AI access becomes a national security issue when compute is scarce and the decision window is short. ⏳ “The governor facing a Category 5 hurricane or the CEO facing a cyber intrusion only has a few hours in which AI tools can actually make a difference. Once the decision window has passed, availability of the models is beside the point.” This piece argues for a strategic token reserve that includes priority access to frontier AI capacity for government, critical infrastructure, and other essential users during a crisis. ⚡️💧 📖Read Allocating AI Priority: A Strategic Token Reserve? a #SWJEssay By Terence Check, currently the Deputy Chief Counsel (A) at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and is a non-resident fellow at the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Institute for Future Conflict.