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As I re-read the @USGAO report again, the very first sentence in the report is, Service members reported to GAO that the conditions of barracks affect their quality of life and readiness.
SM's Quality of life is important and no mention of discipline.
SM's Quality of life is important and no mention of discipline.
@USGAO Former residents of this barracks told us they experienced months of hot water interruptions and routinely dealt with clogged showers, broken door locks, broken elevators, and apparent mold growth.
Maybe I'll just post parts of the GAO report throughout the day
Maybe I'll just post parts of the GAO report throughout the day
@USGAO During site visits, we observed a variety of living conditions that service members and unit leaders told us were negatively affecting them, such as the presence of mold, broken fire alarm systems, and extreme temperatures, among others.
\At one installation, we noticed a bad odor throughout the barracks. Installation officials told us the smell was methane gas leaking out of aging plumbing with sewage pipes that routinely crack and require replacement. These officials acknowledged that exposure to methane gas is a health risk.
Service members in one discussion group told us tap water in their barracks is often brown and does not appear safe for drinking. Service members in six of 12 discussion groups also told us about issues with pests, including bedbugs, rodents, cockroaches, and wasps.
Discussion Group Perspectives
It is difficult to feel safe. The doors [don’t work]. Anyone can access our rooms.
– Barracks residents Source: GAO discussion groups | GAO-23-105797
It is difficult to feel safe. The doors [don’t work]. Anyone can access our rooms.
– Barracks residents Source: GAO discussion groups | GAO-23-105797
At seven of 10 installations we visited, we observed insufficient lighting, vacant units occupied by unauthorized personnel, or no existing or working security cameras.
What's the big deal about lighting and security?
An ex-spouse broke in and physically assaulted a service member in the barracks and that poorly lit hallways, blind spots in hallways and corridors, and lack of security cameras made barracks difficult to monitor.
An ex-spouse broke in and physically assaulted a service member in the barracks and that poorly lit hallways, blind spots in hallways and corridors, and lack of security cameras made barracks difficult to monitor.
According to DOD data, out of 37,100 incidents of sexual assault reported to DOD from fiscal year 2015 to 2021, about 11,200 incidents occurred in on-base housing, including barracks. Of these, the vast majority of victims—about 10,600—were enlisted service members with the rank of E-5 or below, generally the population living in barracks.
This isn't just an Army issue,
Although our site visit observations cannot be generalized, Navy and Marine Corps surveys conducted in 2022 of service members living in barracks identified similar concerns related to health and safety, such as issues with lighting, mold, and water quality
Although our site visit observations cannot be generalized, Navy and Marine Corps surveys conducted in 2022 of service members living in barracks identified similar concerns related to health and safety, such as issues with lighting, mold, and water quality
DOD has set minimum standards for assignment or occupancy to barracks related to privacy and configuration—requirements such as how much square footage each service member should have—but permanent party barracks do not always meet these standards.
Did you know,
The DOD Housing Manual states that service members with ranks of E1 toE4 will share a bedroom and bathroom with at most one other person in a configuration that includes a living room and kitchen. In addition, service members in a shared unit without a living room will have private bedrooms and bathrooms shared with no more than one other person, and such units will include a kitchenette.
The DOD Housing Manual states that service members with ranks of E1 toE4 will share a bedroom and bathroom with at most one other person in a configuration that includes a living room and kitchen. In addition, service members in a shared unit without a living room will have private bedrooms and bathrooms shared with no more than one other person, and such units will include a kitchenette.
The military services use varying methods to assess the effects of barracks conditions on service member quality of life. However, their methods are not consistent and do not fully align with DOD requirements, and DOD does not routinely assess the effects of barracks conditions on quality of life.
With H&C we hope to remove some of the mystery of barracks conditions, QOL and methods
With H&C we hope to remove some of the mystery of barracks conditions, QOL and methods
It takes a lot longer than a month, sometimes 3 months, for maintenance to come and check out an issue.
There is a leak and black mold in the shower and maintenance still won’t fix it, no matter how often it is reported. It is continuous misery to be in hot conditions with no air conditioning.
- Barracks residents Source: GAO discussion groups | GAO-2
There is a leak and black mold in the shower and maintenance still won’t fix it, no matter how often it is reported. It is continuous misery to be in hot conditions with no air conditioning.
- Barracks residents Source: GAO discussion groups | GAO-2
It's hard to put into a tweet, but essentially each branch has their own tenant satisfaction survey for barracks residents.
