Hegseth pitches off-grid military mega-base in nationwide competition

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday announced plans to build a modern, self-sustaining military fortress, saying the site will be selected through a merit-based competition among governors pitching their states as potential locations.

The megaproject, dubbed the “Next Great American Base,” was unveiled during an address at Marine Corps Base Quantico as part of Hegseth’s six strategies to modernize the military.

The initiative rejects what Hegseth described as the legacy approach to spend heavily on advanced weapons systems while service members live on aging bases with outdated barracks.

“For too long, our military has been bogged down by the same old tired Washington playbook: spending trillions on exquisite weapons systems, while our troops live in aging bases, outdated barracks, and with inadequate infrastructure. That era is over,” Hegseth said.

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“To back up our warfighters, when we bring the troops home, we won’t just reshuffle troops onto legacy posts. We are going to build them beautiful new bases from the ground up,” he added.

The ambitious undertaking will feature a brand-new military installation spanning hundreds of thousands of acres and housing up to 25,000 service members.

“We are talking hundreds of thousands of acres with organic power generation, modern air defenses, and cutting edge technology — a fortress,” he said.

The installation is expected to provide first-class living conditions, high-end training grounds and essential services such as health care and child care, while operating entirely off the commercial grid with independent power sources.

Hegseth added that the base will support President Donald Trump’s executive order on “Beautiful Civic Architecture,” which calls for federal public buildings and military installations to be designed in timeless and classical styles.

“We owe our warriors nothing less than the gold standard,” Hegseth said.

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FILE — U.S. soldiers take part in a military ceremony. The proposed base, dubbed the “Next Great American Base,” would house up to 25,000 service members.

To determine the site location, the Department of War said it is launching a transparent, merit-based competition in which state governors can pitch their proposals directly to top military leadership at the Pentagon.

The winning state will be chosen based on its ability to remove regulatory hurdles and bureaucracy to speed up construction, while offering the best package of land, community support, top-tier housing, schools and other services.

“The state that cuts the most red tape and offers the best package of land and support will win the historic honor of hosting the most lethal, modern, and beautiful military installation on the planet,” a press release stated.

Pitch deliberations will be recorded and made public to eliminate “political favoritism,” according to the Pentagon.

“No backroom Washington deals. No political favoritism – just a straight-up, merit-based contest to see which state will partner with us to build the most modern, beautiful, and lethal military installation on the planet,” Hegseth said.

FILE – President Donald Trump sits next to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The War Department says the winning state must cut red tape while offering a strong package of land, housing, schools and community support. (Aaron Schwartz / AFP via Getty Images)

The project is the fourth announcement among six major strategic initiatives unveiled by the secretary.

According to the Department of War, the other initiatives focus on restoring male physical standards and combat roles, improving the comprehensive review of military standards, overhauling complaint processes, reforming senior leadership and focusing on core training and maintenance.