crane project under the Janus Program. "At Critical Technologies, we start from a simple first principle: a technology matters only when it reaches the mission," said Mike Dodd, Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies. "Our standard is to field and deploy capability within 24 months or less. President Trump's Executive Order gave the Department a clear mandate to move advanced nuclear power from promise to deployment. We turned that mandate into a focused sprint within our Contested Logistics Critical Technology Area to deliver this capability on time and on target, strengthen the American nuclear industrial base, and secure a decisive advantage for our warfighters."

"Janus was designed from the beginning to deliver capability beyond the Army," said the Honorable W. Jordan Gillis, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. "This partnership demonstrates what is possible when we combine the Army's nuclear expertise and regulatory authorities with the operational installation requirements of our sister Services and the innovation of American industry. Together, we are building a pathway to resilient nuclear power that can strengthen mission assurance across the Joint Force."

"Energy security is warfighting capability. Hosting the Navy's first shore-based advanced microreactor at NWS Crane under the Janus Program underscores our commitment to hardening our shore infrastructure against evolving physical, cyber, and grid vulnerabilities," said the Honorable Brendan Rogers, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment. "Partnering with the Army and OASW(CT) allows us to move with speed, establish a resilient firm power backbone, and protect the vital research, development, and manufacturing our Fleet depends on every day."

This initiative builds on more than a year of close coordination between the Department of War and Indiana state leadership. Senator Jim Banks has been an indispensable partner in advancing the MMR initiative from concept to installation in the Hoosier State. His leadership, together with the direct support of Governor Mike Braun, Senator Todd Young, Representative Erin Houchin, and Representative Mark Messmer, has cleared the path for the Department to move with speed to secure our national defense infrastructure.

The Department will continue to work with Federal, state, and local partners throughout the required safety, environmental, regulatory, and installation processes. Nuclear safety, physical security, cybersecurity, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources will remain central at every stage. This project marks the first milestone of President Trump's mandate to revitalize the American nuclear industrial base and deploy next-generation energy technologies to secure an enduring advantage for the Joint Force.

One Year In, U.S. Space Command Headquarters Relocation Moving Expeditiously to 'Rocket City, USA'

Sept. 2, 2026 |

On Sept. 2, 2025, President Donald J. Trump announced the relocation of U.S. Space Command's headquarters from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. Since then, USSPACECOM's rapid footprint expansion in the region highlights the command's commitment to an expeditious transition while remaining laser-focused on its no-fail mission.

Today, more than 140 uniformed and civilian personnel assigned to the command's headquarters perform their jobs from three facilities across the Arsenal. This element represents approximately 10% of the organization's total manpower.

USSPACECOM's presence in Alabama includes dedicated relocation support functions, but has also expanded to personnel who directly contribute to the combatant command's mission, which was previously carried out exclusively from Colorado Springs.

Earlier this year in April, the Intelligence Directorate established its Joint Intelligence Support Element. The team, which fulfills global intelligence requirements daily, is the first staff directorate to support operations from Northern Alabama.

Speaking to media last month while in Huntsville for a keynote at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium, the commander of USSPACECOM, Gen. Stephen Whiting, said he expected the growth to continue at the same sustained pace.

"Now, about 11 months since the President made his announcement, we have over 113 people," Whiting told reporters on August 12. "We're on our way to 200 people by the end of this year…and half of our staff here in 2028."

To support this growth, the command is offering financial incentives to its current civilian workforce for retention and mission continuity, while also increasing its visibility and hiring efforts across Northern Alabama and ensuring personnel resources and services are available.

The command's transition team on Redstone, alongside the headquarters' Logistics and Engineering (J4) and Digital Superiority (J6) directorates, works closely with Redstone Arsenal's Garrison leadership to establish interim workspaces while developing plans for the future, purpose-built command and control facility (C2F). Many of the facilities made available during this phase were generously provided by current tenant units, including the Missile Defense Agency, the Missile and Space Intelligence Center, the FBI, and the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command.

Securing $147.5 million in fiscal year 2026 funding enabled the command to establish a secure digital infrastructure, immediately supporting the command's growing staff on Redstone. Crucially, this digital foundation guarantees uninterrupted global command and control as operations scale to support ultimately more than 900 headquarters staff by fiscal year 2028.

This funding, secured through coordination with the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Financial Management & Comptroller and the Office of the Secretary of War-Comptroller, ensures the command will operate seamlessly from interim facilities until the final C2F is operational.

The speed with which the transition is progressing, Whiting said, highlights how effectively various entities across the Department of War are working together.

"Thanks to the incredible support shown to the command, to include the Department of the Air Force, Army Contracting Command, and Team Redstone – alongside communities in both Colorado and Alabama, our team has remained laser focused on sustaining full mission execution while keeping our headquarters relocation moving on-time and on-budget," he said. "It is a testament to the professionalism and dedication of our people that we accomplished this while advancing national interests on-orbit alongside allies and partners and delivering space effects to the Joint Force."

