(5MinNewsBreak.com) – As the nation and the entire Free World are relying on the US military for protection and survival, advocacy organizations dedicated to military personnel and their families are actively urging the Pentagon to address the issues of mold, infestations, and other shocking conditions in barracks at US bases worldwide.
Hots&Cots, a leading group in this advocacy, has declared such living conditions for service members as “unacceptable.”
Rob Evans, the founder of Hots&Cots and a former Army Reserve and National Guard sergeant, expressed his concerns in a statement to The Hill.
“From barracks with mold issues to outdated HVAC systems and water quality concerns, these aren’t just inconveniences — they’re serious issues that undermine the health of our service members,” Evans said.
He is hopeful that recently released photographs, which depict severe mold in an Army dining room in Korea and discolored water at a New Jersey base, will prompt immediate action from military leaders to remedy these detrimental conditions.
“There are leaders who are truly committed to improving the quality of life for their service members. … However, I also recognize that some leaders are constrained by barriers beyond their control,” he said further.
He elaborated that the purpose of Hots&Cots is to raise awareness of these pressing issues while also accentuating the positive elements of military life.
The initiative to launch Hots&Cots, an application similar to Yelp introduced in October, was driven by Evans’ desire to ensure accountability among military leaders regarding the living conditions of troops.
This was sparked by multiple reports of unhygienic and mold-infested barracks.
Evans emphasized the importance of giving a voice to lower-ranking soldiers, stating to Task & Purpose, “I want soldiers to be heard because being a lower enlisted, sometimes you don’t feel like you’re heard.”
Evans, along with a team of current and former service members, assesses the authenticity of the submitted photographs to verify their accuracy as much as possible without being directly present.
Despite these efforts, Evans mentioned that no officials from the Department of Defense or any military branches have contacted his organization.
A Pentagon spokesperson responded to queries by highlighting that the Department of Defense provides approximately 250,000 homes for service members and their families.
They also mentioned the recent launch of the Housing Feedback System on August 12, designed to “enhance transparency and accountability in DoD privatized military housing.”
This system enables active-duty service members and their dependents to report issues with their housing, ensuring “their concerns are addressed in a timely manner.”
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