Building Resilience: Closing the Climate Knowledge Gap in the U.S. Military
Abstract
Climate change is a “threat multiplier” that intensifies existing vulnerabilities, disrupts operations, and introduces new security risks. While the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has made progress in addressing climate risks through energy modernization, infrastructure resilience, and strategic planning, a critical gap remains: comprehensive climate education for warfighters. This gap limits the military’s ability to adapt to the evolving security challenges of climate change.
This article highlights the DoD’s role in fostering climate literacy to enhance operational readiness and resilience in an evolving global landscape. First, the article begins by examining the distinction between weather and climate, emphasizing the implications of this understanding for military preparedness. The article then explores how the DoD is addressing climate change through infrastructure upgrades, energy modernization, and strategic planning, but further efforts are needed, including enhanced warfighter education, while partner nations are also prioritizing climate literacy and resilience to strengthen global security. Next, the article outlines the critical need for climate change education across all ranks, advocating for comprehensive curricula within military education institutions to build a climate-literate force. Finally, the article discusses the importance of tailoring climate change programs to the specific missions of various departments, ensuring these initiatives strengthen operational capabilities without compromising existing mission requirements.
By incorporating climate-focused scenarios into training, wargaming, and strategic planning, the DoD can empower its workforce to navigate climate disruptions without compromising mission priorities. Climate literacy involves understanding the science and impacts of climate change and developing strategies for resilience, adaptation, and mitigation. Tailored programs aligned with departmental missions can equip warfighters with the skills to anticipate and mitigate risks, integrate climate considerations into operational planning, and enhance overall mission readiness. This article outlines actionable strategies to build a climate-literate force, transforming vulnerabilities into strategic advantages and ensuring the military remains effective in a rapidly changing global environment.
Article
Climate change is transforming global security landscapes with significant implications for national defense. Rising sea levels endanger coastal military bases, and extreme weather events disrupt operations, making climate change a powerful “threat multiplier” that intensifies existing challenges and creates new ones. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has recognized this pressing reality, integrating climate considerations into strategic operations, infrastructure resilience, energy modernization, and long-term defense planning. The DoD defines climate change as “Variations in average weather conditions that persist over multiple decades or longer that encompass increases and decreases in temperature, shifts in precipitation, and changing risk of certain types of severe weather events (DODD 4715.21)”. Yet, as climate-driven disruptions become more severe, assessing whether the DoD’s current approach is robust enough to confront these escalating threats is critical. Balancing immediate operational needs with sustainable, climate-resilient strategies is a significant challenge amidst monetary constraints. Although the DoD has focused on strategic operations, infrastructure, and long-term planning, there is a clear need to enhance climate education for warfighters.
This article asserts that while necessary, the current emphasis on protecting installations and energy security falls short. The DoD must also proactively address the gaps in warfighter education to safeguard national interests, preserve global stability, and ensure lethality into the future. Climate literacy requires understanding the climate system, human impacts on it, and the skills needed to make climate-informed decisions to either mitigate or adapt. A climate-literate workforce understands the science of climate change and its impacts on military operations and possesses the skills to implement strategies for resilience, adaptation, mitigation, and sustainability. Climate literacy and education are crucial for enhancing mission readiness, reducing security risks, and ensuring long-term operational effectiveness in a changing environment. This emphasizes three areas in which the DoD can proactively support climate literacy efforts in climate education, including integrating comprehensive climate change curricula into military education institutions, tailoring climate-focused training to the specific missions of various departments, and ensuring that climate education bolsters rather than compromises existing mission requirements, ultimately enhancing operational readiness and resilience in a rapidly changing global environment.
Comprehensive training and education on the realities of climate change are essential to prepare warfighters for the multifaceted challenges they will face in the field, from shifting weather patterns to resource scarcity and disrupted supply chains. By equipping them with a deep understanding of how climate impacts affect operational environments and military strategies, we ensure they are ready to adapt, respond, and effectively manage emerging threats as they unfold in real time.
Understanding the Difference Between Weather and Climate: Implications for Military Readiness
Distinguishing between weather and climate is essential for effective planning, decision-making, and strategy in an era when environmental conditions increasingly impact global security. Although often used interchangeably, these terms describe different phenomena that require unique approaches, especially for the U.S. military, whose operations are heavily influenced by environmental factors.
