From February to May 2025, militaries deployed 42 times in 20 countries to address climate change hazards, primarily to fight wildfires and respond to extreme precipitation and flooding. Deployment after deployment, political and military leaders have noted the historic and unprecedented nature of the hazards. Many military actors deployed multiple times in the same geography during these four months. During the same time period, some militaries have dedicated training hours to preparation for summer hazards, including through interagency and cross-government coordination efforts.
Early, Historic, and Repeated Hazards
In the United States, February saw intense rain and flooding in Kentucky and Virginia, leading to National Guard deployments in each state. One meteorologist noted such weather events were “unprecedented” for so early in the year in that part of the country. Fast forward to April, when Kentucky was hit again with extreme precipitation, causing what Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear called the “most widespread flooding events that the commonwealth has ever seen.” National Guard troops once again deployed.
Meanwhile, the eastern United States was also hit with unusually large wildfires this spring. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, as of June 3, nearly 30,000 wildfires have erupted across the United States. Last year, only about 13,000 were reported through the same period. The Tennessee National Guard deployed Blackhawk helicopters three times in March alone to fight fires, while in April, the New Jersey National Guard battled that state’s largest wildfire in 20 years.
South Carolina also saw large wildfires, made more challenging due to all the fallen trees from Hurricane Helene last year. The state’s national guard joined other agencies in an aerial campaign to fight the Table Rock Fire in late March, and the campaign included the first-ever deployment of a large fixed-wing air tanker dropping fire retardant east of the Mississippi in the United States.
Outside the United States, the South Korean military deployed 6000 personnel and nearly 250 helicopters to fight that country’s largest and deadliest wildfire in March, featuring winds stronger than a typhoon of “unimaginable scale and speed.” The United States military also joined the fight, at the request of the South Korean military, providing support from helicopters outfitted with ‘Bambi buckets’ to drop water on the fire. In April, another wildfire erupted in South Korea, once again requiring a military deployment, though at a smaller scale.
Meanwhile, Nigerian military disaster response units, police, and civil defense forces deployed to assist the National Emergency Management Agency in conducting search and rescue after devastating extreme precipitation and flash flooding. The disaster in Mokwa, Niger state killed at least 150, with hundreds more missing and presumed dead, and displaced 3,000, according to the United Nations.
Additionally, as of this writing, large-scale wildfires are burning across Canada, with the Canadian Armed Forces assisting with evacuations of nearly 30,000 people so far. Reminiscent of 2023, the worst wildfire season in Canadian history, the smoke from the fires has created significant air quality issues for the Upper Midwest in the United States.
Preparing for a Long, Hot Summer
As of early June 2025, already 40 percent of Europe was in drought conditions, NOAA is forecasting hotter-than-average temperatures across the United States this summer, and the UK Met Office is warning of increased risk of heatwaves. Militaries are already preparing with other actors across governments for this uptick in extreme weather events over the next few months. For example, in April, the North Dakota and Colorado National Guards conducted their annual aviation training for the 2025 wildfire season, practicing bucket drops from helicopters in partnership with other state firefighters and emergency response actors. Given the uncertainty around the readiness of FEMA, NOAA, and the National Weather Service under the Trump Administration, it’s likely that the National Guard will face increased demand and diminished warning in the face of climate hazards across the United States this summer.
Meanwhile, in Greece, where the military has deployed at least 10 times domestically since 2022 in response to extreme weather events, the government led efforts in April to build stronger connections between the Armed Forces and the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry ahead of fire seasons. This collaboration includes joint civilian-military training exercises to ensure proper communication and coordination. The European Union, whose member states have deployed military resources regularly to support wildfire suppression in Greece in recent years, will also for the first time pre-position 300 firefighters in the country ahead of the fire season.
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