Maj. Gen. Terry L. Grisham, director of USSPACECOM's Redstone Transition Team and long-time Huntsville resident, echoed Whiting's sentiment.

"This isn't just a move; it's a clear demonstration of this command's commitment to executing the President's directive with the speed and decisiveness our mission demands," Grisham said.

The Department of the Air Force's support was critical as USSPACECOM's executive agent, providing financial, civil engineering, administrative, logistical, and service integration support.

"This transition is key to accelerating how we deliver space capabilities to joint warfighters," said Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink. "By streamlining our footprint, focusing on faster MILCON processes for our interim and future facilities, and working closely with our partners, we're ensuring U.S. Space Command has the speed, integration, and agility needed to maintain superiority. And this lift is all possible because our workforce has shown incredible resilience and dedication in mission continuity."

While the command has driven progress on the ground, Other Transactional Authorities (OTAs) included in the National Defense Authorization Act accelerated the timeline by utilizing an agile, progressive design-build process. This legislative backing secured $57 million this fiscal year specifically dedicated to the planning and design of the permanent C2F, streamlining traditional acquisition timelines to keep the construction schedule on track.

Over the last year, USSPACECOM has validated its capacity to carry out an expeditious relocation, while simultaneously delivering military spacepower to warfighters around the globe without interruption, including during operations INHERENT RESOLVE, ABSOLUTE RESOLVE and EPIC FURY.

"Over the past year, the Department of War has carried out the President's direction to relocate U.S. Space Command with speed and common sense, identifying and leveraging every opportunity to cut through red tape and bureaucracy in order to get the job done," Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said. "As we continue to execute this move, we do so with the same unrelenting focus on sustaining America's dominance in space and expanding our lethality in all warfighting domains."

Within 24 hours of President Trump's announcement last year, USSPACECOM representatives were on the ground engaging with local community leaders to establish relationships and develop a way forward. As the command continues to transition to its permanent home in Alabama, its momentum remains underpinned by the support of Congress, partnerships spanning the entire Department of War, and the Colorado Springs and Huntsville-Madison communities.

Department of War Launches Secure Space Network to Break Down Barriers to Classified Defense Work

Sept. 3, 2026 |

New capability will remove barriers to classified collaboration, strengthen the defense industrial base and accelerate delivery of critical capabilities

The Department of War today announced the Secure Space Network, a new effort to expand access to classified work by designing, producing, and deploying approximately 50 mobile Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs) and related information systems across the United States. This effort will enable more defense suppliers to participate in classified development, collaboration, and production by broadening regional access to accredited secure workspaces.

Led by the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment's Office of Industrial Base Growth, the Secure Space Network will provide rapidly deployable secure facilities that can be positioned at military installations, industry-focused sites such as APEX Accelerators, and other mission-relevant locations. 

"We must make it easier for capable companies to contribute at every level of the mission. Industry has identified access to classified environments as a major barrier, and the Secure Space Network directly addresses that challenge by opening the door to classified work for more companies. With strong partnership across the agency and support from Congress, this effort will strengthen our supplier base and help deliver the capabilities our warfighters need faster and at greater scale," said James R. Mismash, Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Growth and Director of the Office of Small Business Programs.

The Secure Space Network addresses a persistent barrier facing companies seeking to support national defense: access to the secure infrastructure necessary to perform classified work. By making accredited secure environments available for companies in more locations across the country, the Department can expand the pool of companies able to contribute capabilities, collaborate directly with government teams, and compete for classified defense work.

Expanding the Defense Industrial Base

Many companies with technologies relevant to national security do not have ready access to accredited facilities where classified information can be discussed, developed and integrated. For emerging and non-traditional suppliers seeking to work with the Department, establishing fixed classified infrastructure can require significant time and investment, creating a barrier to entry and business expansion.

The Secure Space Network provides a scalable alternative.

Mobile secure facilities can be rapidly deployed, while fixed facilities can provide enduring secure collaboration capacity. Together, these capabilities will drastically expand where government and authorized industry partners can conduct classified work.

The result is a larger and more capable supplier base with greater opportunities to move from unclassified engagement into classified development and production, increasing competition across the industrial base.

Building Secure Capacity at Speed and Scale

This initial production effort will establish a repeatable capability to expand secure infrastructure as national and industrial requirements grow.

The Secure Space Network will also establish scalable production capacity for the mobile units, providing the Department with a surge-capable pathway for rapidly increasing accredited secure workspace capacity across the defense industrial base.
Rather than relying solely on traditional facility construction, the approach gives the Department greater flexibility to position secure capabilities closer to emerging mission requirements, suppliers and technology development activities.

Advancing Acquisition Transformation

The Secure Space Network advances Acquisition Transformation by using an agile, iterative approach to reduce risk and accelerate delivery, in partnership with Space Development Agency. At the same time, expanding access to secure infrastructure enables more suppliers to participate in classified work—strengthening competition and growing defense industrial base to deliver capability to the warfighter faster.