Weather refers to short-term atmospheric conditions, such as temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind, typically measured over hours or days. These conditions can fluctuate rapidly and affect military activities, such as training, operations, and logistics. For instance, a severe thunderstorm or sudden heatwave may disrupt immediate plans. Recent examples of unpredicted weather events include concurrent hurricanes, increasingly destructive wildfires, and severe deep freezes.
Climate, on the other hand, encompasses long-term patterns and averages of weather over decades. It provides critical insights into expected regional conditions, such as droughts, monsoons, or extreme cold, which are essential for long-term planning, infrastructure development, and resource allocation.
Managing weather involves real-time responses and tactical adjustments. Service members rely on forecasting to delay operations, adjust troop deployments, or reschedule activities in response to immediate risks like hurricanes or extreme heat. In contrast, managing climate requires a forward-looking, strategic approach. Long-term shifts, such as rising sea levels, melting Arctic ice, and more frequent extreme weather events, demand resilience planning. Coastal installations may require fortifications against flooding, and Arctic operations must adapt to changing navigability and geopolitical implications of ice melt. These measures ensure long-term operational effectiveness. However, climate impacts the frequency and severity of seasonal and nonseasonal weather, making predictions increasingly difficult and unreliable. Future military operations will differ from historical experience as climate conditions continually alter seasonal weather and temperature patterns, introducing new challenges that will not align with previous operational expectations.
Overlooking, either weather or climate, can jeopardize mission success and national security. Together, they influence everything from logistics to strategic planning. The increasing frequency of extreme weather events and disasters—such as hurricanes intensified by warmer oceans or droughts followed by wildfires—demonstrates how weather and climate interact to create cascading challenges. Without a clear understanding of these dynamics, service members risk misjudging priorities, compromising both immediate and long-term objectives. Educating the entire force ensures that service members are prepared to anticipate and adapt to the complex challenges of climate change. Climate literacy is a strategic advantage that bolsters readiness, resilience, and mission success.
Advancing Climate Security Strategies: DoD and Partner Nations
The DoD has taken initial steps to address climate considerations strategically by integrating them into its operations and planning. Still, additional efforts are needed to holistically meet the challenges posed by climate change. Investments have been made to upgrade infrastructure to withstand extreme weather and rising sea levels, such as flood mitigation efforts at Naval Station Norfolk and enhancements to building codes and construction practices. Energy modernization efforts are also underway, with investments in renewable energy sources and advancements in energy efficiency across many military installations. Long-term defense planning documents, including the National Defense Strategy and the Climate Adaptation Plan, reflect the DoD’s commitment to addressing climate risks and ensuring future readiness. While these efforts represent a solid foundation of what must be done, they must be expanded to address crucial aspects of achieving a climate-ready force through warfighter education.
Addressing climate change has become a top priority for NATO, as evidenced by its comprehensive efforts to integrate climate considerations into core tasks, enhance resilience, and promote sustainable military practices. At the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, member nations pledged to incorporate climate change considerations into all of NATO’s core tasks. This commitment was reaffirmed at the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, where Allies further agreed to modernize their infrastructure, military capabilities, and technologies to ensure resilience in evolving operational environments. They also celebrated the launch of the NATO Centre of Excellence for Climate Change and Security in Montreal, Canada. During the Vilnius Summit, NATO unveiled three key reports. The 2023 Climate Change and Security Impact Assessment highlighted the operational challenges posed by extreme weather and its impact on the lifespan of military equipment. The Compendium of Best Practices showcased examples of how member states are adapting to climate change. Finally, the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Mapping and Analytical Methodology offered guidance and tools for measuring emissions from NATO facilities.
Many partner nations and allies also recognize the critical importance of climate literacy within their military forces. For example, several NATO member states have incorporated climate change considerations into their defense strategies, acknowledging the growing security risks posed by environmental shifts. In particular, countries like the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have integrated climate change into their military training and operations, emphasizing the need for adaptation to changing weather patterns and the operational challenges they create. Additionally, some nations, such as Sweden and Germany, have developed specialized military units focused on climate resilience and sustainable defense practices. These initiatives strengthen their military capabilities and enhance collective security, promoting shared understanding and cooperation on climate-related threats. As global climate patterns continue to shift, the need for internationally coordinated efforts in climate literacy will become even more urgent, ensuring that all military forces are equipped to operate in increasingly unpredictable environments.
