It’s no wonder recruitment is down when service members are forced to live in unsanitary buildings.
A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has discovered that military barracks housing young troops are being exposed to roaches, bed bugs, toxic waste, and even squatters.
The 118-page report was published on September 25, 2023, and it blasted the Pentagon for not providing proper oversight to clean up the barracks.
From Fox News:
Investigators from the GAO visited 12 unnamed military installations to compile the report and spoke with service members in discussion groups to gain their perspective. Many service members complained of dirty water that was seemingly unsafe to drink in their barracks buildings. Others complained of broken air conditioning and heating systems, forcing many members to purchase individual air conditioning units for their sweltering rooms or turn to unsafe space heaters to provide warmth in the colder months. Another issue noted by investigators was that some buildings lacked secure windows and doors that have in some cases led to squatters occupying the rooms.
In one extreme case, officials at one installation told GAO investigators that “service members are responsible for cleaning biological waste that may remain in a barracks room after a suicide.”
The GAO report included dozens of photos of military barracks buildings from the installations investigators visited, with the photos showing restrooms with sewage overflowing, cracked sewage pipes, water damage, pests and mold or mildew growth. Other photos showed the possessions belonging to apparent squatters who were not authorized to be living in the buildings.
Former President Trump signed a $738 billion for the fiscal year of 2020, where did all the money go?
The DOD has concurred with most of the report and said they are committed to making the changes.
All that money in defense spending during the Trump presidency is how the world’s most powerful military force is being treated.
Many of the barracks mentioned in the GAO report housed new soldiers who just completed basic and job training.
One question that comes to mind is, where is the chain of command? Are the NCO’s not checking the barracks housing their soldiers?
Where are the officers looking out for the soldiers?
