Pete Hegseth Launches FORTRESS America to Harden Military Bases
Pete Hegseth established the FORTRESS America initiative to ensure U.S. military bases can operate independently for 90 days amid rising global instability.
The United States is prioritizing institutional military resilience over civilian emergency preparedness, diverging from the strategies of Japan, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. While those nations have launched public campaigns urging citizens to maintain three days of self-sufficient supplies to counter cyber-attacks and climate crises, the U.S. government is focusing on hardening its own infrastructure.
Pete Hegseth established FORTRESS America on September 30, a Pentagon initiative designed to ensure military bases can operate for 90 days without outside support. The program focuses on energy independence, supply-chain resilience, and cyber defense to project American strength.
This military-centric approach contrasts with a decline in U.S. civilian readiness. A 2024 FEMA report indicated only 51% of adults feel prepared for disasters. This gap is further widened by federal workforce reductions, including a 17% loss of FEMA staff in fiscal year 2025, which has shifted more emergency responsibility onto state and local governments.
