Army installations must act now to become more agile, resilient and adaptable as the service prepares for a future where the homeland is no longer a sanctuary, a senior Army leader said.

“Our world is more unpredictable than ever,” said Lt. Gen. David Wilson, deputy Army chief of staff for installations, G-9. “The question we must ask ourselves is, how do we ensure our Army is prepared to fight and win in the most complex security environment of our time?”

The answer is Army installations, Wilson said April 17 during a keynote presentation at an Association of the U.S. Army Hot Topic titled, “Transforming Army Installations: Our Foundations of Warfighter Readiness and Lethality.”

“They’re not just places where our soldiers live, train or play,” he said. “They’re our power projection platforms, the launching pads from which we deploy our forces around the globe to deter aggression and, if necessary, engage in combat.”

The Army can no longer afford to think of its installations as static facilities or safe havens, Wilson said. “Our installations must be agile, resilient and capable of supporting multidomain operations,” he said. “Our installations must integrate cutting-edge technology such as [unmanned aerial systems] and counter-UAS, enhance force readiness through the modernization of our training areas, our ranges and our facilities, as well as remain secure against cyber, physical or environmental threats.”

There is urgency to this effort, Wilson said. “Our adversaries are watching, they’re probing, and they’re prepared to disrupt our ability to project power,” he said.

In addition to building the resilience of its installations, the Army must do the same for the people who live and work there, Wilson said. “They have to be part of the equation,” he said. “They must be prepared for the challenges of a more contested, unpredictable future.”

Maintaining agile and resilient installations is not just an Army issue, it’s a national endeavor, Wilson said. “The strength of our Army does not begin on the battlefield,” he said. “It begins here on the installations where we mobilize, train, prepare and deploy. The installation of the future will determine our ability to fight both abroad and at home. They’re not just places on a map. They’re the very foundation of our national defense.”