This post examines how climate change is increasingly straining U.S. military readiness — from more than 10,000 heat-related troop illnesses since 2018 to flooded bases and damaged equipment. Recent policy shifts are rolling back adaptation and research efforts.
Drawing on decades of reporting and policy analysis, I summarize the operational impacts and the budgetary debate inside the Pentagon.
Why climate change is a direct operational threat to the armed forces
Over the last several years, extreme heat, rising seas, and violent storms have moved from strategic forecasts to immediate operational realities. Troops on training rotations and in deployed units now face higher rates of heat injury.
Critical infrastructure at coastal installations is experiencing repeated flooding and damage.
As someone with 30 years covering defense and environmental risks, I can say confidently that this is not just a long-term contingency. It is affecting readiness today.
Heat, flooding, and equipment: the frontline impacts
Soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines are encountering a range of climate-driven stressors that degrade performance and increase costs. Examples highlighted recently include:
Policy shifts and budget choices that matter
Until recently, the Pentagon had built a substantial body of research and adaptation planning aimed at maintaining readiness in a warming world. That collective work informed investments in resilient infrastructure and new operational guidance.
Targeted adaptation centers like Fort Benning’s Heat Center were also established. However, a new policy direction has reduced or removed climate language from mission statements and shelved dozens of studies.
The proposed 2026 defense budget would cut about $1.6 billion in climate-related spending. This is a significant drop from the roughly $5 billion request under the previous administration.
What this rollback means for preparedness
Cutting climate research and adaptation funding creates near- and long-term risks. In the near term, units face more frequent “black flag” heat days that force training suspensions and degrade readiness.
Neglecting sea-level rise and storm resilience will force more expensive, emergency repairs and base relocations over the long term.
Adaptation already underway — and why it matters
Despite funding headwinds, some efforts to protect personnel and platforms continue. Fort Benning’s Heat Center, for instance, has been pioneering cooling strategies and acclimatization protocols that reduce heat injury and preserve training time.
These applied solutions matter because they are low-hanging fruit. Cost-effective steps reduce human suffering and maintain operational tempo.
Strategic implications: competitors are factoring climate in
Perhaps the most important risk is strategic. Adversaries are increasingly integrating environmental trends into their military planning.
If the U.S. dismantles climate initiatives, it risks a readiness gap. This gap could be exploited in crises driven or amplified by environmental shocks.
Here is the source article for this story: Pentagon retreats from climate fight even as heat and storms slam troops