Dad Recalls "Sad Situation" At Fort Bragg

(CBS/AP)  The father whose video of the outdated and unsanitary living conditions of barracks at Fort Bragg recalled his initial reaction upon stepping into his son's military quarters last month, saying it was "a very sad situation."

Ed Frawley, whose son, Jeff, had just returned from a 15-month tour in Afghanistan, was appalled by the poor condition of the barracks at the North Carolina base. Ed Frawley told CBS' The Early Show he saw mold and peeling lead paint on the ceiling, pipes venting sewer gas into hallways, and an array of broken toilets.

Frawley snapped photos of the barracks and posted them as a video on YouTube. The video has since sparked an Army investigation into the conditions of its barracks worldwide.

By Wednesday, the barracks had new paint and water fountains were fixed, but work crews still labored on the plumbing.

Frawley said he watched with disgust and embarrassment as his son and his fellow soldiers joked about the accommodations at Fort Bragg. "I sat there with them when they made jokes, and I got mad," Frawley said. He said he kept his anger to himself so not to deflate the spirit of the soldiers who were just happy to be back in the United States.

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Watch Ed Frawley's YouTube video

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"I just sat there and I was fuming," he said.

Frawley said he'd been to his son's barracks twice before, including for five days prior to Jeff's departure for Afghanistan. "It was worse than when they came home than it was before," he said, adding, "and it was bad before."

On Wednesday, the secretary of the Army said the poor condition of Korean War-era barracks at Fort Bragg is unacceptable.

Army Secretary Pete Geren said improvements are coming, but some of the problems can't be fixed quickly. He made the remarks after meeting with soldiers and touring Fort Bragg's 82nd Airborne Division barracks.

"Everybody on this installation knows that the conditions were unacceptable. Every soldier deserves a quality of life equal to his service," Geren said.

Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., urged the Defense Department on Wednesday to look into the Bragg conditions. Ed Frawley is one of Feingold's constituents.

Army officials have said they have inspected every barracks building worldwide to see whether plumbing and other problems revealed at Fort Bragg are widespread.

The barracks like the one in the video were built in the 1950s and will still be needed while Fort Bragg constructs new ones, Geren said.

"We have old barracks with needs, but it is nothing that can be fixed overnight," he said. "We're going to make sure all the installations have the requirements they need."

[redbarron73]

Ever look at a chess board?

See that line of pawns on the front row?

That is what the enlisted men and women are.

See the back row?

Those are the officers.

Now just take a wild guess who''s moving the pieces.

[kaylag04]

"We have old barracks with needs, but it is nothing that can be fixed overnight," he said. "We''re going to make sure all the installations have the requirements they need."

Those are the same barracks I lived in 16 years ago - They were to be completely vacated and demolished by 1997; new barracks were to be in the works by 1993. During the Clinton years, the 82d saw its battle load of ammunition and supplies piecemealed to bosnia, Somalia, and Haiti; The Airborne Armored Vehicle, set to replace the aging Sheridan, was cancelled - removing organic armor support from the 82d; and troop housing contracts were suspended or cancelled. The current administration has done no better - continuing an idiotic 500,000 man Army concept, expanding the dilution of training started during the Clinton administration, and ignoring trooper neccesities - like livable barracks.

Demopublican or Republicrat - to the Joe on the ground they''re all the same party of professional politicians.

[myshay]

I am very glad that this issue was addressed. It should be done for every unit but it isn''t. I also believe that the statement that the dad made in regards to the location of the soldiers overseas should be omitted from the story because it puts our soldiers at risk that return to that location.

[pensacola88]

A lot of Army Dads and Marine Dads have seen their son''s barracks in this condition. I have seen my son''s barracks and found it beneath my standards, but my son asked me not to do anything about it, because his chain of command retaliates with harder and more frequent field day inspections to serve each week, because they heard their troops were living in filthy conditions. That clearly was not the answer I wanted or the results I wanted to see. Some of those base commanders don''t seem to succeed in getting more Pentagon money for capital investments to improve their facilities.

I think if we made the Pentagon Generals sleep in these barracks and walk a mile in the shoes of their own marines and soldiers, the money would begin to flow. Slumlord beaurocrats in the Pentagon are clearly out of touch. Its too bad that Pentagon Staff members can''t earn promotions for taking care of their enlisted people as easily as conducting wartime operations. The culture just doesn''t promote an officer to General for keeping every latrine in the Army functional.

[scorpio59er]

Always remember this: The U.S. Government is run by and for the rich. Everyone else is expendable. You don''t see any of Bush or Cheney''s relatives dying in their filthy wars, do you? But they and their right wing chickenhawk media gasbags will happily sacrifice YOUR kids. Hundreds of billions of $ to Halliburton to "rebuild" Iraq, while our soldiers live in this $&^# and Americans go without proper healthcare. Jesus wept.

[clownof1]

It sure doesn''t seem the Government does not care about our troops. We faced the same problem after every combat situation. This time it exposed Walter Reed Hospital and now Fort Bragg. In my opinion, Veterans should be number one, because without their commitment to duty who know what kind of language we would be speaking. The Government should be ashamed of themselves for trying to take better care of others in the world versus taking care of the ones that are taking care of our way of life.
Fellow Combat Marine!!
Support our Troops!!!

[toolmangler-2009]

Get used to it. Our Govenment is turning our country into a third-world nation.

Posted by mljohns00 at 04:06 PM : May 01, 2008



With all due respect, I have been telling you guys that for years, its the only way to get a ''globalized economy'' in GW''s lifetime, (no matter who gets hurt)

[bobnjersey]

looks like some promotions are likely here ... maybe give everyone another star.

[gce65]

This is the next Walter Reed scandal in waiting...until it gets enough press coverage. Then Bush will play corporate manager and fire the head of the base and replace him with some kowtowing crony. Hey, maybe L Paul Bremer could help! He did wonders in Iraq! Not!

[keithle1]

Enlisted personnel & officers lead totally different lives. A lot better to be an officer. A lot of enlisted people with kids are barely getting by. And they work their butts off. The miltary is not a 9-5, Mon-Fri, job. A lot easier ways to make a living.

The troops deserve better. You expect people to work 18 hour days with no overtime pay. Government doesn''t mind spending billions & billions & billions on the "war on terror" but then they nickle & dime on stuff that is very important to the troops: on-base housing, medical care/hospitals, etc.

Without the media, who knows if we would ever find out about it. If they the men & women of the armed forces don''t deserve the best then who does?