U.S. ARMY LAUNCHES LEASING INITIATIVE TO ADVANCE CRITICAL MINERAL PROCESSING AND ENHANCE INSTALLATION READINESS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - 19 December 2025 - The Department of the Army is repurposing underutilized land on its installations to strengthen national security and enhance the quality of life for Soldiers, Civilians, and Families. Many Army installations have parcels of land that are underutilized. The Army can lease this land to qualified organizations for productive development, creating benefit that can be reinvested into Army priorities, including infrastructure and services that benefit Soldiers, Civilians, and Families. This approach ensures the Army maximizes the value of its real property while supporting both local communities and broader national priorities.

Today we announced the release of a Request for Information (RFI) seeking competitive proposals to lease underutilized, non-excess Army land for the development of critical mineral processing facilities. This initiative leverages the Army's Enhanced Use Leasing (EUL) authorities to transform underutilized real property into assets that advance both national defense priorities and Army priorities.

The EUL program enables the Army to lease underutilized land for long-term development, ensuring no less than fair market value consideration while driving economic investment and installation resilience.

"Enhanced use leasing allows us to pursue innovative partnerships that directly benefit the Army, including our Soldiers, Civilians, and Families," said Jordan Gillis, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. "This effort aligns with Army modernization priorities while creating lasting value for the surrounding communities.

The critical mineral processing facility leasing opportunities have the potential to:

• Generate revenue that the Army can reinvest into priority missions, including infrastructure improvements to enhance Soldier and Family quality of life.
• Create local economic opportunities, including potential job growth in the surrounding communities.
• Strengthen the nation's organic industrial base through increased domestic capacity for critical mineral processing, supporting national security and supply chain resilience.

"The Army is committed to driving the nation forward on critical mineral and supply chains. Partnering with industry, we look to leverage Army's capabilities and authorities to expedite a reshoring of critical mineral mining and processing.," said Dr. Jeff Waksman, Principal Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment.

By leasing underutilized land, the Army ensures that installations remain engines of economic growth while advancing mission-critical capabilities. Consideration obtained through EULs will be reinvested to enhance installation services, facilities, and overall readiness.

Interested entities are invited to review the full Request for Information (RFI) and submit responses as outlined in the provided instructions.

For more information please use the Media Query Form for the Army Communications and Outreach Office.