Defense Industrial Base Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce
To all our industry partners, please review the following information. In this time of health, safety concerns and uncertainty, we must continue to work toward warfighter readiness, while also taking actions to protect ourselves and others.
The health and safety of our members and partners is our highest priority, and we will continually monitor reports and guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) as we continue our work with our DOD partners.
On March 20, 2020, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Ellen Lord issued a memorandum to the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), clarifying what is considered the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce in light of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The Under Secretary reemphasizes that the DIB is a Critical Infrastructure Sector per the Department of Homeland Security and is defined as “the worldwide industrial complex that enables research and development, as well as design, production, delivery and maintenance of military weapons systems/software systems, subsystems, and components or parts, as well as purchased services to meet US Military requirements.”
The Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce for the DIB “includes workers who support the essential products and services required to meet national security commitments to the Federal Government and the US Military.”
NCMS is sharing this memo as an FYI only. Companies and workers should follow guidance from the CDC as well as State and local COVID-19 orders such as those currently in effect in Michigan, California, and elsewhere. It is ultimately the responsibility of each company to determine the best course of action for their own organization.