Acting Army Secretary Telle announces establishment of HVAC task force to improve heating and cooling infrastructure for Soldiers across installations

Acting Army Secretary Telle announces establishment of HVAC task force to improve heating and cooling infrastructure for Soldiers across installations

October 12, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle announces establishment of an enterprise-level Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Task Force (TF) to systematically modernize climate control systems across Army installations.

"Secretary of War Hegseth has said every service member deserves clean, comfortable, and safe housing," said Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle, speaking today in Washington D.C. at the Association of the United States Army annual meeting. "This has never been done before - we're taking this for the first time to the national level, to deliver results across the country to Soldiers."

The dedicated TF team brings together leaders in facility operations, contracting, and military engineering from the Total Army to tackle a critical quality-of-life mandate to ensure Soldiers and families always have reliable heating in the winter and reliable air conditioning in the summer.

"The number one quality of life complaint we hear from Soldiers, are related to HVAC," said Hon. Jordan Gillis, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. "We are prioritizing this investment because it will make the biggest impact on Soldiers."

Historically, installation teams have often had to navigate aging infrastructure under demanding conditions, addressing issues as they arose through temporary cooling solutions and rapid-response repairs. Before the 2026 fiscal year ended last month, the Army directed $15 million toward 44 high-priority HVAC projects across multiple installations. While that effort brought immediate relief to specific facilities, the TF leaders recognized that one-time emergency funding cannot replace a comprehensive, proactive strategy. To bridge this gap, the Army has already identified more than $100 million in shovel-ready projects prioritized for award in early 2027.

The TF unites key organizations across facility engineering, contracting, and installation management to cut through bureaucratic silos-ensuring projects are designed, funded, and awarded before heating and cooling systems break down. The TF will also work directly with garrison commanders to survey, inspect, and validate executable HVAC projects for fiscal years 2027, 2028, and beyond. This ensures ready-to-award projects are pre-engineered and priced as soon as funds become available. Additionally, the TF will utilize regional contracting approaches, utility energy service contracts, and commercial best practices.

The Army aims to deliver modern, energy-efficient equipment faster and at lower long-term cost.

"This is the Army modernizing quality of life for our great American warfighters," said Telle.