American Industry Leaders Advocating For The Individual Equipment and Clothing Needs Of The Warfighter and Peacekeeper
Our Mission: Sustain the Domestic Industrial Base that Supports the Warfighter
The Warrior Protection & Readiness Coalition (WPRC) is the voice of advocacy for the individual and unit level equipment needs of the warfighter. The leading tactical equipment, apparel, materials, and technology companies of the WPRC are committed to ensuring that American service members train and fight with superior equipage, now and in the future. Our membership works diligently with Congress, the Administration and Department of Defense to maintain and grow the domestic manufacturing capability to produce American-made equipment, textiles and uniforms for U.S. service members, frontline medical responders, and the operational agencies within the Department of Homeland Security.
Our Motivation:
As a WPRC member, you join the leading American manufacturers and suppliers to the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security delivering superior tactical equipment, apparel, armor, and technology to the warfighter and peacekeeper. The WPRC provides a unified industry voice working to sustain the innovation, domestic manufacturing capacity and warfighter capability needed in an increasingly threatening world.
The domestic textile, uniform and protective equipment industry is fragmented and fragile. Declining resources and commodity-based procurement practices have put modernization plans at risk, deter investment, and jeopardize the industrial base. The WPRC advocates with impact beyond that achievable by any individual company. We are entirely focused on ensuring that defense procurement and innovation policies meet the constantly evolving needs of the warfighter and that the United States maintains the essential capability to domestically manufacture the entire ensemble worn and carried by service members. Without this advocacy business fundamentals and warfighter readiness will continue to decline. The WPRC supports warfighter readiness, domestic industrial capabilities, and the long-term health of our member companies’ businesses.
Enduring Initiatives:
Government and Defense Relations – The WPRC supports warfighter readiness by providing a unified industry voice to the U.S. Congress, the Department of Defense (DOD) and the White House. We serve as an open pipeline of communication between industry and Capitol Hill, advocating for the funding necessary for individual and unit level warfighter readiness requirements in the federal legislative policy process. Enduring initiatives include:
- Support annual, transparent funding for the Multi-Environment Enduring Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment (MEE-OCIE) program
- Fully-fund the Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP) within the Army’s Program Executive Office-Soldier to continue identification, development, procurement and deployment of critical assets to soldiers quickly and cost effectively.
- Support the Defense Production Act Title III program for the Clothing & Textile industrial base. DPA Title III ensures the timely availability of essential domestic industrial resources to support national defense and homeland security requirements. Title III maintains three broad focus areas: sustaining critical production, commercialization of research and development investments, and scaling of emerging technologies.
- Innovation in procurement and supply chain management practices.
- Constant support for the Berry Amendment and ensuring Congress and the DoD robustly work to maintain domestic manufacturing capability.
- Emphasizing performance and value in the procurement of textiles, uniforms, personal protective equipment.
Our strong public policy and legislative advocacy platform enables our membership to provide input to and understand the issues that impact their businesses through WPRC’s continuous campaign of direct outreach.
Grassroots Outreach – The WPRC membership is diverse and includes multi-national corporations, as well as small family-run businesses. The WPRC understands that big or small, the members of the warfighter clothing and equipment industry must speak with one voice. We work with our members and other industry stakeholders to build consensus, foster cooperation, and form strategic partnerships.
We create communication channels between our industry, the general public, the military public, and relevant defense officials including program executive offices, procurement policy executives, clothing and individual equipment requirement developers and resource sponsors.
Industry Knowledge Development and Networking – WPRC research efforts, working committees, and events help generate industry data and idea exchanges to support our mission, share best practices, and provide opportunities for participants to interact. We also monitor legislation, budgets and programs for their impact on our industry and our mission.
Our annual Legislative Summit provides an opportunity for member company representatives to meet directly with DoD leadership as well as their elected representatives and discuss the issues impacting industry’s ability to support warfighter readiness.