DCI summit draws Army, interagency, industry and local leaders

The U.S. Army convened its first Defense Critical Infrastructure Summit this week in North Carolina, bringing together senior military leaders, federal and state officials, and private utilities to tighten protections around the power, water, communications and other systems that underpin the Army’s ability to deploy. Hosted by the XVIII Airborne Corps, the gathering took place at the post now known as Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg).

Army leaders framed the event as a whole-of-nation push to harden the civilian infrastructure the service depends on to mobilize forces and sustain training and operations. The agenda focused on near-term risks and practical coordination across jurisdictions and sectors, from energy and telecommunications to information-sharing and emergency response.

“We went after the physical threats from drones, cyber impacts, force projection dependencies, and information sharing lag, and we worked with these partners to start conversations that we think will have a deep impact on our nation’s security. All of this is because of President [Donald] Trump and Secretary of War [Pete] Hegseth’s air cover and mandate for the United States Army to innovate and change as quickly as humanly possible, to continue to protect our Soldiers, their families and the civilians and communities where they operate,” said Dan Driscoll, secretary of the Army.

Army officials underscored that most installations rely on privately owned and operated utilities, making sustained collaboration with industry a security imperative.

“The threat to defense critical infrastructure is real, persistent, and growing. The Army has approximately 288 camps, posts, and stations, and the overwhelming majority of them rely on privately owned utilities — power, water, natural gas and so on. Disruption of these services can interfere with our ability to move forces and equipment in a time of need. This is a no-fail mission and a national security imperative,” said Mr. Brandon Pugh, principal cyber advisor to the secretary of the Army.

Leaders at the host installation pointed to the base’s strategic role to explain the urgency behind the summit’s objectives. “Secretary Driscoll chose Fort Bragg as a priority for this discussion because of the critical capabilities we provide for the joint force. We stand ready to deploy combat-ready formations around the world at a moment’s notice. But to maintain that level of responsiveness, we must protect our installation that is critical to national security. Securing our infrastructure ensures our forces can always answer the nation’s call,” said Lt. Gen. Gregory Anderson, commanding general of the XVIII Airborne Corps.

Civilian infrastructure regulators and operators echoed the emphasis on rapid, coordinated action. “This is where this country projects our strength. In a matter of hours, or sometimes less, [we] need to get people loaded up and going anywhere in the world, and so we have to make sure that connectivity continues, the critical infrastructure that feeds into this facility continues,” said Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

“What we saw today was really resilience in action — leaders from across our nation’s military, from our government at all levels, and from private-sector partners coming together to solve common challenges before they become crises. Resilience can’t be achieved by any one organization acting alone. It requires a sustained partnership from across government and industry working together,” said Nick Andersen, acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Energy security featured prominently, with federal officials citing new cross-department initiatives and utilities highlighting on-the-ground readiness. “Energy security is national security. Through our new partnership with the Department of War — Project Armor — we are rapidly assessing and hardening the critical energy infrastructure essential to both economic strength and national defense. Events like this summit are critical to ensuring we deliver the most affordable, reliable and secure energy system for the American people and our warfighters,” said Alex Fitzsimmons, acting under secretary of energy at the Department of Energy.

“At Duke Energy, we understand that energy resilience is essential to mission readiness. We are proud to partner with the U.S. Army to help ensure Fort Bragg has the reliable, resilient power it needs to support national defense. Preparing for and responding to high-stakes events like the issues we discussed today takes trust, coordination, and a shared commitment to getting it right,” said Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, executive vice president and chief executive officer of Duke Energy Carolinas and Natural Gas Business at Duke Energy Corporation.

Army officials said the summit will seed a Defense Critical Infrastructure playbook to steer ongoing joint efforts, including identifying and removing regulatory and contractual barriers and formalizing information-sharing and response protocols with state, local and industry partners.

A replay of the summit’s media announcement is available at https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/37924. Public remarks begin around the 35-minute mark.