Conditions in a barracks at Fort Bragg, North Carolina ( read more | digg story )
Building 18, Walter Reed Army Medical Center
All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own.
from The NCO Creed
I wrote the following message to my Congressional Representative, Sam Farr:
By now, I trust that you have seen Ed Fawley’s video of the 82nd Airborne Barracks which was posted on YouTube and reported on ABC. I have served for 10 years in the US Navy and am now serving in the Army Reserves. As this issue gets heightened attention I want to point out that it is common knowledge among service members that Army living quarters are not held to the same standards as the other services. Navy and Air Force living quarters are significantly better than what the Army considers adequate.
This is a continuation, another instance, of the issue we saw at Building 18, Walter Reed Medical Center. At some point, someone needs to connect the dots and realize that the Army needs to be held accountable for the way in which it cares for its soldiers, ALL soldiers. We need to stop waiting for the conditions to be reported in the media and then only dealing with those incidence. We need to motivate the Army at the highest levels to take seriously the complete revamping of the way soldiers are housed and cared for. While there are difference in the nature of the services that necessiates some differences in creature comforts, housing standards for in garrison living should be the same across all services. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines should all be housed according to the same standards when not in the field or at sea. And that standard should be at least as good as what is provided to college students living in on campus dorms.
SGT Smith
Alpha Company
445 CA BN
US Army Reserves
If you see a trend, if you think there’s a picture or a pattern to be seen when the dots are connected, please write your Congressional Representative and let them know. We need to eradicate the cause rather than perpetually treating the symptoms. The military needs to review its policies regarding the care and feeding of military personnel. In a time when the average military member, including reservists, has seen two tours of duty in which they were entitled to hazardous duty and/or hostile fire pay, the very least that we owe them is safe, clean, comfortable housing here at home.
aloha
[posted with ecto]