BGen Willie J Williams Assistant Deputy Commandant Installations

BGen Willie J. Williams Assistant Deputy Commandant, Installations and Logistics (Facilities) “Sustaining The Force: Optimizing Readiness Through Pollution Prevention” Joint Services Environmental Management Conference 17 August 2004

WARFIGHTING Ø THE Marine Corps’ focus Ø Current Operations: ü Afghanistan - Operation Enduring Freedom ü Iraq – Operation Iraqi Freedom (1/3 of USMC) ü Philippines – Global War on Terrorism ü Horn of Africa ü Amphibious Ready Groups are forward deployed 365 days a year “Be the most ready when the nation is the least ready. ” House Armed Services Committee - 1952

WARFIGHTING = CAPABILITIES Ø Land, Sea, Air forces: ü Achieved and sustained through training ü Training requires adequate: Ø Land space Ø Sea space Ø Air space

MODERN BATTLEFIELD Ø Highly technical and complex weapons systems ü Tanks, planes, ships, satellites Ø Harmonized coordination ü Close air support, artillery, naval guns, mechanized maneuver Ø RESULT - rapid, lethal, decisive effects that: ü Defeat any enemy, anytime, anyplace ü Absolutely minimize friendly and non-combatant casualties ü Require large training areas. Land, Sea and Air Forces WORKING TOGETHER

BASES & STATIONS Ø Provide training areas Ø Where “working together” is learned, practiced, and perfected for combat. F Without installations, there is no readiness. For this reason, our bases and stations are “CRITICAL READINESS ENABLERS”

Challenges to Maintaining Readiness Ø Environmental restrictions and impacts Ø Urban sprawl; competition for land, air, sea use Ø Critical habitat and endangered species designation Ø Wilderness designation restrictions Result: “SIGNIFICANT TRAINING IMPACTS”

Readiness Threatened Cumulative effects of Environmental Restrictions and Impacts, Encroachment, and Urbanization… Cause operational & training restrictions that … Create less realistic training… F Degraded Combat Readiness

An ORDERed Approach to Overcoming these Challenges “Operational Readiness Depends on Environmental Responsibility” Requires: Ø Excellence in installation environmental mgmt Ø Participation by: ü All USMC installation, tenant, and operational commands ü All Headquarters Marine Corps advocates ü Navy and other Do. D partners and tenants Strong support from all stakeholders provides excellence in training space management to our Warfighters

USMC Effort Philosophical Evolution: Ø Risk to mission focus Ø Continual improvement Ø Environmental compliance as everyone’s responsibility Ø Environmental staff as teachers Controlling risks to mission from potential environmental impacts of what we do requires awareness and training

USMC Effort Environmental Management System (EMS) Ø Systematic, coordinated approach to identifying, prioritizing, and controlling risks from potential environmental impacts, requires: ü Shared vision – working in partnership with all installation, tenant, and operational commands ü Leadership, communication, and coordination ü TRAINING! Systematic EM must be part of day-to-day decision making and planning processes

USMC Effort EMS ACTIONS: Ø Build on existing Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessments, et. al. Ø Use P 2 wherever possible to mitigate risks and meet installation goals Ø Look for opportunities to mitigate risks through behavioral and management process changes Ø TRAIN!

An Evolving Vision Ø P 2 as tool of choice for mitigating risks to mission Ø EMS as enabler for using P 2 as tool of choice for mitigating risks to mission Stakeholders working together, understanding their shared responsibilities