“The repercussions of climate change are ravaging the military’s infrastructure—Secretary Hegseth ought to regard that danger with seriousness,” Warren informed ICN via email. “This information illustrates just how expensive this menace is already for the National Guard to address natural disasters. Neglecting to take action will merely lead to a surge in these expenses.”
Neither the Department of Defense nor the White House responded immediately to a request for feedback.
Last week, Hegseth reiterated his commitment to remove climate change from the military’s priorities. “No further climate change idolization,” Hegseth urged, addressing a gathering of senior officials he convened at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on October 1. “No more division, distractions, or gender illusions. No more debris,” he stated. Departing from the prepared remarks issued by the Pentagon, he added, “As I’ve mentioned previously, and will reiterate, we are finished with that nonsense.”
However, the data released by the Pentagon indicates that the effects of climate change are influencing the military’s responsibilities, even if the department stops recognizing the science or preparing for a hotter future. In 2024, paid duty days by the National Guard for disaster response—445,306—had nearly tripled compared to nine years prior, with significant variances in between. (The Pentagon provided the data in terms of “mandays,” or paid duty days beyond reservists’ mandatory annual training days.)
During those years, the demand for reservist deployment for disaster assistance peaked at 1.25 million duty days in 2017, when Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria wreaked havoc in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
The largest deployment of National Guard members in response to wildfires in the last decade occurred in 2023, when wind-fueled wildfires ravaged Maui, resulting in over 100 fatalities. Activated by Gov. Josh Green, the Hawaii National Guard executed aerial water drops using CH-47 Chinook helicopters. On the ground, they assisted in escorting evacuating residents, aiding in search and recovery operations, distributing safe drinking water, and performing various other duties.
