The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC), formerly the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) field activity and provides technical and financial assistance to states, territories, and communities that are invested in the defense mission. OLDCC assistance supports the readiness and resiliency of both defense installations and defense communities.

To assist affected communities, OLDCC manages and directs the Defense Economic Adjustment Program and coordinates the involvement of other federal agencies.

History

Founded in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy and Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), later the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC), was tasked with mitigating the adverse impact on jobs and local economies after the government cost-reduction program closed several military bases. In the late-1960s and early-70s, OEA opened regional offices in major cities nationwide to facilitate federal grant deliveries.

As a result of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process developed in the late-1980s and 1990s, OEA provided support to many local communities amidst defense industry cutbacks. OEA's success served as a model for communities within former Soviet States and new Eastern European countries to better cope with reductions in military spending brought about by the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA FY2021) included a provision (Section 905) that amended Chapter 4 of Title 10 of the United States Code to rename OEA the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC). The provision took effect upon enactment of the Act on January 1, 2021.

Executive Order 14008, issued by President Joe Biden in early 2021, added addressing climate change to OLDCC's goals.

Operations

The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation provides technical and financial assistance (referred to as economic adjustment assistance) to states and local communities supporting the mission of the Department of Defense. Such aid is intended to enhance the resiliency and readiness of defense installations and their surrounding communities.

  • Community Noise Mitigation Program: The Community Noise Mitigation Program is designed to address communities impacted by military fixed wing aviation noise for the purposes of installing noise mitigation at covered facilities.  Covered facilities are hospitals, daycare facilities, schools, facilities serving senior citizens, and private residences. This program is authorized under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 117-35) Section 8120.
  • Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program (DCIP): Funds community infrastructure to support defense personnel and families.
  • Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program (DMCSP): Supports long-term community investments in national security innovation and defense manufacturing industrial ecosystem capability expansion (i.e. funding research and development in defense-critical technologies).
  • Installation Resilience Program: Funds state and local government improvement of installation sustainability (i.e. resilience against natural disasters or adverse environmental changes such as climate change and pollution). Delivers grants to states, private landowners, and others and drafts plans and provides assistance in finding solutions to light pollution, urban sprawl, endangered species management, energy security threats, etc.
  • Public Schools on Military Installations (PSMI): An invitation only program based on a Deputy Secretary of Defense prioritization ranking for installations; Funds construction, renovation, repair, and expansion of public schools located on military bases. Despite their location, these schools are operated by local education agencies.
  • Mission Realingment Program: After base closures or reductions, deploys project managers to select local redevelopment authorities (LRAs) to represent community members to local, state, and federal agencies. The project manager and LRA develop plans to revitalize the local economy, seek private and public investment, and support affected workers and businesses.

Organization

OLDCC is a Department of Defense field activity under the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD); more specifically, within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)),

The current director is Patrick O'Brien, an economic development expert and former HUD employee.