U.S. Department of Defense
Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation
Many states and communities across the country support the mission of the Department of Defense. Some are home to military bases, while others manufacture the products and provide the services necessary for national defense. When a defense program change occurs, it can have a major impact on local and regional communities.
The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation leverages capabilities of state and local partners through grants and technical assistance to enhance readiness of our installations and ranges, and to deliver safe places for our members and their families where capabilities in Department of Defense do not otherwise exist. OLDCC’s program portfolio is presently comprised of over 200 separate grants, exceeding $1.3 billion, and represents partnerships between the Department and most states and communities that host Department of Defense installations. Many of these grants require years of monitoring following award.
At the same time, the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation works with states and communities to help them respond to changes driven by the Department of Defense. By leveraging the full capabilities of the Federal government, the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation helps towns, cities, and states plan and carry out a future that is both sustainable and in alignment with the military mission.
To help support defense communities’ efforts to respond to Department of Defense decisions, the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation also provides value back to the Department of Defense by ensuring:
- defense manufacturing and supply chains are agile and responsive to defense needs;
- communities can support their local military installations through sustainable economic development and other civilian activities that are compatible to the mission.
OLDCC supports the National Defense Strategy by:
- working with other Federal agencies, states, and communities to protect installations and ranges from incompatible development and to enhance the combat capability of our nation's test and training ranges;
- engaging the defense industries to determine best practices and innovative solutions for our current challenges to maintain combat readiness;
- enhancing partnerships with defense communities around the country supporting our bases and providing for the quality of life for our troops and their families.
Click here for the 2022 National Security Strategy Fact Sheet.
Federal Partner Coordination
A number of different Federal agencies help communities respond to economic shifts connected to defense program changes. The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation helps link communities with the full breadth of these Federal resources.
Assistance in Action
Defense communities face several challenges as they grow and evolve while the nation’s defense priorities change. The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation supports defense communities as they work to continue their collaboration with the Military Services, defense industry, and others. Below are a few examples of the ways that the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation has assisted defense communities.
Military Installation Sustainability
As a result of a $985K Military Installation Sustainability investment from the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, the City of Killeen and Central Texas Council of Governments created a local land use decision tool to ensure proposed civilian development is compatible with critical live fire, maneuver, and mechanized training at Fort Hood. The community is also working closely with the Garrison to identify the feasibility of a joint-use civilian/military multimodal truck/rail cargo transfer facility to create additional deployment capabilities and improve its force projection.
Industry Resilience
As a result of a $3.3M Industry Resilience investment, Allen County, Ohio, assisted the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center to maintain and upgrade critical skill sets among its workforce which were needed to construct the Army’s new M-1A2C Abrams Main Battle Tank. A production hiatus from 2014 – 2017 left the Center at risk of losing critical workforce skills. This program helped to preserve and update the local workforce during the hiatus when traditional workforce development assistance could not support the training required for these higher skilled positions.
Community Investment
As a result of a $335K Growth Management investment through the Community Investment program of assistance, the Fairbanks North Star Borough has planned improvements to public services, including schools, public health, workforce training, child care, and more, as well as infrastructure (utilities for new housing, transportation linkages, etc.) necessary to support the Air Force’s strategic basing of two F-35A squadrons at Eielson AFB and the accompanying 2,765 military personnel and dependents.
About Our Programs of Assistance
Grant assistance within the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation is designed to specifically address the challenges of communities that support the defense mission. There are currently four grant categories.
Other Resources
Defense actions that impact communities can have repercussions for a number of different economic development issues, including workforce, housing, education, energy, and transportation. In addition to partnering with other Federal agencies, the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation has relationships with non-governmental organizations and associations that provide expertise in specific areas that defense communities find valuable.
Contact Us
Use the link below to contact a member of the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation's staff.