Secretary of War Pete Hegseth directed in an Oct. 6 memorandum that a barracks task force be stood up to develop a departmentwide investment plan for barracks improvements and report its progress to him within 30 days.
"For far too long, this department has failed too many of our warfighters. Every member of our joint force deserves housing that is clean, comfortable and safe," he said in a Nov. 25 video posted to department social media sites.
Too often, barracks are shabby and without basic modern amenities, Hegseth said.
"But this isn't just about creature comforts. This impacts morale, readiness and our ability to recruit and retain the best warriors. Quality of life for our warriors is a critical component of reviving the warrior ethos and rebuilding our military," he added.
Barracks are where warriors live, rest and recover, Hegseth said.
"How can we expect them to be ready for anything on the battlefield when their own living space is a constant source of stress and frustration? That all ends now," the secretary said.
The barracks task force includes representatives from across the War Department, including experts in contracting, leaders from military installations, and experts in personnel, readiness and finance.
Hegseth expects the task force to deliver results and cut through the bureaucracy to bring immediate solutions, as well as a long-term plan to keep barracks at the standard warriors deserve.
"No delays, no excuses, and no more business as usual. The standards will be enforced, and accountability will be nonnegotiable. This is not just another study over the course of years," he said. Items the task force will expedite include, he said.
- Leverage the expertise of private industry to deliver innovative technologies and contracting strategies that accelerate construction and renovation.
- Consolidating, when possible, contracts for maintenance, services and equipment.
- Empowering unit commanders and senior enlisted leaders to fix issues at their level without having to wait on Pentagon bureaucracy.
- Working across the federal government to gather even more tools that will help ensure this happens quickly.
- Working with the Office of Management and Budget on new solutions to renovate and maintain barracks to the standards that warriors deserve.
- Where possible, using the kinds of rapid processes found in the private industry.
The Office of Acquisition and Sustainment; Office of Energy, Installations and Environment; Office of Personnel and Readiness and others are involved in planning and execution of the secretary's directive.
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