Evidence has surfaced that many U.S. military personnel and their families at U.S. bases around the world are living in terrible conditions, MSNBC reported. And the U.S. Department of Defense admits the problem exists, but it has yet to be addressed.
Host: We have a new NBC exclusive report detailing the horrific conditions some U.S. military families are forced to live in. I want to show you pictures provided by a group that advocates for service members.
Look at this, mold on the ceiling — just look at this, cockroaches, mice. Contaminated water has been found on some military bases, not just in the United States, but around the world. Look at this, it’s actually water, even though it looks like coffee. But it is water.
We’re joined now by NBC correspondent Courtney Kube with more details. Courtney, I’m really glad you’re helping us with this story. How common is this even?
COURTNEY KUBE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that’s the big question. This problem is not new, Hosea. The Government Accountability Office released a report on this issue in September 2023. It mentioned the points you mentioned: mold, sewage clogging in barracks bathrooms, air conditioners not working, and safety hazards such as broken windows that were a potential problem for troops living in these facilities and barracks.
So it’s not a new problem, but these groups came together from seven service members’ rights groups. They are led by a group called Hots and Cuts. They have banded together and are calling on the Pentagon to start addressing these issues in a more aggressive way.
Their argument is that, yes, the military is aware of these problems, but it just takes them too long to fix them. And in many cases, they’re choosing to contract out the construction of new barracks, which can take years and cost billions of dollars, instead of addressing the problem directly and quickly.
We received these photos in addition to some others from the NS group. It’s actually an app that allows service members and their families to upload photos and reviews of their housing, places they dine on military bases so they can spread the word about some of these problems.
The Department of Defense says that, of course, they implemented a new reporting structure earlier this month to try to address these issues and that they are aware that they do occur.
Host: Courtney Kube, thank you very much.