Breaking: Bragg Barracks Living Conditions
Another rising case of the Mis-Treatment of the Military Troops returning from the Theaters of Afganistan and Iraq.
The following was printed in the Fayetteville Observer, in Fayetteville North Carolina, home to Ft Bragg Army Base.
YouTube video raises concerns about Bragg barracks
The video was produced by a Father of a returning Afgan Soldier, and he isn't Happy. Don't blame him At All, how about You!
The video was made by Edward Frawley, the father of a sergeant in the 82nd Airborne Division who returned from Afghanistan on April 13 and is among the soldiers now living in the barracks.
Barracks for Charlie CO 2/508 82n Airborne
Added: April 22, 2008
This video shows the condemned terrible conditions that soldier must live in after a 15 month tour in Afghanistan
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they're "looking into it"
from WRAL:
Having Dole
Look into anything shouldn't leave one feeling like something might get done, Hell her Staff can't even reply to E's yet, instead they wait till an election than a few months before you get the freebe snailmail's filling the box, all those that should have been answered months ago and done quicker with form E's!
Tell the world: My America Doesn't Torture!
Black Mold.
This is a serious health hazard.
Lead-based paint. OMG.
Time for someone's head to roll. I know this is all Bush's fault, but we have to hold the military accountable. If they don't like it, then they need to speak up and quit supporting the people who are screwing them over.
misleading video
Although I do not support many of of the views and beliefs held by this website I could not help but to register in order to comment on the media hype this video has created. I may not be able to speak on behalf of the military, and I would never imagine that I have the right to, but I can speak from my personal experiences as a soldier who's unit is being bashed because of one person's actions.
As one of the soldiers who is currently living in the building featured in this video I can tell you that it is ridiculously misleading and even hosts several lies. There is no lead based paint, the pipes from the water fountains do not emit sewer gas, and the bathroom flooding was only a result of the barracks being vacant for the duration of a 15 month deployment (a problem that was being worked on within 2 hours and fixed within 18).
No doubt this building, and others like it, are old and need to be torn down but they are not anything like the video makes them out to be. There are things wrong with them but we have to take these deficiencies in stride, fix them as they come, and make the best of what we have. There is new furniture, refrigerators, and microwaves in my barracks. All of the heaters/air conditioners are less than 3 years old. And among all of the other repairs made to these buildings there are new barracks being built as we debate this, there has been for years now, but it is a slow process and the army can not be expected to put us all into new living quarters right away. I look forward to moving into a brand new facility but until that happens I can tell you from first hand experience that we are perfectly safe where we are.
I have no doubt that Edward Frawley meant well but his methods were wrong. I am thankful for his concern but he is not helping by throwing everyone into a panic. He went straight to the media instead of bringing his concerns to those who are in charge of our barracks and could do something about it. He lied several times in that video and as a result has everyone believing him. The comment on this page about lead based paint and how it's Bush's fault...that is the kind of paranoia and false reasoning that misleading videos like this breed. Please be more discerning in what you take as the truth because YouTube is not always right.
Nice Try - NOT!!
First, you apparently aren't Very Bright, tho most (R)'s aren't!
With no Trap on the drain line, to Stop the gases from coming through, you Get Sewer gases!!
Been in Construction since 'Nam, but Even a simpleton knows the Reason for Drain Traps!!!
Which leaves the rest of your Reply as Rubbish!!!!
Tell the world: My America Doesn't Torture!
JimStaro - I'm Shocked by your response to this soldier.
Why should I believe you over this man who is actually there?
He's there - you're not.
How fucking dare you.
You come in here all the time, post stuff that we are supposed to accept whole cloth, and now someone who is actually living the building that you are talking about responds to you, and all you can do is call him "not very bright?"
I hate to tell you this, Mr. Staro with the ridiculous mustache - this makes me think you're an asshole with an agenda who doesn't really care about truth.
I'd rather hear from soldiers from Bragg than from you.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Pointing at Naked Emperors
As an American taxpayer, I'm outraged by these conditions
We are paying dearly for this war and while I'm sure the conditions in the Middle East are horrible for our military, we don't have much control over that. We do however have a say in this mess.
BTW, if the buildings were built in the forties, that is lead paint for sure. It may have been covered with newer coats that aren't but it is peeling down to layers that do.
Progressive Democrats of North Carolina
Yeah, oddly enough...
IT's probably the covering layers that are peeling off, that lead-based paint really bonded. I dealt with this once, new paint peels right off, that lead-based stuff has to be sanded or ground off.
