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Seattle Times
May 10, 2008 By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Army said Friday it will immediately repair barracks at eight facilities, including Fort Lewis near Tacoma, after inspections at posts worldwide.
The inspections were done the last week of April and covered nearly 150,000 barracks rooms. They found that 45 repairs needed priority attention, including new heating and cooling equipment, repainting, mold removal and other work.
Army Secretary Pete Geren has said that $248 million in emergency funds has been appropriated to fix problems found during the inspections.
The Army on Friday identified eight installations that will get priority attention. In addition to Fort Lewis, Fort Polk, La.; Fort Gordon, Ga.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York; Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland; and Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii were selected.
So far, the Army has had to relocate 13 soldiers to make the needed repairs.
Fort Lewis' facilities may be in better shape than many across the nation.
Post spokesman J.C. Mathews said there has been "no finding of serious life, health or safety issues of the sort that the inspection was intended to look for."
He said Fort Lewis, which will get $7.4 million for the repairs, has been building new barracks and upgrading old ones for the past seven years, mostly to accommodate population growth as new Stryker brigades are formed or moved to Washington.
The post does have some barracks dating to the 1950s that it would like to improve for its soldiers, said another Fort Lewis spokesman, Joe Piek.
The kinds of repairs these buildings need include things such as missing screens, new paint and light fixtures.
"We haven't determined how we're going to spend this money, because we just found out about it," Piek said.
Officials are scrambling to make the repairs after a soldier's father posted a video on YouTube last month showing the dilapidated barracks for paratroopers at Fort Bragg.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates called the conditions appalling and ordered base commanders to ensure their troops have proper quarters.
Seattle Times reporter Charles E. Brown contributed to this report.
May 10, 2008 By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Army said Friday it will immediately repair barracks at eight facilities, including Fort Lewis near Tacoma, after inspections at posts worldwide.
The inspections were done the last week of April and covered nearly 150,000 barracks rooms. They found that 45 repairs needed priority attention, including new heating and cooling equipment, repainting, mold removal and other work.
Army Secretary Pete Geren has said that $248 million in emergency funds has been appropriated to fix problems found during the inspections.
The Army on Friday identified eight installations that will get priority attention. In addition to Fort Lewis, Fort Polk, La.; Fort Gordon, Ga.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York; Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland; and Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii were selected.
So far, the Army has had to relocate 13 soldiers to make the needed repairs.
Fort Lewis' facilities may be in better shape than many across the nation.
Post spokesman J.C. Mathews said there has been "no finding of serious life, health or safety issues of the sort that the inspection was intended to look for."
He said Fort Lewis, which will get $7.4 million for the repairs, has been building new barracks and upgrading old ones for the past seven years, mostly to accommodate population growth as new Stryker brigades are formed or moved to Washington.
The post does have some barracks dating to the 1950s that it would like to improve for its soldiers, said another Fort Lewis spokesman, Joe Piek.
The kinds of repairs these buildings need include things such as missing screens, new paint and light fixtures.
"We haven't determined how we're going to spend this money, because we just found out about it," Piek said.
Officials are scrambling to make the repairs after a soldier's father posted a video on YouTube last month showing the dilapidated barracks for paratroopers at Fort Bragg.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates called the conditions appalling and ordered base commanders to ensure their troops have proper quarters.
Seattle Times reporter Charles E. Brown contributed to this report.