The Military Health System (MHS) is the basis of our military medical preparation and ensures that our service members and their families receive the highest standards of care. In both war and peace, MHS defends the nation from threats to our health, saves America's lives and brings fighter jets back into mission.
Many of our military medical facilities are world-renowned and have caution and medical research that ranks among the best in the world. However, recently, systematic challenges threatening the effectiveness and reliability of MHS have been revealed.
I recently saw for myself the consequences of ignoring our healthcare infrastructure. In recent years, investment in MHS has not been unconventional. The Obama and Biden administrations prioritized importance over preparation. This was done at the expense of our military family and preparations for combat. I recently visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. There, aging infrastructure and postponed maintenance due to chronic lack of funds led to flooding. I saw for myself that this incident disrupts the service and challenged the ability to rapidly mobilize to receive victims of combat. While the facility is continuing repairs, the incident highlights a wider vulnerability within the MHS. There is too much maintenance and there are not enough healthcare workers to meet medical needs. Sadly, Walter Reed is not just a risky facility, as the maintenance backlog currently exceeds $10 billion across MHS.
Navy CMDR. Russell Jarvis, right, Walter Reed, facility chief at the National Military Medical Center explains the extent of the flooding of Darrin Selnick in the machine room during a tour of the medical facility on February 1, 2025 (Photo: Haley Vangelzeko, Navy/US Department of Defense)
Thanks to leadership and the tireless work of frontline staff, Walter Reed is once again running at full capacity. It also directed the urgent application of millions of dollars to address both immediate repairs and long-term investments in hospital infrastructure. These funds ensure that Walter Reed will remain the premier medical institution for service members, veterans and military families. During my recent fireside chat with the Walter Reed team, I thanked them for their dedication and asked them questions. Many of them were thinking about the future of their medical centres and the military health system.
Our team also directs a 30-day assessment to ensure the quality and safety of the entire company, system-level action is ongoing to improve recent neglect and prevent similar incidents. We have plans in place to prioritize funding for critical maintenance and modernization projects, ensuring that our medical centers are equipped to provide uninterrupted, high-quality care. But this is just the beginning of what must be a broader effort to modernize and secure the future of military healthcare.
Our service members deserve the best and we must now act to fulfill the promises of their services and the health system worthy of sacrifice. Our soldiers, sailors, Marines, airlines and guardians should not wait months for the simple steps. It removes them from the fight. We have an obligation to provide them with convenient and accessible world-class health care. Young men and women join the army and start military families. Because the Department of Defense is committed to taking care of them. Today, I am sad to say that we are lacking in that promise.
Recognizing the importance of MHS to national security and the well-being of our service members, the Secretary of Defense has launched comprehensive reforms to modernize and restore confidence. His most recent Message to the ForceSecretary Hegseth emphasized the importance of emerging technologies and reform processes that emerged rapidly to strengthen military capabilities. His commitment to modernizing infrastructure and adopting advanced technologies is consistent with efforts to improve healthcare capabilities. There is a need to consider how to simplify the experience of Tricare beneficiaries and ensure that military hospitals meet the pace of private sector care in terms of access, quality and experience.
We are also taking a step back to evaluate healthcare professionals. Are there appropriate staff? Are there enough people in uniform? Is everyone in the right place? Do you have the right partner?
When Walter Reed experienced flooding, our exceptional team ensured that other federal partners and patients did not significantly interfere with care, including the Bureau of Veterans Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, and the network of local private sector. Although integration and partnerships were key to their quick response, this was not yet the norm for the entire military health system, and other facilities were unable to respond quickly. A new focus on partnerships and resource allocation leads to some tough decisions about who we are working with and where we are going to maximize all the dollars we spend, but it will increase our effectiveness and further increase our dollars. Healthcare is expensive, we need to be wise to our choices and be responsible for our taxpayers.
This is not just about repairing the building and recruiting more medics, but about keeping their promises to those who serve. When you join the military, we promise you a community, mission, and a sense of purpose, and that you and your family will take care of you. If we fail in our mission, how can we expect you to succeed?
The path to reinvestment in MHS is complicated, but with its unwavering commitment and decisive action, military medicine remains a pillar of US strength in the future. Stakes are too expensive to accept the status quo. To get this right, we owe it to men and women in uniforms.
Darrin Selnick is a retired Air Force officer and currently serves as Secretary of Defense in preparation for Department of Defense officials.