Anyway, I respect this person coming to post here. I still think that the person in charge of these barracks should be blamed. If they don't have the money to care for it, then they need to ask for it, if they don't get it, they need to let everyone know.
Agreed
I just talked to another Bragg NCO, and he confirmed many of my suspicions on seeing the video.
Folks, just b/c it's on the Internet doesn't make everything true. Let's try to be logical and objective (I should just make that my tag line, since I seem to be saying every post!).
The mold...now that's unexcuseable. But the rest...the only argument would be if they've put a work order in and it hasn't been filled for some time. The rest...look, if no one is living in the barracks for 15 months, it's not like we have maid service or janitors. It's do-it-yourself in the Army. Though I would wonder what the rear detachment guys/girls were up to. CSM, what's up?!?!
The Army has been very good in constructing new barracks. I lived in very similar looking barracks when I was in Fort Benning in 2002. But most the barracks nowadays resemble quality apartments. I'm sure there's another side to this coin. I don't know for sure, but I would imagine they are scheduled to move into other barracks and this is just a temporary measure. It should certainly be looked into, but let's wait and see what's really going on from other sources...
You know what I don't understand about this....
Why there is a shortage of baracks. We keep hearing about the poor retention rate and the poor recruitment rate. Not to mention that tens of thousands that will not be coming back to Bragg, God Bless Them.
So, why is there a shortage?
A few replies to my hecklers
The first response I'd like to make goes out to jimstaro specifically...why are you labeling me as "not very bright" and that most replublicans aren't. I never said I was a republican, you assumed. However, you did assume correctly but what makes you believe you can label an entire group of people like that? It seems kind of immature to me, and as as adult I would have thought that a 22 year old kid should not have to give you lessons in acting your age. I may not be the smartest person in the world but I know that there's no need for name-calling in an intelligent conversation.
Now that I have that out of the way let me get to the rest. I know very little about plumbing (I guess that makes me a "simpleton", right?) so I don't know why these pipes don't emit gas but they don't. Sewer gas has a distinct odor, I have been witness to it and it made me want to vomit. It's not a discrete smell. So, if there is no odor in my hallway, and no odor when I put my face two inches in front of the pipe, then I'm going to go ahead and say there is no gas coming out. But, I am a simpleton so maybe you're right and I'm wrong, maybe I don't know about the sewer gas.
I agree that there was lead paint used in these buildings when they were built but that does not mean there is now. That paint was removed years ago, before I was even in the military, and after I joined and moved into these barracks they stripped and repainted another time. It happened about 2 years ago, I watched them do it. It's no different than the asbostos that used to be in our barracks (and ALL old buildings), that was removed as well.
Ultimately there is no argument that can be made about the condition of these barracks by people who do not live in them, have not ever stepped foot in them, or even seen them from the streets. I live and work here. I have cleaned, painted, and have personally helped work on these barracks. And when you really think about this whole situation what is the most dramatic response the military can give? I would say it does not get any bigger or more involved than the immediate construction of a new barracks complex...and that is EXACTLY what they are doing. They have been doing this for years now, but it takes time.
Really though, you can say anything you want about the condition of these barracks but what greater authority is there than a guy who LIVES here. I am sitting in the very building we discuss as I type this. All is well in my home, no need to worry about us.
Thanks for the post, maybe you could upload some pictures?
Flickr is pretty straight-forward, or you can use your cell phone.
Thanks again.
Not a Heckler
Thanks for your service
"Keep the Faith"
J
you and your fellow Soldiers deserve better then what you have.
The pictures indicate that one of your own has two very glaring problems for his safety and comfort. While the 82nd looks after its own, how many Article 15 for theft have happened on Bragg?
Many of the items pictured should have been corrected while you guys were living in that hell hole across the pond. You should not have to live with, fix, or have to ignore those problems. You should have a first-rate building to call home and to come back to.
Your home should have been taken care of while you were away. You should have water fountains in place. The Army bought you those long time ago and should be maintaining them to this day. Only when the building is condemned as no longer livable should you accept that the water fountains no longer need to be repaired or replaced. The peeling paint indicates other problems in your home such as poor ventilation or leaks in the pipes further up. All that mold further justifies this statement.
Public Works had 15 months to correct these problems. They did not.
The base knew the 82nd was coming home and should have at least replaced the few moldy tiles and covered up the ceiling tiles from when a lazy worker went through running cables. They did not.
If it was just a few places in your building that are bad, why were those things not fixed? If it is wide spread in your building, why are you living there?
