Educational Partnership To Strengthen Army Capabilities

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The U.S. Military Academy and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment are announcing a partnership to establish the Sustainable Infrastructure, Resilience and Climate Consortium. The SIRCC will educate future Army leaders on how sustainability and resilience can increase the readiness of the force while simultaneously addressing the threats of climate change.

“This alliance is a prime example of how West Point develops cadets and faculty members as leaders of character by challenging them to innovate to solve complex Army problems," said Dean of the Academic Board Brig. Gen. Shane R. Reeves. "Opportunities to work directly with Army leaders like Hon. Rachel Jacobson and her team are central to that effort. We are grateful for their continued support."

The initiative will provide cadets formal academic opportunities in the fields of sustainability and resilience. This collaborative effort will expand course development at West Point and include prominent leaders as speakers to promote the intellectual environment and facilitate discussions. Faculty and cadets will collaborate with ASA IE&E to explore opportunities to integrate the connection between national security, sustainable infrastructure, resilience, and climate change. The new curriculum will generate a community of experts who will one day be leaders in the Army at company and field-grade levels.

“This joint initiative between IE&E and West Point will significantly enhance the Army’s sustainability and resiliency goals by educating future Army leaders on these important topics,” said Hon. Rachel Jacobson, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. “We hope that the support for SIRCC, as it gets started, will position the academy well into the future to engage cadets in challenging, critical discussions regarding the security implications of climate change, energy, water, resilience and sustainability, all of which directly impact the Army’s readiness and modernization efforts.”

Building on years of collaboration and research, the consortium will leverage the intellectual capital of West Point and focus on supporting the Army Climate Strategy to improve mission capability, sustainability of Army infrastructure, and enhanced resilience of the fighting force.

About West Point:

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, co-educational, federal, liberal arts college located 50 miles north of New York City. It was founded in 1802 as America's first college of engineering and continues today as the world’s premier leader-development institution, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country. Its mission remains constant – to educate, train and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the U.S. Army. For more information, go to www.westpoint.edu.

About the ASA for IE&E:

The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment is the primary policy advisor to the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff of the Army on all U.S. Army matters related to installation infrastructure, oversight and coordination of climate change initiatives, energy security and environmental management. It is also responsible for oversight of military construction, operations, and maintenance; housing real estate and utilities; and the Army's safety and occupational health programs.