Our Mission
The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation is a unique line function that furthers the priorities of the National Defense Strategy by supporting our warfighters and ensuring the readiness and lethality of our defense missions through technical and financial assistance to states, counties, municipalities, regions, and other communities. This assistance is designed to foster cooperation with military installations to enhance the military mission, achieve facility and infrastructure savings, reduced operating costs, address encroachment and compatible land use issues, support military families, and increase military, civilian, and industrial capabilities for our national security.
Many states, territories, 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.
Our Impact
The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation's program portfolio represents the collaboration between the Department of Defense and most states, territories, and communities that host Department of Defense installations. Many of these grants require years of monitoring following award.
The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation manages a number of grants throughout the year. Today, this includes supporting 252 active grants that account for $1.7 billion in federal funds and $623 million in non-federal contributions. These non-federal contributions demonstrate significant investment from defense communities into the defense mission.
In Fiscal Year 2024, the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation:
Our Authorities
The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation executes assistance on behalf of the Department of Defense under statutory authority [Title 10, Section 2391, United States Code] to make grants, conclude cooperative agreements, and supplement other Federal programs to work with states and communities.
Executive Order 12788, as amended, establishes the Defense Economic Adjustment Program and Economic Adjustment Committee: The head of the Department of Defense's Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation shall provide all necessary policy and administrative support for the Committee and shall be responsible for coordinating the application of the Defense Economic Adjustment Program to Department of Defense activities.
Assistance in Action
Defense communities face several challenges as they grow and evolve to support the nation’s defense priorities. The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation supports the defense mission and our warfighters by assisting these defense communities as they work to continue their collaboration with the Military Services, defense industry, and others.