August 2026 Volume 8

INDUSTRY NEWS

DOW LAUNCHES BUILDFREEDOM.US, ANNOUNCES $10M SKILLED TRADES INVESTMENT WITH MIKE ROWE AND FORGE THE NEXT-GENERATION INDUSTRIAL WORKFORCE

T he Department of War announced the launch of the Build Freedom workforce development initiative. Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael P. Duffey presented a $10 million investment to skilled trades advocate Mike Rowe to support the mikeroweWORKS Foundation Scholarship program. "On behalf of everyone at the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, I'm honored to accept this donation from BuildFreedom.US. Every penny will be spent on training the next generation of skilled workers for a long list of essential jobs - specifically the hundreds of thousands of good jobs currently open in the defense industrial base," said Mike Rowe, CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation. "Closing America's skills gap has become a matter of national security, and initiatives like BuildFreedom.US are precisely what our country needs to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving workforce. I'm excited to participate in this effort and looking forward to helping thousands of Americans get the training they need to start a meaningful career in the skilled trades." Created through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for

Industrial Base Policy's Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program, BuildFreedom.US is a national initiative designed to address critical talent shortages across the defense industrial base. The program unites government, industry, and educational institutions to increase awareness of purpose-driven careers and provide scholarships for Americans pursuing high paying, AI-proof jobs in the skilled trades. "America's strength has always been forged by people who build, manufacture, and innovate," said Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment. "BuildFreedom.US will bridge talent with opportunity to build meaningful careers, ensuring our workforce is ready for the challenges of tomorrow." This announcement marks a significant milestone in expanding workforce pathways for students, young adults, veterans, and transitioning service members. By empowering the next generation of American builders, makers, and innovators, the Department of War aims to directly bolster the nation's manufacturing capacity, economic resilience, and long-term national security.

FEDERAL ASSISTANCE FOR DEFENSE RELATED FORGING PRODUCT SUPPLY ISSUES

T he Maritime Industrial Base and Defense Industrial Base have identified rejected forgings as a cost and schedule issue. This problem has become more acute as demand has ramped up: part shortages cause logistical problems for the military and production headaches, lost revenue, and wasted time for forgers trying produce and deliver great products. The Department of War's Office of Industrial Base Policy recently funded the Reject Rate Reduction (R3) for Forgings & Castings program through the Steel Founders' Society in conjunction with the Forging Industry Association to address this pain point. This newly launched program is focused on identifying the technical, commercial, and military resources required to resolve the root cause of rejections and delays.

The R3 Forging Task Force, led by Suzanne Tkach of Tkach Consulting, is working with forgers, prime contractors, and military personnel to identify and resolve production issues that delay the delivery of functional parts to the military (e.g.: helping identify approaches for quality improvements, resolving issues with drawing interpretation among stakeholders, navigating communications across prime contractors/machine shops/military stakeholders, etc.). For details and to request support, please contact Suzanne Tkach at ForgingR3@TkachConsulting.com or 614-505-6490.

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