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Army Secretary Wormuth expresses concern over U.S. barracks
Army Secretary Christine Wormuth has made headlines recently for her remarks about the quality of some U.S. barracks. During a House hearing on the Army’s budget, Wormuth candidly stated that there were some barracks that she wouldn’t want her own daughters to live in.
Mold issues have been major issue for U.S. barracks
"I've seen some barracks quite frankly I wouldn't want my daughters to live in," says Wormuth.
The U.S. Army has long struggled with providing adequate housing for its service members. Issues with barracks range from outdated and poorly maintained facilities to significant problems with mold infestations.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: Today <a href="https://twitter.com/SecArmy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecArmy</a> Christine Wormuth visited <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FortHood?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FortHood</a> and met w/ enlisted Soldiers, received updates on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PeopleFirst?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PeopleFirst</a> initiatives, and toured barracks, housing & motorpools. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IIICorps?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IIICorps</a> Thanks for visiting, Madam Secretary. 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/u6oa5ALk5k">pic.twitter.com/u6oa5ALk5k</a></p>— III Armored Corps (@iii_corps) <a href="https://twitter.com/iii_corps/status/1403140153904877568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Army has been working to address these problems and improve living conditions for its troops, but progress has been slow.
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Wormuth has been a vocal advocate for improving the quality of life for service members and their families. She has implemented policies such as improved parental leave that are more generous than those offered by other services.
However, the Army’s budget constraints and the extent of the problems with its barracks have made it difficult to make significant progress.
The Army plans to spend $1 billion per year this decade on construction and renovation, but according to a report from the Congressional Budget Office, it would cost $11.2 billion to fix up barracks at just two installations: Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Mold issues have been at the center of the Army’s barracks problems, with a recent service-wide inspection finding that 2,100 facilities have some degree of mold infestation, mostly concentrated in humid climates such as the South and Hawaii.
At Fort Bragg, roughly 1,000 soldiers were moved to different barracks or given a housing allowance to live off base after scrutiny from Army senior leaders and the media. At Fort Stewart, barracks walls were coated in black mold, and service members’ gear was sometimes destroyed by mold growth spreading to bags and other equipment.
The Army is amid a historic recruiting crisis, coming up a quarter short of its goal last year of bringing in 60,000 new troops. Senior leaders, including Wormuth, have suggested that news coverage of issues in the service has put a dent into army’s appeal to Gen Z.
To address the issue of inadequate barracks, the Army must prioritize the well-being of its troops and provide them with the best possible accommodations and living conditions. This will require a significant investment of resources and a concerted effort to address the underlying issues that have led to the current situation.
The Army must also take steps to improve training and standards for maintenance workers to ensure that they are equipped to address mold and other issues in a timely and effective manner.
Wormuth’s statement underscores the Army’s commitment to its service members and their families. It is crucial that this commitment is translated into action, so that the Army can continue to attract and retain the best and brightest young Americans.
