The Pentagon has reportedly proposed requiring every major US military base to operate independently for up to 90 days during a major disruption. Retired Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré urged the government to include state and local leaders in emergency planning to better prepare civilians for prolonged infrastructure failures.
Honoré is the former commander of the US First Army who led federal recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina and later reviewed Capitol security after the January 6 attack. He said that prolonged outages would affect civilians as much as military installations. Writing in an opinion piece for The Hill, he said governors and mayors should be informed of potential risks so emergency plans can be updated well before a crisis occurs.
Honoré comment follows reports that the Department of Defense is developing a resilience standard requiring major military installations across the continental United States to sustain essential operations for at least 90 days without relying on civilian infrastructure. The initiative is part of FORTRESS (Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply and Survivability).
Pentagon expands focus from power to full self-sufficiency
{{/usCountry}}Pentagon expands focus from power to full self-sufficiency
{{/usCountry}}According to Fortune, the Pentagon’s proposal extends beyond energy independence. Military bases would also need reliable supplies of water, fuel, communications, medical equipment and critical logistics for three months during a national emergency.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth introduced the FORTRESS initiative during his “State of the Force” address on September 30. He said every major installation should eventually generate its own electricity independently of the civilian grid. Internal planning documents reportedly expand that vision to cover broader operational self-sufficiency.
“Power is combat now,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital. He said losing electricity would also disrupt communications, logistics, water systems and military command structures.
The Pentagon is reportedly also evaluating technologies like portable nuclear reactors, battery storage systems and microgrids capable of disconnecting from commercial power networks. Earlier this year, the US Army announced contracts worth up to $2.2 billion for nuclear microreactor projects at five military bases, including Fort Bragg and Fort Hood.
FORTRESS also proposes strategic stockpiles of fuel, munitions, electronics, medical supplies and critical minerals.
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What did Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré say?
While the Pentagon has not publicly identified a specific adversary, US cybersecurity agencies have repeatedly warned about threats to critical infrastructure.
In February 2024, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the National Security Agency (NSA) and the FBI warned that the Chinese state-backed hacking group Volt Typhoon had compromised networks across the communications, transportation, water and energy sectors.
Honoré did not claim the Pentagon’s planning was linked to a specific imminent threat. However, he argued that prolonged outages could overwhelm civilian communities if emergency planning remains limited to military installations.
“If American civilians are at risk, they have a right to know,” Honoré wrote. He added, “If there is an attack, or if some other tragedy strikes, the situation cannot be handled solely from behind a desk in Washington.”
He added that local officials would inevitably lead disaster response efforts regardless of the cause of any major disruption. “State officials and local leaders should be made aware of any threats to their people and be brought into the planning process as much as possible. They will be part of the disaster management and recovery regardless.”
The retired general warned that 90 days without reliable electricity would disrupt hospitals, food distribution, fuel supplies, refrigeration and drinking water. He wrote, “People, whether sick in the hospital or completely healthy, would die otherwise completely preventable deaths.”
He encouraged households to maintain emergency food, water, batteries, prescription medicines and battery-powered radios.
He wrote, “Keep multiple gallons of water for each member of the family for every anticipated day of disruption. Stock up on batteries, and make sure you have any and all prescriptions filled. And in case your phone cannot be recharged or cellular service is lost, keep a battery-operated or hand-cranked radio as well, so you can continue to monitor the situation.”