The Critical Need for Climate Change Education Across All Ranks
While meteorological and oceanographic officers and technicians play an essential role in anticipating and briefing installation and command leaders about immediate weather challenges, educating the entire military force about climate change is crucial. Climate change education addresses broader, long-term challenges that extend beyond the scope of specialized meteorological and oceanographic officers, as well as technicians who are trained to forecast short-term atmospheric conditions in order to provide actionable insights for mission planning. However, climate change introduces long-term shifts and systemic impacts that go beyond immediate forecasts, including shifting baselines for what is considered “normal” weather in a region, increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, and systemic impacts on infrastructure, resources, and mission sustainability. For example, a commander or operations planner must consider how rising sea levels will affect a coastal base over decades—a challenge that exceeds the scope of short-term weather forecasting. Climate change also creates complex challenges that reshape the strategic and operational environment. Geopolitical tensions arising from climate-driven resource scarcity, migration, and regional instability demand informed decision-making. Additionally, planners and logisticians must understand vulnerabilities in military assets and develop strategies to mitigate them.
Officers, in particular, are likely to benefit significantly from climate literacy, as it could enhance their ability to integrate long-term environmental considerations into strategic planning and policy development, which is not commonly taken into account now. With a solid understanding of climate trends and changing weather patterns, officers can anticipate how shifting conditions impact force readiness, regional stability, and resource competition. This knowledge ensures that their decisions promote mission sustainability and resilience, whether they are managing infrastructure, advising policymakers, or coordinating multi-domain operations. By incorporating climate literacy into their strategic toolkit, officers are better prepared to address the evolving challenges of a climate-impacted world.
Strategic planners also need to consider the long-term implications of climate change on global security, including rising sea levels threatening naval bases, the competition for Arctic resources, and the ways in which climate-induced migration might drive instability in already volatile regions.
Enlisted personnel on the ground often face the immediate consequences of climate-influenced conditions. Their ability to adapt effectively hinges on understanding how climate trends exacerbate operational challenges, such as extreme heat impairing equipment functionality and endangering personnel safety, increased flooding disrupting navigation and field operations, and the spread of disease vectors creating new operational risks due to shifting climatic conditions, among others. Maintenance teams, for example, must consider how higher temperatures impact vehicle or aircraft performance or how extreme cold affects munitions storage or battery life. By integrating climate literacy into their training, enlisted members can make informed decisions that directly enhance mission readiness and operational success. Addressing climate change requires cultural and organizational shifts that depend on a well-informed force. A climate-literate workforce can proactively identify vulnerabilities and propose solutions within their areas of responsibility. Distributed knowledge enables adaptive and cohesive responses.
Ultimately, climate change is a national security threat that cannot be addressed by specialized groups alone. The U.S. military requires a whole-of-force approach in the same way cybersecurity and counterterrorism training has been institutionalized across all ranks. Officers and enlisted personnel alike must be educated to ensure cohesive and effective responses to these challenges. While meteorological and oceanographic officers and technicians remain essential for short-term forecasting, climate change affects the military at every level, shaping strategy, operations, and tactics.
Tailoring Military Climate Change Programs
In 2022, a National Defense Strategy Climate Literacy Sub-Working Group compiled information on “existing curricula addressing both climate change and national/international security, grand strategy, foreign policy, joint warfighting, and other defense- and security-related topics.” This effort’s results specified that “climate security-related education is underway in professional military education (PME) and Joint PME institutions, but with significant variability.” For example, at the U.S. Naval War College, the Climate Change and National Security master’s course introduces students to the basics of climate science, mainly focusing on the many climate security implications impacting the U.S. military. Additionally, at the Naval Postgraduate School, the Critical Infrastructure Analysis and Defense course and the Environmental Security course support warfighter education that is specific to their degree program while bolstering knowledge in climate science, security, and resilience. This variability among programs reflects differing institutional priorities and approaches to integrating climate literacy into education goals and outcomes. However, this variability translates into real-world decisions, and streamlined education relating to climate literacy is necessary to enhance the resilience of our military force when confronted with uncertainty.
