Sustainability and National Security

sion is to create a culture that incorporates energy and
environmental considerations in all missions and as
central elements in the foundation for operational sus-
tainability. In accordance with our Guard heritage, our
role as community soldiers places us in a unique posi-
tion to provide leadership. In our response to energy
security considerations: the need to protect our natu-
ral resources; and the well-being of our Soldiers and
the community, the National Guard is implementing
strategies to enable these natural and human capital
assets to most effectively sustain the ARNG mission
and promote operational excellence. Ultimately, the
ARNG must create a culture wherein all members,
partners, support contractors, and communities make
energy, environment, and the overarching term of
“Sustainability” a value in everything we do, every
day, and one that fosters innovation and excellence in
all current and future Army Guard operations.
To become a national leader, and to sustain our cur-
rent and future operations, the National Guard must
imbed this sustainability ethic with effective policies
and practices that safeguard the environment and our
quality of life in a manner that our nation needs and
expects. In fact, the ARNG has such a broad sphere
of influence that such a sustainability initiative will
further enhance the National Guard as a global leader
and help transform our entire nation.
The ARNG today places unprecedented demands
on its Soldiers, its communities, its natural resources
and various other assets, e.g., systems and infrastruc-
ture, in order to enable the accomplishment of the
ARNG mission. The Guard leadership recognizes a
critical operational need to embrace practices that will
better sustain the limited natural, cultural and eco-
nomic resources entrusted to us by the American pub-
lic. These resources, including our training sites and