A new government report details the dire living conditions some service members face in their barracks across the country, highlighting a problem military leaders have so far struggled to fix.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that young troops living in barracks at military installations have been forced to confront everything from pests like cockroaches and bedbugs to toxic waste and even squatters, potentially putting the health and safety of members. risk while damaging morale.
The 118-page report, released Monday by the GAO, concluded that Pentagon military leaders have failed to provide adequate oversight of the problem and have mostly left each individual service to fix the problems.
GAO researchers visited 12 unnamed military installations to compile the report and spoke with service members in focus groups to get their perspective.
Many service members complained about dirty water that was apparently unsafe to drink in their barracks buildings.
Others complained of broken heating and air conditioning systems, forcing many members to purchase individual air conditioning units for their sweltering rooms or turn to unsafe space heaters to provide heat in the colder months.
Another problem noted by researchers was that some buildings lacked secure windows and doors, which in some cases has led to squatters occupying the rooms.
A Government Accountability Office report detailed poor conditions found at US military barracks.GAO
In one extreme case, officials at one facility told GAO investigators that “service members are responsible for cleaning up any biological waste that may remain in the barracks after a suicide.”
The GAO report included dozens of photographs of military barracks buildings from the facilities that investigators visited, and the photographs showed bathrooms with overflowing sewage, cracked sewage pipes, water damage, pests, and mold or mildew growth.
Other photographs showed the belongings of apparent squatters who were not authorized to live in the buildings.
The report blames systems for responding too slowly to living conditions in buildings, with inconsistent assessment systems that often fail to detect problems before conditions deteriorate further.
GAO investigators visited 12 unnamed military installations to compile the report.GAO
The report also noted a lack of universal health and safety standards, with no rules preventing facilities and services from assigning troops to substandard living spaces.
Barracks are typically occupied by the youngest and lowest-ranking members of the military, many of whom have just graduated from basic and job training and moved to their first duty station.
While the report noted that it was unclear exactly how many service members are living in substandard conditions as a result of the lack of universal monitoring, it is likely that “at least thousands of service members are affected” by the poor quality of the barracks.
The GAO ended up issuing 31 recommendations for the Department of Defense to “provide guidance on garrison status assessments, obtain complete funding information, and increase oversight of garrison programs.”
Investigators discovered a host of problems including sewage overflows, burst pipes and mold. GAO
“DOD agreed with 23 of the recommendations and partially agreed with 8, and in some cases noted ongoing actions to address them. “GAO continues to believe that DOD should fully implement all of these recommendations,” the report states.
A GAO spokesperson, contacted by Fox News Digital for comment, said the problems “we detail in our report are the result of chronic neglect and underfunding, as military officials chose to spend limited resources on facilities deemed unsafe.” higher priority than barracks due to its link to operational capabilities and mission readiness.”
The spokesperson added that the Defense Department “needs to set 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 data.” accurate and complete about how much money DOD spends at the barracks, what the condition of individual facilities is, and how service members assigned to the barracks feel about their living conditions.”
According to the report, many service members complained that there was water in the barracks that was not drinkable. GAO
“Finally, DOD needs to reexamine its policies on which service members should live in barracks, because this problem will not be solved overnight and because existing policies have led to a perception of inequality among young service members enlisted,” the spokesman said. . “The 31 recommendations in our report are designed to address all of these needs.”
Meanwhile, Brendan Owens, Undersecretary of Defense, Energy Facilities and Environment and Director of Housing, told Fox News Digital that the Department of Defense has at times “failed” in its role in ensuring adequate living spaces for troops.
“In exchange for the commitment and sacrifices 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 dignify their service,” Owens said. “In too many cases, the Department of Defense has failed to fulfill its role in ensuring that housing for our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Guardians honors their commitment and allows them to bring the best versions of themselves to their critical missions.” . “
“To service members who have experienced serious problems with their unaccompanied accommodations: I am committed to action,” he continued. “I will move aggressively to increase oversight and accountability in government-owned unaccompanied housing and to address unacceptable living conditions affecting our service members.”
Owens added that his office plans to work with individual branches to ensure service members “have a safe place to live.”
“Collectively, we will improve our ability to respond to your concerns as we strive to ensure a life experience that enhances your well-being and readiness so you can defend the citizens of the United States as part of the greatest military in the history of the world.” Owens said.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn