A barracks building under construction in April 2023 at Fort Polk, La. (Rose L. Thayer/Stars and Stripes)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pledged $400 million to address immediate needs in barracks across the military and another $800 million for critical renovation projects, though details about how the money will be allocated have not been released.
The $1.2 billion in funding stemmed from a barracks task force Hegseth launched in October to overhaul the military’s aging housing for junior enlisted and unaccompanied service members. The Defense Department did not respond to questions about exactly how and where the money will be spent.
Government reports and the military’s own assessments of barracks have found substandard conditions including mold, non-working appliances and air conditioning, plumbing issues, and broken locks and windows. The services have all committed to renovations and new construction but have said that ongoing work has not kept up with the rapidly aging infrastructure.
The $1.2 billion surge in funds came after Hegseth met with the barracks task force for a 30-day report just before Thanksgiving. The funds came from a massive spending package signed into law earlier this year commonly referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” Hegseth said.
The task force did a “wall-to-wall” assessment of the entire Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force and the Army’s 18th Airborne Corps. By the end of January, the task force will fully assess barracks for the Army Reserve and National Guard. The Army confirmed that a full review of active-duty barracks is ongoing.
“The mission was to find and fix now, to provide every warfighter a room that is clean, safe and comfortable — locks that lock, security cameras that work, furniture and mattresses that aren’t older than the service members sleeping on them. And no mold,” Hegseth said in a video posted last week to social media.
The initial $400 million has gone toward purchasing new furnishings and mattresses for 81 barracks housing more than 15,000 service members, Hegseth said without specifying which services and bases received the support. Roughly $101 million was spent on “quality-of-life improvements,” including new door locks in 10 barracks housing more than 6,000 troops and new security systems in 13 barracks with more than 1,500 service members.
The military services did not immediately respond to questions about how much of the funding each received and which bases have made improvements with it.
Moving forward, Hegseth said he will get monthly reports from the task force “to confirm work is getting accomplished.”
“We’re just getting started,” he said. “Service members must be prepared to win the next fight, and where they live impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.”
