The Pentagon Is Planning for 90 Days. How Long Could Your Family Last?
This weekend, a report that the Pentagon wants U.S. military bases to operate independently for 90 days sparked a wave of alarming headlines. Social media filled up with “doomsday” posts.
Here’s what’s actually going on. The Department of Defense is developing a program called FORTRESS. Under it, major bases in the continental U.S. could keep running for at least 90 days without outside support. That means generating their own power and maintaining their own water, fuel, and communications if the civilian grid goes down. Pentagon officials say losing power today means losing almost everything else that depends on it. They haven’t named a specific threat. The plan has no released cost or timeline, and officials say full implementation could take years.
Britain launched its own “Be Ready” campaign the same week. It encourages families to keep water, non-perishable food, flashlights, a radio, first-aid supplies, and some cash at home.
None of this means something is about to happen. It means large organizations are doing what responsible organizations do: planning for disruption before it arrives. Your family can do the same thing, calmly, without panic buying.
At Not Today, we believe the best outcome is that nothing ever happens. Preparation is how you make sure that if something does happen, your family isn’t starting from zero.
That’s why we built the Not Today Home Defense Plan, a free, printable workbook for your household. It walks you through:
- Choosing a safe room and assigning family roles
- Writing an emergency call script and setting rally points
- Food and water planning for 30, 60, and 90 days, with per-person amounts and a household calculator
- Wildfire, earthquake, and power-outage planning for Southern California
- A babysitter sheet and cut-out quick-reference cards
Start small. Two weeks of water and food is a great first goal: one gallon of water per person per day. Then build from there.
Click below to download our Home Defense Plan workbook:
