U.S. Department of War: "Nationwide Interest in Hosting 'Next Great American Base' Is Exceptional"… Assistant Secretary Marks: "Fortress America and New Base Are Not a Bureaucratic Project, but a National Calling"

Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Department of War announced that nationwide "exceptional" interest is being drawn toward the competition to host the "Next Great American Base (NGAB)," a new large-scale joint force base. In an official article on October 27 (local time), the Department of War reported that Dale Marks, Assistant Secretary of War for Energy, Installations, and Environment, conveyed this in an October 22 letter sent to the nation's governors and Adjutants General. Furthermore, in an October 29 article, the Department of War reported that Assistant Secretary Marks characterized "Fortress America" and the Next Great American Base initiative as a "national calling" in a speech delivered earlier this week at the Association of Defense Communities summit held in Tampa, Florida.

In the letter, Assistant Secretary Marks stated that the responses from states and communities "reflect a shared commitment to compete to support our service members, strengthen national defense, and provide the capabilities needed for rapid global power projection." The Department of War explained that when Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the competition plan on September 30, he presented a site criterion of 100,000 to 250,000 acres, with this upper limit reaching a scale four times the area of the original District of Columbia.

"Acreage Criteria Are Merely Planning Guidelines… Suitability to Mission Is Paramount"

In his October 22 letter, Assistant Secretary Marks explained that the site range of 100,000 to 250,000 acres serves as a planning guideline for a premier continental United States (CONUS) installation capable of supporting the Next Great American Base mission. Assistant Secretary Marks stated that this illustrative range is not intended to exclude otherwise compelling proposals that present acreage outside the range, adding that communities proposing sites outside the range can also submit self-nominations and "will receive full consideration."

Assistant Secretary Marks noted, however, that this clarification does not alter the importance of providing sufficient land and infrastructure to support the full scope of the Next Great American Base mission, emphasizing that "Suitability to mission remains paramount." Assistant Secretary Marks stated, "All nominations will be competitively evaluated in the broader screening and evaluation process." Assistant Secretary Marks asked governors to continue endorsing self-nominations submitted by eligible communities within their states, noting that the established nomination schedule and submission procedures remain in place.

According to the "NGAB Facts and FAQ" released by the Department of War alongside the letter, the target area is the continental United States, the recommended site is 100,000 to 250,000 contiguous acres, and the projected stationed personnel is 15,000 to 25,000 active-duty service members. The Department of War set the nomination deadline for December 1, 2026, with the final selection anticipated for June 2027. In the Q&A document, the Department of War answered that proposals with only 85,000 acres can also submit self-nominations, and that areas not adjacent to bodies of water, former military bases, and parcels adjacent to existing military bases are all eligible for consideration if they meet preliminary screening criteria. The Department of War guided that high-scoring candidates will be notified of results in early 2027 and provided with pitch sessions and site visit opportunities in spring 2027, with only a one-page self-nomination required by December 1.

Secretary Hegseth: "We Have Not Built a New Base in 40 Years… That Ends Now"

In a September 30 letter to the nation's governors and Adjutants General, Secretary Hegseth stated that the Department of War must rapidly build the Next Great American Base to counter complex multi-domain threats and maintain a posture for rapid global power projection. Secretary Hegseth explained that a collaborative approach was chosen so that all eligible states could competitively self-nominate to become the host state for this mission. Secretary Hegseth stated that in initial screening, candidate states will be evaluated focusing on land donation, funded utility extensions at scale, expedited legal and regulatory reviews, and community capacity.