In response to this inconsistency of climate security-related education, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense drafted a Memorandum directing all intermediate- and senior-level PME programs to integrate Climate Security Learning Outcomes into Professional Military Education. This Memorandum recommended climate security learning outcomes to achieve a climate-literate workforce. However, this memorandum falls short of supporting non-PME programs and institutions and fails to provide guidance on achieving these learning outcomes. In the absence of clear, actionable guidance on the interpretation of climate security within the framework of climate literacy, there is a significant risk that learning outcomes may be misconstrued or fail to align with the strategic objectives of the DoD. Such inconsistencies across programs and military education institutions undermine the broader imperative of fostering climate security integration throughout the force.
A proactive approach to achieving a climate-literate workforce requires a structured climate education that combines climate sciences and social sciences at all military institutions. Warfighters should gain in-depth knowledge of climate models, environmental changes, their implications for military operations, and their impacts on assets. Equally important is understanding the socio-economic effects of climate change, including resource conflicts, migration patterns, and political instability, particularly in already vulnerable areas. By embedding these critical climate literacy courses into warfighter training, the DoD will enhance operational readiness and adaptive capacity, preparing personnel to effectively navigate the evolving climate conditions while managing looming global threats.
Military warfighters and leaders are already receiving some education on climate-related topics through various courses and programs within military education institutions. For example, courses in operational planning often incorporate scenarios involving extreme weather conditions, requiring students to think through the implications that floods, hurricanes, or droughts have on logistics, mission execution, and force protection. Additionally, programs like the Army’s Environmental Compliance Officer course or the Navy’s Environmental Readiness training provide instruction on the environmental regulations and risks that leaders must navigate in their operational areas. Additionally, the Naval University Collaboration on Energy & Environment (NUCEE) was established in 2021, unifying three primary military institutions – the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), Naval War College (NWC), and U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), “to collaborate on climate security issues, share research and education, and host cooperative events to support climate literacy.” These types of training help leaders understand how environmental changes impact mission readiness, force protection, and the welfare of troops on the ground.
While valuable, there are three reasons why this approach is not enough to address the complex problems created by climate change. First, climate education must be fully integrated into all military education curricula to ensure a comprehensive understanding of its impacts on strategic, operational, and tactical levels. Ad hoc approaches, minimal exposure, or superficial “greenwashing” of educational content are inadequate for preparing military leaders to navigate the complexities of climate change. For example, military operations in the Arctic are increasingly influenced by melting ice, which opens new sea routes and poses significant logistical and security challenges. A cohesive and robust integration of climate literacy will provide warfighters with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary to address these multifaceted security risks, including the destabilizing effects of resource competition, humanitarian crises from extreme weather events, disruptions to global supply chains, and emerging challenges not yet realized.
Warfighters must learn how to build partnerships and coordinate efforts with other agencies and international allies, as climate change is a global security issue.
By embedding climate education into wargaming exercises, strategic planning courses, and logistics management, military education institutions can prepare future leaders to assess the impacts of climate change on force readiness, base infrastructure, and global missions. For instance, rising sea levels threaten coastal bases, while frequent wildfires and floods affect training and operational environments. Warfighters equipped with climate literacy can incorporate environmental risk assessments into mission planning, enabling them to anticipate and mitigate climate-driven challenges across global operations. This integration fosters a culture of resilience, sustainability, and preparedness, ensuring military leaders can adapt to a rapidly changing strategic landscape and continue to protect national security interests effectively.
Second, military education institutions must tailor climate programs to the specific needs of each department, aligning education with the unique missions they support. Climate change impacts various aspects of military operations differently, and a one-size-fits-all approach will not equip leaders for the complexities they will face. For instance, logistics officers need in-depth knowledge of how extreme weather events—such as hurricanes, floods, or wildfires—disrupt supply chains, delay troop movements, and damage critical infrastructure like ports, airfields, and roads. They must also understand the implications of new shipping lanes opening in the Arctic due to melting ice, which will alter global supply routes and force realignments in military strategy.
