NEWPORT NEWS
When Col. Andrew Bowes inspected all the barracks at Fort Eustis – in response to a worldwide Army order prompted by a decrepit building at Fort Bragg, N.C. – the problems he found were the same he has been fighting for months.
Peeling paint. Damaged tiles. Iffy plumbing. Worn carpeting. And mold. Lots of mold.
“This was a not a big surprise to me, because I go through these buildings routinely anyway,” Bowes, the garrison commander, said Friday. “They require a lot of nursing.”
Bowes said the mold had been tested and that none of the buildings was in such poor shape that soldiers had to be moved out .
The Army took the unusual step of ordering not only inspections but also media tours of barracks after the father of a Fort Bragg soldier just back from Afghanistan posted a video on YouTube.
It showed peeling paint, moldy ceiling tiles, open water
pipes stuffed with rags to stop sewer gas and a soldier standing in a sink as he tried to unclog a sewage overflow in a bathroom.
Locally, the Army houses about 2,800 soldiers in 38 barracks at Fort Eustis and Virginia Beach’s Fort Story. Fort Monroe, in Hampton, houses 29 people in one building.
The barracks at Eustis, the largest facility, are a combination of old and new buildings. The newer ones, built in the mid-1990s, resemble college dormitories, with large commons areas and individual rooms for soldiers. However, many date from the 1950s. Those present the greatest maintenance challenge, Bowes said.
By far the biggest issue is mold, which Bowes said he has spent $3 million fighting over the past several years. It persists because of flat roofs that tend to leak and retrofitted air-conditioning systems that pull humidity into the older buildings.
One of the worst buildings, Eustis leaders said, houses its Non-Commissioned Officer academy. Dehumidifiers hum throughout the building. Some sections of drop ceiling have been replaced with screens to improve airflow around duct work.
Inside, Staff Sgt. Donald Harris, a student from Fort Carson, Colo., said checking for mold and squirting it with antibacterial cleaner to keep it in check is part of his daily routine.
Four of the aged barracks are scheduled for demolition starting next month, Bowes said. New barracks will rise in their place. Eight more are scheduled to be replaced over the next few years .
The trick in the meantime, he said, is keeping the buildings safe and habitable yet not spending too much, since they are coming down and the money can always be used elsewhere.
He said that while maintenance money was very tight when he first arrived at Eustis in 2006, his budget has since improved. His priority, he said, will always be barracks over, say, administrative buildings.
“That’s a no-brainer,” he said. “We’re here because of the soldiers. … We’ve got to take care of our people.”
Bowes said a program he put in place last year, in which a group of superintendents each focuses on a small number of buildings, has helped keep problems under control. Complaints can be identified and handled more quickly, he said. However, as long as there are old buildings there will be issues.
“It’s kind of like playing Whac -A-Mole,” he said.
Staff Sgt. Nancy Sainz came to Eustis from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, after two deployments to Iraq. She said she’s had great support while in the barracks and that she and her fellow female soldiers are diligent about maintaining shared spaces such as their bathroom.
As for housing in general, Sainz said she once stayed in a brand-new facility elsewhere and still heard her colleagues complain. “Soldiers just don’t like barracks,” she said.
Matthew Jones, (757) 446-2949, matthew.jones@pilotonline.com
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Military Barrack and Stinky Decrepit Housing
I am shocked some folks find today's troops being coddled by wanting the nicities of life such as healthy, clean barracks. The military is changing. These fine men and women are professionals who have chosen to defend our Country and should be treated as such. As the spouse of a Navy retiree, we have lived in many places here and abroad and our housing was always top notch. I am sure married with family, as well as officer, added to that. This isn't fair. ALL military members deserve a clean, safe, home. If want to recruit and retain the best men and women to defend this Country, we need to show them how much we respect their dedication by affording them nice housing, adequate salaries, good medical and retirement and our resolve to fight on their behalf.
ft eustis barracks
Fort Eustis barracks (and guest house) are the worst I've ever experienced. The Army is working to improve the situation, but apparently Ft Eustis is near the bottom of the list.
Listen, it's kind of simple - cinder block rooms in cinder block buildings in the south will retain moisture, hence the mold (and the peeling paint, and the smell). The 'lowest bidders' that built these things bear some of the responsibility. The Army leadership in place at the time they were built bear the rest. Regardless, we do the best we can with what we have, until we can get them replaced.
At least Ft Eustis has a garrison commander that's truly concerend - unlike Ft Bragg.
jmo
messy is one thing
Mold, shoddy plumbing etc. is an entirely different ball game. Being soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines etc. Does NOT mean that you should have to live in squalor while you are back here in the United States. In order to perform at the top you have to be in tip top health and cannot be that if you live in squalor. Mold, crappy plumbing, cracked tiles, etc. This is not the someone not cleaning properly, these are things that should be taken care.
There are times when mold is beyond the control of those who are cleaning, especially where moisture is in the walls thanks to faulty plumbing, crappy air conditioning etc. These are things that need to be addressed, and not something that should always be placed on the shoulders of those who live in these dwellings.
Mold can be a killer
It is good the military is looking into this. Mold spores can make people seriously ill. Heck of a way to lose people just because building maintenance is shoddy.
Housing.
Ask a sailor who has lived on a Carrier for 4 years how they feel about it after sleeping 3 high in a in area approx 3x7 foot! Sharing 6 showers with 120 people etc etc. CLEANING and maintenance of our berthing areas fell upon "our" shoulders as we lived there. Any regular citizen cannot call in a cleaner or contractor on the tax payers dime every time there is a problem.
Family housing (basically a rental) I agree should be maintained by said landlord at a decent standard but cleanliness, yard work, general home maintenance etc is a persons responsibility.
Open squadbays
I lived for a year in an open squadbay with 40 other Marines and never once heard a single complaint.
Its what we are paid to deal with
I was in the Navy for almost 8 years. We are paid to deal with this. When were depolyed to third world countries on the ground, we do not get 5-star accomadation nor do the people of other countries we serve with. The military is not a country club for some college money. Its hard, its not clean and you have to deal with a lot of unpleasant situations and people. These experiences are meant to turn boys into men and men into leaders. With these experiences you return the world with a sense of appreciation. The army needs to buy armour, rifles & ammo, not make the bases into Hiltons. War is unpleasant and this is how to prepare....