As a U.S. Air Force combat and test pilot with over 2,000 flight hours logged, I never had the luxury of second-guessing the runway beneath me. The stakes were simply too high. Later, while commanding major Air Force installations in the U.S and playing a major leadership role in the Middle East, I saw how that same principle extends far beyond the airfield, to hardened shelters, operations centers, fuel infrastructure, and the very facilities where our service members live and work.
Strong military infrastructure is what allows the U.S. to project power, deter adversaries, and bring our men and women in uniform home safely. Right now, that infrastructure is at risk in ways Washington has been slow to recognize. The building materials that underpin our bases, particularly cement, an essential ingredient in concrete, must not be treated as mere commodities. Rather, these inputs are critical to America’s operational military infrastructure, representing mission readiness in its most physical and fundamental form.
At its core, infrastructure vulnerability stems from supply chain risks. The U.S. is experiencing a decrease in domestic cement production, while imports of the material have hovered above 20%since 2022. These imports originate from across the globe, creating extended supply chains that make it difficult to verify whether products adhere to stringent U.S. standards. If we cannot produce what we need at home, foreign suppliers will gain dangerous leverage over the quality of materials required to build our infrastructure and the time it takes to complete these projects.
In an increasingly volatile world, the ability to mobilize our troops safely, rapidly, and effectively can determine the outcome of a conflict. The quality of life of our service members and their ability to carry out critical missions also require resilient living and working facilities. And yet, the Air Force carries $46.8 billion in deferred maintenance and repair backlogs while Department of War joint bases continue to receive sustainment funding well below critical goals needed to maintain our defense infrastructure.
These are not hypothetical vulnerabilities; material shortages have already disrupted critical defense projects. A U.S. Navy runway and taxiway extension project in California that started in 2020was delayed by cement shortages, and a Defense Logistics Agency Defense Energy Support Center project in Florida initiated in 2019 faced costly setbacks due to concrete shortages.
While these delays may seem minor in the broader scope of military construction, the U.S. cannot afford to be caught flat-footed when it comes to the infrastructure vital to America’s national security needs. Our leaders must take decisive action to reduce this backlog, starting with ensuring that our cement supply lines do not snowball into widespread construction delays.
If America’s military is to maintain its competitive edge on the world stage, we cannot allow ourselves to be subject to procurement constraints. Washington must act immediately to shore up our industrial foundation, starting with establishing a national cement stockpile and classifying cement as a strategic material essential to our security. The U.S. government must also take reasonable steps to ensure that projects funded with taxpayer dollars use verifiable American cement rather than foreign products. Federal agencies can do so by influencing procurement preferences, ensuring the weight of our government is behind domestic cement producers.
Additionally, supply chain vulnerabilities must not be allowed to persist with any critical construction material, whether it is iron, steel, cement, or concrete. The U.S. Trade Representative can take steps to protect our supply chains by exploring trade remedies, such as Section 301 investigations under the Trade Act of 1974, to confront foreign cement producers that benefit from state subsidies and engage in deliberate overcapacity.
The men and women who serve our nation deserve structurally sound airfields, command centers, hardened shelters, and facilities they can depend on. We can only guarantee such readiness by ensuring that the foundations of our military strength are forged right here at home.
Originally published on NewsNation
United States Air Force Brig. Gen. John Teichert (ret) is a leading expert on foreign affairs and military strategy. He served as commander of Joint Base Andrews and Edwards Air Force Base, was the U.S. senior defense official to Iraq, and recently retired as the assistant deputy under secretary of the Air Force for international affairs.