Data center buildouts are increasingly being framed as both a strategic national asset and a political flashpoint, as infrastructure shortages are linked to future AI capability. In an argument published via a Washington Post op-ed, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula—now dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies—warned that data and computing shortfalls could become “catastrophic” in national security contexts. Deptula said nearly every military function depends on storing, moving, processing, securing, and exploiting data at speed and scale. He also pointed to wartime examples that he argued show AI-enabled intelligence and decision workflows rely on robust compute infrastructure. At the same time, public resistance to data centers is intensifying, keeping siting and expansion under heightened scrutiny. The clash is likely to influence how fast universities, research institutions, and industry partners can access compute—particularly for AI-heavy research and teaching programs that depend on stable infrastructure.