According to the evaluation criteria attached to Secretary Hegseth's letter, the Department of War evaluates candidate sites on a 100-point weighted scale. The Department of War allocated 50 points to Military Mission, 30 points to Infrastructure Capacity, 10 points to Community Support, and 10 points to Cost to the Nation. In the Military Mission category, the Department of War evaluates access to strategic transportation networks such as rail, highway, airfield, and port facilities, timelines to initial and full operational capability, and resilience against operational threats including cyber disruptions, stipulating that "Suitability to mission is paramount." In the Infrastructure Capacity category, the Department of War stated it evaluates whether state governments guarantee funding for large-scale utility extensions such as water, power, and communications to the base boundary, and in Community Support, it evaluates cost of living, housing costs, and access to service member and veteran support.

On September 30, the Department of War Rapid Response account (@DOWResponse) posted a video of Secretary Hegseth announcing the Next Great American Base initiative, saying, "President Trump is a builder, and this project is about doing something bold, beautiful, and world-class for the great Americans who wear our Nation’s uniform." Secretary Hegseth said, "This is not going to be a soulless government facility," adding, "We are talking hundreds of thousands of acres, organic power generation, modern air defenses, and advanced technology. Think FORTRESS." The Department of War reported that Secretary Hegseth said this base could host up to 25,000 service members. The overview material distributed by the Department of War included Secretary Hegseth's remark: "We haven't built a new base in this country in 40 years. That ends now!"

Sean Parnell, Assistant to the Secretary of War (Public Affairs), also stated on his official X account that same day that the Department of War is announcing the Next Great American Base at Secretary Hegseth's direction, noting that this base will be a dynamic, self-sustaining power projection platform.

Assistant Secretary Marks: "Discard the Peacetime Mindset and Execute at Wartime Speed"… Highlights Three Danger Signals

According to the Department of War, Assistant Secretary Marks stated during his Tampa speech, "Fortress America and the Next Great American Base initiative are not bureaucratic business as usual," adding, "This is a national calling." Assistant Secretary Marks stated that multiple obstacles must be overcome to achieve the base enterprise the Department of War desires, with time and bureaucratic inertia being the greatest among them. Assistant Secretary Marks said, "We must discard the comfortable complacency of a peacetime mindset and execute at wartime speed." Assistant Secretary Marks noted that the industry partners who move fastest and possess the boldest visions will earn the right to build America's premier military communities.

As reasons why the success of the two initiatives is vital, Assistant Secretary Marks presented three danger signals that are "flashing red warning lights" across the national security architecture. Assistant Secretary Marks said adversaries have pre-positioned malicious access into America's energy, water, and telecommunications networks, meaning adversaries no longer need to impose an aerial blockade, but simply flip breakers on domestic infrastructure. Assistant Secretary Marks stated that precision cruise missiles and loitering munitions have eliminated the safe sanctuary in modern warfare, noting that "geography no longer guarantees survival." Assistant Secretary Marks stated that while combatants in modern conflicts write code, retrain machine-learning target recognition models, and deploy modified autonomous systems "in weeks," within the defense establishment updating algorithms takes months or years due to regulations and antiquated IT networks, asserting that "you cannot win a technology race starting from an 80-year-old starting block."

Assistant Secretary Marks called Fortress America "our national insurance policy" and introduced five core pillars: energy sovereignty, domestic supply chain resilience, base hardening and cyber resilience, strategic defense reserves, and space and spectrum resilience. Assistant Secretary Marks said, "You cannot project decisive power abroad from a brittle foundation at home," adding, "That is why tinkering at the margins is insufficient." Assistant Secretary Marks said, "Fortress America is the shield that ensures our homeland can never be held hostage," adding, "Yet to deter conflict and guarantee victory, we cannot rely on the shield alone. We must also sharpen the sword." The Department of War stated that Fortress America and the Next Great American Base are included among the six major priorities announced by Secretary Hegseth in recent months.