Service members consider leaving the military because they are miserable [in barracks]. They want to control how they live.
- Senior-enlisted service member
You might enjoy your job, but poor barracks conditions are enough to make you not want to reenlist.
-Barracks resident
If you can’t expect leadership to fix immediate housing issues, why stay [in the military]?
-Barracks resident Source: GAO discussion grou
- Senior-enlisted service member
You might enjoy your job, but poor barracks conditions are enough to make you not want to reenlist.
-Barracks resident
If you can’t expect leadership to fix immediate housing issues, why stay [in the military]?
-Barracks resident Source: GAO discussion grou
DOD generally relies primarily on three sources of appropriated funds to maintain and improve barracks facilities, or to house service members typically required to live in barracks—(1) O&M funds to maintain and improve existing barracks, (2) MILCON funds to significantly renovate old barracks or construct new ones, and (3) Military Personnel funds to house service members in private sector housing due to space limitations in the barracks, or other reasons. However, we found that DOD does not have complete information on the full scope of its use of O&M, MILCON, and Military Personnel funding related to barracks housing programs.
And the barracks are still terrible
And the barracks are still terrible
I understand new barracks can't be built over night, but I bet there are some quick and easy wins
It's not always the barracks manager,
Barracks managers at installations across all military services told us they do not have enough time to meet performance objectives of the position, especially to conduct sufficient follow-up related to work orders. For example, a full-time barracks manager at one installation told us fulfilling all assigned responsibilities is a challenge due to the high volume of maintenance work orders.
Military Services Have Not Reevaluated Policies Regarding Barracks Manager Position
Barracks managers at installations across all military services told us they do not have enough time to meet performance objectives of the position, especially to conduct sufficient follow-up related to work orders. For example, a full-time barracks manager at one installation told us fulfilling all assigned responsibilities is a challenge due to the high volume of maintenance work orders.
Military Services Have Not Reevaluated Policies Regarding Barracks Manager Position
When we asked OSD for data on the number of barracks facilities by service and the number of service members these facilities house, OSD officials said they were unable to provide such information, and we should request it from the services.
According to OSD officials, they do not monitor the number of substandard barracks across services, as they do not have a role in military service waivers of DOD minimum standards for barracks. These officials also said that OSD could address any challenges related to waivers or substandard barracks, during their annual programmatic review for barracks, but that they were not aware of any challenges. I
We found that annual programmatic reviews of barracks include limited and incomplete budget information. For example, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Housing reviews budget information on MILCON funding for barracks and a portion of O&M barracks funding, but does not review budget information related to BAH used to house service members who would be living in barracks if not for condition or space issues. Conversely, for privatized housing, quarterly programmatic reviews monitor a variety of budget information and financial metrics intended to support DOD decision-making. These include assessments of financial risks to privatized projects related to low occupancy and changes to BAH rates, among others
In short,
Military barracks house hundreds of thousands of service members on U.S. military installations globally and all enlisted service members begin their careers living in barracks. Poor living conditions in these facilities affect service members’ quality of life and undermine readiness and mission. Improving barracks conditions and addressing the quality-of-life and morale issues associated with poor conditions has multiple facets— including funding, oversight, and collaboration—and addressing these issues will require DOD to take actions in multiple areas. Specifically, we identified challenges with the following:
1) assessing barracks conditions
2) collecting information on the effects of barracks conditions
3) tracking and reporting funding spent on barracks
4) establishing fair policies
5) overseeing barracks programs.
Military barracks house hundreds of thousands of service members on U.S. military installations globally and all enlisted service members begin their careers living in barracks. Poor living conditions in these facilities affect service members’ quality of life and undermine readiness and mission. Improving barracks conditions and addressing the quality-of-life and morale issues associated with poor conditions has multiple facets— including funding, oversight, and collaboration—and addressing these issues will require DOD to take actions in multiple areas. Specifically, we identified challenges with the following:
1) assessing barracks conditions
2) collecting information on the effects of barracks conditions
3) tracking and reporting funding spent on barracks
4) establishing fair policies
5) overseeing barracks programs.
I'll end with this, you can find the full GAO report here .
Share what we're doing here at Hots&Cots. Quality of life for all service members is important. It impacts your day to day physical and mental health. We owes our SM's this.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-…
Share what we're doing here at Hots&Cots. Quality of life for all service members is important. It impacts your day to day physical and mental health. We owes our SM's this.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-…
@USGAO Further, officials at one installation told us service members are responsible for cleaning biological waste that may remain in a barracks room after a suicide.
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