Meanwhile, intelligence professionals should focus on how climate change intensifies geopolitical tensions, particularly in regions like the Middle East and North Africa, where water scarcity and agricultural failure contribute to conflict and mass displacement. Understanding these dynamics will allow intelligence officers to predict unrest better and guide military and humanitarian responses.
Furthermore, strategic planners also need to consider the long-term implications of climate change on global security, including rising sea levels threatening naval bases, the competition for Arctic resources, and the ways in which climate-induced migration might drive instability in already volatile regions. For example, the U.S. Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia, is already facing recurrent flooding due to sea-level rise, threatening its operational readiness. By identifying the specific climate knowledge relevant to each department’s mission, military education institutions can ensure that personnel at every level are equipped to mitigate risks, anticipate challenges, and adapt to the evolving security landscape posed by a changing climate. Tailoring these programs will create a more resilient and proactive force capable of addressing the broad spectrum of climate-related threats.
Additionally, warfighters must learn how to build partnerships and coordinate efforts with other agencies and international allies, as climate change is a global security issue. For instance, officers attending Joint PME courses are already trained to work in multinational environments. Still, climate education would equip them to understand the broader implications of environmental shifts on global security dynamics. Developing skills in interagency coordination, diplomacy, and regional climate impacts will allow the military to strengthen defense relationships and enhance global resilience. This comprehensive climate education will enable warfighters to support, and be supported by, a diverse array of partners as they face increasingly complex security environments.
Third, integrating climate-focused education into military education institutions curricula should not come at the expense of existing degree requirements or mission priorities; instead, it should enhance and support the overall objectives of each department in a robust, meaningful, and applicable way. Climate education is not a separate or competing priority but a critical component that strengthens military readiness, operational effectiveness, and strategic planning. For example, rather than reducing the time spent on intelligence coursework, climate-focused modules could be integrated to teach intelligence analysts how to assess the security implications of climate-related phenomena, such as resource scarcity, population displacement, or geopolitical tensions over contested Arctic routes. This understanding equips intelligence officers with the tools to identify emerging threats and provide actionable insights that enhance strategic decision-making and mission preparedness.
Climate scenarios could be woven into existing frameworks in wargaming exercises and strategic planning courses. Commanders could be tasked with planning operations for extreme weather events, sea-level rise, or drought conditions that may affect deployment timelines or humanitarian missions. For example, future naval leaders could be asked to plan an amphibious operation in a region experiencing unprecedented storm activity due to climate change, forcing them to consider how environmental factors affect troop movements and resource allocation. This exercise bolsters their understanding of operational planning and prepares them for real-world challenges they are likely to face.
Additionally, integrating climate risks into intelligence and geopolitical studies could deepen warfighters’ ability to analyze and respond to conflicts driven by climate-induced migration, resource scarcity, or instability in fragile regions. For instance, intelligence officers could explore how water scarcity in areas like the Sahel or Central Asia exacerbates local tensions and contributes to insurgencies, giving them a clearer understanding of the root causes of conflict. Rather than adding unnecessary complexity, climate-focused education aligns directly with the goals of existing programs, making warfighters more capable and adaptable without sacrificing core educational or operational priorities. By embedding climate considerations into all military education institutions, institutions ensure that future military leaders are equipped to meet mission objectives in an increasingly unpredictable global environment while enhancing their ability to confront various security challenges.
Conclusion
In conclusion, by embedding climate-focused education into existing curricula and tailoring programs to meet the requirements of various military departments, the DoD can ensure that its personnel are ready to tackle the multifaceted challenges of climate change without compromising core mission objectives. As military operations increasingly intersect with climate realities, fostering a culture of climate literacy will empower future leaders to anticipate disruptions, devise innovative solutions, and maintain operational readiness in the face of unforeseen events. The U.S. military can enhance its resilience and capacity to safeguard national interests and contribute to global stability in a rapidly changing world. By committing to comprehensive climate education, the DoD can transform potential vulnerabilities into strategic advantages, ensuring its forces remain capable and effective in an unpredictable future.
