Corrosion comes at an enormous cost to the military in terms of readiness. It’s been estimated that across the DoD, 1.15 million Non-Available Days are attributed to corrosion annually.

Both Mother Nature and man-made hazards put unrelenting pressure on every asset in the military. Your vehicles, aircraft, equipment, weapons systems, parts, are all vulnerable to humidity, pollution, UV radiation, temperature fluctuations - you name it.

According to the DoD Corrosion Policy Office, 60-80% of an asset’s lifecycle costs are in operations and sustainment. Put another way, a $2 million asset may cost an additional $8 million to operate and maintain.

During a year of unprecedented challenge, one thing has become clear to everyone who works or volunteers with Operation Gratitude. Grateful Americans, whether they wear a uniform or civilian clothes, want to serve our country, and they want to serve one another.

It’s easy to inspect for rust on a gun barrel, or pitted metal on a vehicle. That’s what’s known as “gross corrosion.” What’s much harder to spot is “microscopic-level corrosion” on small but critically important components such as circuits, wiring, and telecommunications equipment.

You’re probably familiar with the usual culprits of corrosion - rain, humidity, salts. But there are a number of lesser-known factors that lead to corrosion.

There’s no way to keep rain from falling, humidity from rising, or sand from blowing. In fact, the elements are relentless. Your assets are under attack 24/7/365, and every day they go unprotected, the costs of corrosion increase.