Arlington, Va – The future of Army installations all around the globe involves modernization and operational efficiency, according to Lt. Gen. David Wilson, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-9, who delivered a keynote speech during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Hot Topics – Installations event April 17 at the General Gordon R. Sullivan Conference & Events Center.
The theme was “Transforming Army Installations: Our Foundations of Warfighter Readiness and Lethality.” The event’s overall goal was to explore new strategies to create installations that enhance and enable mission readiness and support the people who serve in and support the U.S. Army. Lt. Gen. Omar Jones IV, commander of Installation Management Command, gave the second keynote speech.
The event included four panels focused on the future of Army installations —modernization, operational efficiency, construction, and renovation — and the wellbeing of Soldiers and their families.
Wilson spoke about the complex challenges the Army must consider specific to installation management while preparing for any mission. He noted the Army must transform at a pace to embrace new technologies.
“Our world is more unpredictable than ever, with great power competition, technological advancements and non-traditional threats shaping the future battlefield,” Wilson said. “The question we must ask ourselves is this: ‘How do we ensure our Army is prepared to fight and win in the most complex security environments of our time?’ I believe that answer lies in our installations.”
Wilson stressed the importance of fostering deeper partnerships with state and local governments, private industry, and allied nations to create a whole-of-nation approach to installation base defense.
“The opportunities are vast in this space because of our ability to leverage intergovernmental support agreements (IGSAs) at every level – public, private and other partnerships, including memorandums of understanding, memorandums of agreement and cooperative agreements with cities, states, counties and municipalities,” Wilson said.
He added that IGSAs save on average, 20-25% over existing federal contracts.
The collaborative discussion with leaders and experts addressed the complex challenges of modernizing and maintaining installations and the reliable and resilient infrastructure to meet emerging operational requirements.
To that end, Brig. Gen. Kirk Dailey, Operations Director, DCS, G-9, participated on a panel titled “Operationalizing Installations to Support the Mission Today and Tomorrow.” He discussed the importance of rapidly integrating emerging technologies and the need for resilient and redundant infrastructure.
Dailey highlighted the need to reduce reliance on external resources and improve energy efficiency as those are critical for ensuring installations can operate effectively in contested environments. He said this involves investing in renewable energy sources, microgrids, and smart energy management systems.
Dailey said that by actively engaging with community partners, the Army aims to leverage a broader range of expertise and resources to accelerate the modernization of its installations and ensure they can effectively support the future needs of the force. He said this collaborative approach is essential for overcoming the complex challenges associated with preparing for multi-domain operations in a rapidly evolving security environment.
The event also focused on the wellbeing of Soldiers and their families to ensure they have everything they need to thrive.
Sgt. Maj. Ruben Murillo, G-9’s Directorate of Prevention, Resilience and Readiness senior enlisted advisor, sat on the final panel of the day titled “Optimizing Installations Services and Programs to Support Warfighters and Their Families.”
Murillo said it’s critical that soldiers, their families and Army civilians know what resources are available to them “where they live, work, play, worship, and go to school.”
“As we continue to modernize our warfighting mission, we need to ensure we continue to message that our resources will continue to evolve and modernize to meet the needs of our Army,” Murillo stated.
The day’s event also highlighted how transforming installations enables the Army to better protect national interests, deter aggression, and stand ready to fight and win the nation’s wars.
“The installations of the future will not resemble those of the past. They will have to be smarter, more sustainable, and more adaptable to emerging threats,” Wilson said.
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