View Full Version : Welcome Home Soldier
BMT (RIP)
04-25-2008, 12:47
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46vYZFU1Dew
Video bad enough to GAG a MAGGOT on a GUT WAGON!!!
BMT
That is just Criminal. I I was the 1SG they would have the tents set up and refuse to have my company in it..
I don't know the rest of the story as to "why" in that case.
But I do know that section of Gruber Road is under reconstruction. The contractors started up by Longsteet and are working their way through the old Division Block by Block headed to the Smoke Bomb Hill area and the old red brick barracks over there.
The buildings are stripped down and then all the hazardous stuff and recyclables are removed and then the building torn down, site prep and the new one put up.
Tents? Yeap, then cleaned up the troops and then sent them off on leave until the stiuation was resolved.
I don't know the rest of the story as to "why" in that case.
But I do know that section of Gruber Road is under reconstruction. The contractors started up by Longsteet and are working their way through the old Division Block by Block headed to the Smoke Bomb Hill area and the old red brick barracks over there.
The buildings are stripped down and then all the hazardous stuff and recyclables are removed and then the building torn down, site prep and the new one put up.
Tents? Yeap, then cleaned up the troops and then sent them off on leave until the stiuation was resolved.
Clean up, inventory and Leave. Best thing for all involved.
Surgicalcric
04-25-2008, 13:41
If you think the video is bad you should see it in person.
When a certain NGSF company Mob'd last September the MUIC tried to house us in these same barracks (there was actually an army Reserve Tranpo Co and a NG engineer Co being housed in the adjacent barracks bldg.) Everyone in my company decided to stay out on the economy on their own dime of course.
I understand construction sometimes gets delayed for one reason or another and as such projects arent always get completed on time. This however is no excuse for what is being allowed.
Sad, truly sad.
Crip
Someone needs to take a "close" look at the general contractors.
Since the housing market took a dive, alot of residential construction contractors are jumping into the commercial "construction" market!:mad:
Stay safe.
BMT (RIP)
04-25-2008, 13:59
Where are they going to live when their leave is over?
BMT
Where are they going to live when their leave is over?
BMT
Somebody who just deployed?
BMT (RIP)
04-25-2008, 14:28
Where are they going to put the 2d Bdge when they return from Iraq??
BMT
Somebody who just deployed?What about all the NG and AR folks?
Stay safe.
I'll go for a drive down Gruber and Ardennes and give an update on the overall progress.
I'll take a couple of pictures. Anybody who spent time in Division will remember where the theater, chapel, shopette, museum and pool were.
I'll see if I can downsize them off the giiganto size I use for work and post them here.
Surgicalcric
04-25-2008, 14:42
What about all the NG and AR folks?
See my post above Guy.
When 3/20th Mob'd for Iraq, they stayed in the old Division area. It is not any better.
Crip
.. It is not any better.
Crip
Hey Crip;
When you get back you can put an ARFAB up in my back yard. Might have to fight Millie, the Golden Retriever, for the cot:D.
Pete
That is just f-ing sad. Not to start a pissing contest, but I guarantee that the support batts that spent deployment in BAF, Salerno, etc are in nice, new, shiny barracks. They always stick it to the grunt cause come on, he is just going to mess something nice up. Same thing happened to my old unit at Ft Drum. Now it was nowhere near as deplorable as this. However, after 16 months on a company FOB and being promised new barracks by BC and Brigade Command, we arrived to the same style old barracks we left from, just smaller. This is so ate up and no one outside of the community cares.
The story was just on WRAL. 'Ol Gilbert as doing the story. They just got back.
The rest of the story is they got back a month early - the contractors who were to finish the repairs (so they could tear them down? WTF) didn't get a chance to finish. They had like 72 hours notice the troops were moving in.
At the end of the clip the camera pans to the other side of the street and shows one of the brand new buildings.
http://www.wral.com/news/
BMT (RIP)
04-25-2008, 16:10
Our son in the 2/508 and they got home 3 DAYS early.
BMT
Being stationed here on Bragg, I've heard a number of times from my Soldiers who have friends that are stationed in the 82nd, of the crap they've been dealing with this month.
I myself have wondered when will they be completed, and how the hell they can play the shell game with that many Soldiers.
Since Walter Reed broke in the news and hit someone square between the eyes, I have no doubts that this one will not go unnoticed. Fayetteville is pretty supportive of the troops, I doubt anyone has enough crisis management experience to keep this one quiet.
EX-Gold Falcon
04-25-2008, 17:06
Are the 508 barracks where the 4/325 use to be?
Seriously F%&king Pissed is but a shadow of my emotions right now.
And civilians wonder why Soldiers chose to ETS and join PMC's....
Travis
Silent Storm151
04-26-2008, 00:19
Wow...Not to seem out of line but that is just plain wrong. Service men and women deserve much better than that. For what it's worth I wrote a letter to my congressman about this...
