U.S. Marines play basketball during a barracks bash on Camp Lejeune, N.C., in 2019. Every Corps barracks will be inspected by mid-March, according to Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps. (Damion Hatch/U.S. Marine Corps)
Every U.S. Marine Corps barracks will be inspected in the next few weeks as the service attempts to address complaints about substandard living conditions that have rippled across the military.
Gen. Christopher Mahoney, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, said Wednesday in a video statement posted online that the inspections must be wrapped up before March 15.
“None of this is going to happen overnight, but this inspection is one of many first steps,” Mahoney said. “Commanders and senior enlisted leaders, if your barracks have issues, if there are problems, get out there and own it.”
The review is intended to give leaders a one-time, complete assessment of each barracks, enabling them to understand the totality of issues and allocate resources accordingly, the Corps said.
The effort coincides with widespread quality-of-life complaints in the military, especially regarding the treatment of junior enlisted troops.
In September, a Government Accountability Office report sparked outrage when it highlighted some of the unsafe conditions in U.S. military barracks. Issues uncovered included sewage overflows, gas leaks and infestations of mold and rodents.
Among the problems the GAO found was a rating system that gives passing grades to facilities that are clearly substandard.
The bad rap over base housing conditions comes as military branches are struggling to attract new recruits. The Marine Corps did meet its recruiting goals last year, while the other Defense Department services fell short.
Lawmakers in recent weeks have held hearings focused on pressing the services to move faster on improving living conditions and quality of life for troops.
The inspections “are about setting the conditions for the kinds of changes we’re getting after” in the broader effort to upgrade housing over the next several years, Mahoney said.
