A new government report details the dire living conditions faced by some soldiers in their barracks across the country, highlighting a problem that military leaders have struggled to solve.
A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that young soldiers living in barracks at military installations were forced to deal with everything from pests like cockroaches and bugs to toxic waste and even squatters, potentially putting members’ health and safety at risk while damaging morality.
The 118-page report, published Monday by the GAO, concluded that military leaders at the Pentagon were unable to provide adequate oversight of the problem and mostly left issues to each individual service to resolve.
Investigators from the GAO visited 12 unnamed military installations to compile the report and spoke with service members in discussion groups to get their perspective.
Many service members complained of dirty water that seemed unsafe to drink in their barracks.
Others complained about faulty air conditioning and heating systems, forcing many members to buy individual air conditioning units for their sweltering rooms or turn to unsafe space heaters to provide warmth in the colder months.
Another issue observed by the investigators was that some buildings did not have secure windows and doors which in some cases resulted in squatters occupying the rooms.
A report from the Government Accountability Office details the poor conditions found in US military barracks.GAO
In one extreme case, officials at one installation told GAO investigators that “service members are responsible for cleaning up biological waste that may remain in barracks after suicide.”
The GAO report included dozens of photos of military barracks from installations investigators visited, with photos showing toilets with overflowing sewage, cracked sewage pipes, water damage, pests and mold or mildew growth.
Other photos show property belonging to squatters who are clearly not allowed to live in the building.
The report faulted the system for reacting too slowly to living conditions in buildings, with an inconsistent assessment system that often failed to address issues before conditions deteriorated.
GAO investigators visited 12 unnamed military installations to compile the report.GAO
The report also noted a lack of universal standards for health and safety, with no rules preventing installations and services from assigning troops to substandard living spaces.
Barracks are most often occupied by the youngest and lowest-ranking military personnel, many of whom have just graduated from basic and occupational training and are moving to their first duty station.
While the report notes that it is unclear exactly how many service members are living in substandard conditions due to the lack of universal tracking, it is likely that “at least thousands of service members are affected” by the poor quality of the barracks.
The GAO concluded by issuing 31 recommendations for the Department of Defense to “provide guidance on barracks condition assessments, obtain complete funding information and improve oversight of the barracks program.”
Investigators found several issues including sewage overflows, cracked pipes and mold.GAO
“DOD agreed with 23 recommendations and partially agreed with 8, in some cases noting ongoing actions that will address them. GAO continues to believe DOD should fully implement all of these recommendations,” the report said.
Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a GAO spokesperson said that the problems “we detail in our report are the result of chronic neglect and underfunding, as military officials choose to spend limited resources on facilities that are considered a higher priority than barracks because of their link to operational capabilities and mission readiness.”
The spokesperson added that the Department of Defense “needs to establish clearer standards for barracks quality and hold the military services accountable for meeting them” and also “needs to develop a joint strategy to improve barracks conditions, in part by collecting more accurate and comprehensive data on how much funding what DOD spends on barracks, what the condition of individual facilities is like, and how service members assigned to the barracks feel about their living conditions.”
According to the report, many service members complained about having water in the barracks that was unsafe to drink.GAO
“Finally, DOD needs to re-examine its policy regarding service members who are required to live in barracks, both because this problem will not be solved overnight and because the existing policy has led to a perception of inequality among underage enlisted service members,” said the spokesman. . “The 31 recommendations in our report are designed to address all of these needs.”
Meanwhile, Brendan Owens, Assistant Secretary of Defense, Energy Installations and Environment and Chief Housing Officer, told Fox News Digital that the Department of Defense sometimes “fails” to fulfill its role in ensuring adequate living space for the military.
“In return for the commitment and sacrifice that Service members make when they volunteer to defend our nation, the Department of Defense has a moral obligation to ensure that the places where they live and work honor their service,” Owens said. “DoD has, in many instances, failed to live up to our role in ensuring housing for our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Guard honors their commitments and enables them to bring the best versions of themselves to their critical missions.”
“To service members who are experiencing serious problems with their unaccompanied housing: I am committed to action,” he continued. “I will come out aggressively to increase oversight and accountability in government-owned unaccompanied housing and to address the unacceptable living conditions that impact our service members.”
Owens added that his office plans to work with individual branches to ensure that service members “have a safe and secure place to live.”
“Collectively, we will increase our response to your concerns as we work to ensure a life experience that enhances your well-being and readiness so that you can defend the American people as part of the best military in the history of the world,” Owens said.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
