Many of you know SERDP and ESTCP through our work on remediation, either hazardous chemical contamination or unexploded ordnance, or elimination of hazardous materials from DoD industrial processes.  Two of our Program Areas devote a significant portion of their resources to the sustainability and security of installations and access to ranges.  Military installations and ranges serve as a platform for readiness and mission effectiveness.  They must be efficient, safe, sustainable and adaptive, and available when needed. 

The Resource Conservation and Resiliency (RC) Program Area focuses on the natural infrastructure of military installations which provides the foundation for training and testing missions and overall military readiness. Our troops must train as they fight, and our ranges provide the contiguous, unencumbered spaces needed to closely replicate the operational environment of assigned missions. These needs must be met in a manner that is maintainable over long time horizons, is responsive to changing requirements, and accounts for new challenges.

Training days may be limited due to ecological impacts occurring on this natural infrastructure. Wildfires, flooding, exotic species invasion, dust emissions and disease spread by wildlife populations are all threats to daily operations. It is critical to understand and manage the long-term changes occurring to the land and ecosystems common to DoD installations. Research in this area is imperative to controlling the risk associated with naturally occurring roadblocks. The RC program area supports the development of the science, technologies, and methods needed to manage DoD’s installation infrastructure in order to maximize the number of training days and mission readiness requirements.

ESTCP’s Energy and Water (EW) Program Area supports the demonstration of innovative technologies to reduce the Department of Defense’s (DoD) installation energy consumption, improve energy security, and facilitate water conservation. Through the EW program area, DoD’s installations serve as a test bed for cutting-edge technologies. By reducing real and perceived risks, these demonstrations accelerate the broader deployment of innovative energy technologies across DoD.  Through the implementation of more sustainable and secure energy and water technologies, DoD moves closer to meeting its goals of improved readiness and strong Armed Forces.