Dad Recalls "Sad Situation" At Fort Bragg

Disgusting Living Conditions Prompted GI's Father To Post Video, Sparking Army Probe

(CBS/AP)  The father whose video of the outdated and unsanitary living conditions of barracks at Fort Bragg recalled his initial reaction upon stepping into his son's military quarters last month, saying it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

[incog-nito]

Maybe so, but if you''re a mercenary, um, "security contractor", then you get a six-figure income, the best armor and protection available, great living quarters, full medical care, etc.

See? Bush does care about his people.

[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?

[mikeabc2]

Let''s see 250 billion in farm subsidies to rich factory farms, 10 billion to Pakistan, 2 billion to Egypt; on and on and on...
I think even ONE of those billion would surely help the barracks situation.

[mljohns00]

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

[trillion1]

Did they ever clean up Walter Reed or just wait for it to fade out of the news?

[ajmarine11]

Posted by gordon102 at 02:11 PM : May 01, 2008


When I was in the service, we held "field days" on the barracks every week and were inspected to see that the job was done right and the barracks were in order and good shape............doesn''t the Army do this? No one holds inspections?

[csmith1948]

Seems the current admin crying "support our troops" only meant with warfare hardware. I always thought it meant during and after their service. It appears to me that once they return home, screw ''em then send them back.

[gordon102-2009]

As a retired military person, I have followed this story with great sadness. #1 what is wrong with our current leadership? It was always a policy to take care of the basic needs in order to be front line ready. #2 where are the high paid civilian employees that are the maintenance crews on these active duty facilities. One would think it would be appropriate to realize that when the population of a facility is increasing that inactive barracks would need to be opened and evaluated for compliance for human habitation. #3 maybe the BG that held the news conference apologizing for the oversight conditions at Bragg should spend a little more time in the field. Apparently there is no one below him that can do the job. #4 it always comes down to a lack of money. Maybe if there weren%u2019t so many levels of management there would be plenty of money!

[beckajw]

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!
sig heil, more of the same, McCain!!!!


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Posted by walt1944

Thanks for your political point of view.

You shouldn''t say sieg heil unless you know what it means.

If you''ve done any research at all, you would know that the only thing similar about Bush and McCain is the support for the war.

[walt1944-2009]

The Great Emperor Bush II is upset that living conditions in the military have "gone to Hades"!

It was bad enough when it was "discovered" that injured vets weren''t getting the care they should at Walter Reed and other VA hospitals across the country, but now it turns out even the healthy find living under a viaduct better than living in an Army barracks!

Now it should be understood that the Great Emperor is not upset with the military about the barrack''s living conditions; in fact, he is happy that the military is "saving money" on not repairing anything so he can have money to continue to fight his wars in the Middle East and elsewhere.

What upsets the Great Emperor is that the Army allowed a CIVILIAN on base and that he took pictures of what he found.

So, in order to prevent such stories from "leaking out" again, the Great Emperor has ordered that NO civilians are to be allowed on military bases unless they are employed by KBR or Halliburton. Any enlisted personnel are forbidden to take photos on base because of the "sensitiveness" of the area and for "security reasons", and anyone caught doing so will be sent to Iraq FOR LIFE!

In this way, the Great Emperor will continue to SUPPORT THE TROOPS!!!!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!
sig heil, more of the same, McCain!!!!

[mexinvasion]

Too bad it took a whistle blower and public humiliation to get Pete Geren to do the job he is getting paid to do. But I''m sure he''ll designate a scapegoat.