The new buildings being built for you are being done by contractors. Bragg also has a public works department that is suppose to maintain the barracks you live in until they are condemned or until no one lives in them any more. While you will eventually get a new home, the one and your fellow soldiers live in should be up to par. With all do respect to you, the home you and your fellow soldiers live in is not up to par and no Soldier should have to live in those conditions. Yes, many of them are simple, but the mold and peeling paint is indicative of a much greater problem.
Please accept what I wrote from someone who has lived in barracks, repaired barracks and lead Sailors who had to live in older barracks. I have an idea of what your home is like. I do not have to be in it. Even if one room is bad, it brings down the entire building.
A sailors saying, the entire shot of chain is only as strong as the weakest link. Your entire building, because of the conditions of your restroom, the hallway, the drinking fountains (lack off), etc is the weakest link and brings that entire building down to that level. You or someone in your Company has to live with that and no one, especially for what you just did for me, should have to endure that.
jpagel
Thank you for your service to your country, to us. Thank you for coming here to try and straighten things out - because honestly, we're the type of folks who will run with stuff like that if we are convinced that it is true.
Here's what I'd live for you to know. I live about a half an hour from Bragg, and if you guys need anything for your barracks that I can help with, contact me through this website, and I'll do everything I can to make it happen.
Thank you again - for being willing to put your life on the line for our country, and for speaking out here to bring balance to this discussion.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Pointing at Naked Emperors
spelling
Afghanistan has an "h" in it.
dancewater
http://dancewater.blogspot.com
http://facesofgrief.blogspot.com
the point is
If our service men and women agree to spend time in harms way, the least we can do is give them a nice place to live when they return. Thanks for your service.
Keep coming back to this post hoping
that jpagel was going to post some pictures or a video of what it REALLY looks like and wasn't just a post and run. Most of the regulars on this blog (liberal, yes - supportive of the troops, Hell yes - supportive of the way the troops are treated HELL NO!)are veterans and are very interested in the truth of this matter.
No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.
Progressive Discussions
"Nice Try - NOT!! Submitted
"Nice Try - NOT!!
Submitted by jimstaro on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 8:25pm.
the pipes from the water fountains do not emit sewer gas,
First, you apparently aren't Very Bright, tho most (R)'s aren't!
With no Trap on the drain line, to Stop the gases from coming through, you Get Sewer gases!!
Been in Construction since 'Nam, but Even a simpleton knows the Reason for Drain Traps!!!
Which leaves the rest of your Reply as Rubbish!!!!"
Nice Try - Not!!!! So you claim to be a plumber? Explain to this forum what grease cake is in sewage pipes? Please tell us what happens to grease cake when it dries out? Explain how dried grease cake stops flow after long periods of inactivity?
For someone that only has to know payday is on Friday and s**t doesn't run uphill. You seem to like to make judgement of heroes which your plumbing is not worthy of carrying their scat away.
M/Sgt. USMC Ret.
jpagel
Jpagel. This old jarhead has your back. Military bashers know nothing of work details. They think we check in to a Hilton. LOL
Thank you for your service and and may God be with you all.
Semper Fi
Semper Fortis
Military bashers
You're full of shit if you think this place is made up of military bashers. Maybe you could spend a little time reading before you criticize people you know nothing about.
While you and your ilk....
were donning "Bring it on." baseball caps, we were yelling at you that there were no weapons of mass destruction and that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.
While you and your ilk were singing "Proud to be an American" with Lee Greenwood, we were we were focusing on the fact Osama bin Laden was hiding in Torra Borra, not Iraq.
While you and your ilk were slandering John Kerry with Swiftboat ads, we were we were focusing on the fact that enlistment numbers had fallen off a cliff, that standards for recruitment were being dropped to pre-Vietnam era standards, and that our troops were being overdeployed.
While you and your ilk were putting "Support the Troops" bumper stickers on your car, we were we were focusing on the fact that our troops didn't have uparmored vehicles or body armor and that the body armor they did have was crap supplied by Bush fundraisers.
While you and your ilk were crowing to Rush Limbaugh about "Cutting and Running", we were we were focusing on the fact that the Bush administration was cutting funds for traumatic head injury treatment and research, the defining injury of the Iraqi War.
While you and your ilk were coming on BlueNC and calling us military bashers, we were focusing on the fact that our military is about to fall apart.
I'd rather hang out with a group of realists who focus on facts than a dreamer any old day.
I whole heartedly support our troops
but more information is coming out on the horrible condition of this and probably more barracks at Ft. Bragg.
Eyewitness News 11 reports that "Army Looking into Barracks Conditions". This is the comment that makes me wonder if the "soldiers" that came in earlier to defend against the video were in fact real soldiers...
Wonder how jpagel, who "lives" there could have missed that!
No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.
Progressive Discussions