"Building Sovereign Fighting Weapon Systems, Not Real Estate"… Small Nuclear Reactors, 30 Days of Islanded Operation

Assistant Secretary Marks stated that the Next Great American Base is how Fortress America is operationalized, saying, "We are no longer building real estate; we are building sovereign fighting weapon systems." Assistant Secretary Marks added that the standard is "build it once, build it beautiful, and build it to last." According to the Department of War, the prototype base will generate its own power through microgrids and small nuclear reactors, operate "air-gapped" computer networks isolated from outside systems, and secure and recycle closed-loop potable water. The Department of War stated that Fortress America bases will leverage public-private economic models, yet are designed to rely on organic infrastructure for 30 days in full isolation from outside utilities should surrounding civilian power grids collapse. Assistant Secretary Marks said, "The question is no longer, 'What missions will this base host?'" adding, "The question is, 'What new dimensions of American deterrence and lethality are unlocked because this platform exists?'"

Assistant Secretary Marks described retrofitting legacy installations as "the modern equivalent of riding horses into a drone storm," saying, "You cannot win a software-defined war with an industrial-age saddle." Assistant Secretary Marks stated that once the prototype base is proven, its systems and lessons will be scaled to legacy installations, adding, "This provides existing installations the armored chassis they need to survive."

Assistant Secretary Marks also addressed the need to improve service members' living conditions. Assistant Secretary Marks stated, "Our most decisive weapon system has always been the individual American warfighter," adding, "The world's best technology is useless if our most talented minds and dedicated warriors refuse to stay in uniform." Assistant Secretary Marks said service members returning to quarters with black mold, broken plumbing, and leaking roofs cannot be expected to focus on high-intensity multi-domain operations, stating, "Poor living conditions are not minor inconveniences; they actively corrode morale, readiness, and the retention of elite talent." The Department of War stated that the Next Great American Base will feature a walkable, compact footprint with top-tier schools, advanced medical facilities, and town centers fostering community. Alongside the article, the Department of War published a photograph of Dakota Meyer, Special Assistant to the Secretary of War (Barracks Task Force), visiting Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California on October 20 to inspect vacant barracks condemned as uninhabitable. The Department of War explained that Special Assistant Meyer visited I Marine Expeditionary Force to gather insights on barracks modernization and improvements aimed at providing safe, clean, and comfortable accommodations for Marines and Sailors.

Concluding his speech, Assistant Secretary Marks said, "Let us build bases worthy of being called home by our service members," adding, "Let us build the partnerships required to safeguard the homeland, and ensure that whenever the call comes, America possesses the unshakeable strength to prevail."

Sources (KST)

• U.S. Department of War article "Assistant Secretary Says There's 'Exceptional Interest' in the Next Great American Base" (2026-10-27): https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4635071/
• U.S. Department of War article "Assistant Secretary Says New Infrastructure Initiatives Are a 'National Calling'" (2026-10-29): https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4637154/
• Assistant Secretary of War for Energy, Installations, and Environment Letter (2026-10-22): https://media.defense.gov/2026/Oct/26/2004019385/-1/-1/1/ASW-EI-AND-E-LETTER-TO-THE-NATIONS-GOVERNORS-AND-THE-ADJUTANTS-GENERAL-OCR.PDF
• Department of War "NGAB Facts and FAQ": https://media.defense.gov/2026/Oct/26/2004019463/-1/-1/1/NGAB-FACTS-AND-FAQ.PDF
• Department of War "Next Great American Base Fact Sheet": https://media.defense.gov/2026/Oct/26/2004019466/-1/-1/1/NEXT-GREAT-AMERICAN-BASE-FACT-SHEET.PDF
• Secretary of War Letter (2026-09-30): https://media.defense.gov/2026/Oct/25/2004018609/-1/-1/1/SECRETARY-OF-WAR-LETTER-TO-THE-NATIONS-GOVERNORS-AND-THE-ADJUTANTS-GENERAL-2026-09-30.PDF
• U.S. Department of War Rapid Response Official X: https://x.com/DOWResponse/status/2105399026766012494
• Sean Parnell, Assistant to the Secretary of War (Public Affairs) X: https://x.com/SeanParnellASW/status/2105399274104361119