The United States is entering a rare moment: hosting back-to-back Olympic Games in Los Angeles (2028) and Salt Lake City (2034). For most, these are sporting milestones. For national security leaders, they are something else entirely — signals of whether America’s infrastructure, continuity, and public trust can endure under global scrutiny. This article explores why red team and blue team drills must extend far beyond host cities into overlooked crucibles like Ocala, Waynesboro, Frederick, and Jefferson. It examines the convergence of public and private sectors, the role of ISACs and the Capitol Cyber Initiative, and the amplifying rigor of The Vermont Group. Resilience in this moment is not ceremony; it is doctrine — proof that America’s systems can hold when adversaries are most incentivized to test them.
