Scott, Warner, Kaine Press Pentagon on Vacant Resilience Coordinator Positions

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Bobby Scott (VA-03), Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), and 14 other Members of Congress sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanding answers about delays in implementing the Interagency Regional Coordinator for Resilience (IRCR) Pilot Project.

Congressman Scott, Senator Warner, and Senator Kaine secured language in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), enacted with bipartisan support, directing the Department of Defense to establish four resilience coordinator positions at flood-prone military installations. These coordinators are intended to strengthen collaboration between military installations and surrounding civilian communities to improve preparedness for flooding and other natural disasters.

Naval Station Norfolk was designated as one of the pilot locations and was assigned a coordinator. However, all four IRCR coordinator positions are currently vacant.

"Disaster prevention and response requires adequate planning and coordination between installations and their surrounding civilian communities," the members wrote. "Congress addressed this issue when it established the IRCR Pilot Project in the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This pilot project directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish four IRCRs with at least one serving a defense community on each of the East, West, and Gulf Coasts."

The letter also addresses the delay in appointing IRCRs and re-assigning the IRCR at Naval Station Norfolk.

"However, without these coordinators in place, DOD has not satisfied the statutory requirements of the IRCR Pilot Project," the members continued. "To our knowledge, DOD previously appointed just one of the four coordinators required by law at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia to carry out IRCR responsibilities, but the position is currently vacant. That appointment is the only IRCR role that DOD has assigned since the FY2023 NDAA was enacted, and now, all four positions required for the pilot project are currently vacant."

The letter asks Secretary Hegseth to answer a list of questions on the status of the IRCR Pilot Project by June 30, 2026.

Full text of the letter can be found here and below:

Dear Secretary Hegseth,

As members of Congress representing defense communities, we write to request information on the status of the Interagency Regional Coordinator for Resilience (IRCR) Pilot Project established by P.L. 117-263.

Military installations across the country are highly susceptible to extreme weather, including flooding, fire, and severe storms. When these events occur, they jeopardize military readiness and national security. Disaster prevention and response requires adequate planning and coordination between installations and their surrounding civilian communities. Congress addressed this issue when it established the IRCR Pilot Project in the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This pilot project directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish four IRCRs with at least one serving a defense community on each of the East, West, and Gulf Coasts. These communities must experience significant flooding and collaborate on multi-jurisdictional adaptation planning efforts. The intent of this law is to develop a framework that better facilitates collaboration between military installations and their neighboring communities to reduce disaster-related risk to national security.

However, without these coordinators in place, DOD has not satisfied the statutory requirements of the IRCR Pilot Project. To our knowledge, DOD previously appointed just one of the four coordinators required by law at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia to carry out IRCR responsibilities, but the position is currently vacant. That appointment is the only IRCR role that DOD has assigned since the FY2023 NDAA was enacted, and now, all four positions required for the pilot project are currently vacant.

We request answers to the following questions on the status and future of the IRCR Pilot Project by June 30, 2026.

1. What is DOD's current plan to fill all four vacancies required for the IRCR Pilot Project? Please include a timeline for when DOD expects to establish IRCRs.
2. Why is the IRCR position at Naval Station Norfolk currently vacant following the departure of the initial IRCR? When do you expect to fill this position?
3. What steps, if any, has DOD taken to establish the other three IRCRs?
4. Has DOD identified any of the other three military installations that DOD will assign IRCRs to? If so, please provide the name(s) of the base(s) and provide the justification as to why they were chosen.

Ensuring that our military installations and their surrounding communities are prepared for natural disasters is a priority for our communities and national security. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

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