Rep. Mike Levin Leads Bipartisan Letter on Quality-of-Life Updates at Camp Pendleton
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49), alongside Rep. Jen Kiggans (VA-02), Rep. Greg Murphy (NC-03), and Rep. Scott Peters (CA-50), led a bipartisan letter to the Department of Defense (DoD) urging it to provide an update on several quality-of-life standard improvements proposed in a report issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in September 2023. The report covered the poor state of barracks’ habitability across ten DoD installations, including at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. The letter urges the DoD to expedite the implementation of recommendations issued by the September 2023 GAO report, specifically those related to minimum living standards and oversight structures. The letter is signed by more than 20 Members of Congress.
The 2023 GAO report described inspections of 10 DoD installations, including Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA, and revealed significant issues ranging from black mold, broken plumbing, inadequate personal security, and an insufficient reporting and tracking apparatus for service members to report problems. These living conditions demonstrably impact morale and readiness for service members required to live in them. Of the 31 recommendations that GAO made to DoD in the report, only three had anticipated end-dates, with two of them having an approximate goal date of July 31, 2024. Most of the other recommendations would be dependent on the implementation of other initial recommendations.
Rep. Levin’s letter highlights that two GAO Recommendations – Recommendations 2 and 30 – were supposed to be implemented by July 31, 2024, and would establish minimum guidance for habitability and establish oversight and accountability metrics to this effect, respectively. These deadlines were later extended, but it remains unclear if these new deadlines will be achieved as promised. The letter requests DoD to provide updates on the implementation of those recommendations, as well as progress made on other aspects of GAO's report.
“As of this writing, DoD has not confirmed if Recommendations 2 and 30 have been completed,” the letter reads. “We are concerned over the lack of apparent progress into establishing a minimum standard of living and oversight for our service members.”
“Our service members both at home and abroad sacrifice a great deal in defense of our nation,” the letter adds. “As Members of Congress representing various Department of Defense (DoD) installations, we are deeply concerned with the state of military barracks nationwide. The widespread problems in military barracks affect the morale and wellbeing of our service members, and some of these problems represent significant health and safety risks.”
Click here or see below for the full letter.
November 12, 2024
Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III
U.S. Department of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000
Dear Secretary Lloyd Austin,
Our service members both at home and abroad sacrifice a great deal in defense of our nation. As Members of Congress representing various Department of Defense (DoD) installations, we are deeply concerned with the state of military barracks nationwide. The widespread problems in military barracks affect the morale and wellbeing of our service members, and some of these problems represent significant health and safety risks. Furthermore, in the midst of a national recruiting crisis, social media has only continued to reveal perpetual, unaddressed issues with the barracks that no doubt impact recruitment.
In September 2023, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report on the poor state of barracks habitability across 10 DoD installations. Included in this report were 31 recommendations, and we thank you for the work you are currently doing to implement them. Of these, two had a near-term estimated implementation date from the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD).[1]
Recommendation 2 requests clarification on DoD guidance on minimum standards for assignment to barracks related to health and safety, such as identifying health and safety risks serious enough to prevent installations from assigning service members to live in a barracks facility or room. GAO has shared that the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment [ASD(EI&E)] has established a team that is developing a new barracks health, safety, and livability standards, which were set to be completed by July 31, 2024. We understand that DoD now estimates it will complete this recommendation by September 30, 2024.
Recommendation 30 called for the establishment of an oversight structure, such as quarterly programmatic reviews, to increase oversight of military service barracks housing programs, including roles and responsibilities for relevant OSD offices. GAO shared that ASD(EI&E) planned to issue policy establishing an oversight structure and program metrics for military barracks by July 31, 2024. Owing to the efforts of your Unaccompanied Housing (UH) Tiger Team, DoD has updated the estimated completion date for establishment of an oversight structure to December 13, 2024.
We urge you to prioritize the adoption of these recommendations, and to prioritize the wellbeing of our service members by ensuring timely and effective implementation of the necessary standards and oversight structures. We also ask that you provide an update to our offices by December 15, 2024, on the status, if not completion of these two recommendations as well as overall progress you have made across all other recommendations.
The health, safety, and morale of our service members are paramount, and we must take swift action to address these critical issues.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
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