Stafe Safe,
TJ
Deplorable. email sent to Senator.
FWIW, these are extremely similar conditions to what my unit lived in in Korea (in 98). When the CG wanted to swing by and check on the barracks - whoa boy! The BDE CSM had us all on "special duty" for a week to try and make the place look good - superficially...
ever tried to paint over mold?
Here is the Fayetteville Observer Article with a few more details.
http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=292425
Pete
longrange1947
04-26-2008, 07:47
Gentlemen please do not over react. - The story was in today's paper and the unit came home 13 days early in the middle of a refit of the barracks. Their new barracks is due to be occupied this summer and that one torn down. The kids got all new furniture and the army gave a full tour of that barracks to the press yesterday to show them exactly what was going on. Yes it was a pig sty due to refit and construction, they are getting new, anyone on Fort Bragg knows that that area is one giant construction site as they replace barracks all up and down Gruber. Personally, I think it is a Father that saw and reacted to his little snap shot of what he thought was a normal living condition. In reality, it was a blurred snap shot.
My 2 cents on this one as I have lived through the dump trucks building new barracks for these same soldiers for the last 5 years. The trucks are a royal pain but the barracks actually belong on a campus. The new barracks are excellent!!
Now, those photos of those other barracks are not as bad as some of the barracks I lived in in the 60s. So I guess it becomes perspective. :munchin :D
Edited to say Pete just posted one of the articles while I was typing. :D
We had similar, though not quite as extreme, conditions at Ft Campbell. They were retrofitting the old crud barracks with new paint, floor tiles, drinking fountains, etc. We were also told we'd have new barracks when we returned from Iraq...again between funding a politics, the construction went elsewhere. I understand that new buildings take a lot of time, money, and greasing of the wheels to get anywhere, but sometimes enough is enough.
The 187th barracks were pretty new and immaculate in, but none of the STB soldiers were in those.
It's one thing to live in a beater that needs some work. Soldiers can, and should, maintain their AO and take a little bit of pride in the fact that if something was broken, they fixed it and didn't have to rely on DPW or the does-this-really-do-anything "work order" process. That's why there are soldier self-help centers, after all.
It's entirely another to live in a building that will get Joes very ill.
Longrange1947: I may sound skeptical, but 13 days is not a lot of time to clean up that mess...not unless they get some of those handy workers like we had in the barracks on Camp Carroll, Korea. Those guys were FAST and efficient!
Because of this video all Barracks had a Livability / Health and Welfare check done this morning on Fort Hood. So someone in the right position saw the video.
The Reaper
04-27-2008, 12:44
This is a predictable consequence of funding garrison O&M accounts at 30% of their needs, and of Congress not approving appropriations in a timely manner, forcing the Army to rob the O&M accounts for operations funding.
TR
Team Sergeant
04-27-2008, 14:44
As a former 82nd ABN Infantrymen I also lived in those same barracks. They were beat up twenty years ago too. Oh and by the way, we infantrymen did most of the damage to those barracks.;)
But as an Infantrymen it really didn't matter.... it's better than living in a foxhole full of water or a tent. I don't hear the infantry men bitching, just some guys father.
Hey "Dad", we (infantrymen) don't "live" in those barracks, just sleep and shower there. We live at Myrtle beach, downtown Fayetteville, etc. and all over the world. Now if you really want to be appalled just follow some of the infantrymen around the streets of Fayetteville.:D
TS
A Case Study in Successful Commercial Construction Management (http://www.constructioncompany.com/historic-construction-projects/empire-state-building/)
The Empire State Building is a marvel of engineering and architecture, especially for the era in which it was built, and it occupies a unique place in the history of construction companies and construction management. Not only was the 1453-foot, 103-story structure built in just over 13 months, the construction company that took on the daunting job allegedly began with nothing on hand -- no equipment or supplies that would be sufficient for such an enormous undertaking. How they accomplished the task is a case study in early, successful commercial construction management.
:munchin
It took less time to build the ALCAN Highway than it did to build the section of 295 conecting I-95 and north Fayetteville.
Still waiting on the next section from Ramsey over to the Murch to start.
Team Sergeant
04-28-2008, 15:52
I just realized who the father was...... I just sent him some money for videos a few weeks ago........now I wish I told him I was a former 82nd Airborne Div Infantrymen and maybe he'd have cut me a deal! :rolleyes:
http://leerburg.com/vidolist.htm
http://leerburg.com/barracks.htm
http://leerburg.com/baghdad3.htm
Mosby Raider
04-28-2008, 19:21
Pete, I know you remember when we had to move out of the barracks on Smoke Bomb Hill and into the WWII era barracks in the old COSCOM area in 1977. Those old squad bay barracks were in terrible condition.
Pete, I know you remember when we had to move out of the barracks on Smoke Bomb Hill and into the WWII era barracks in the old COSCOM area in 1977. Those old squad bay barracks were in terrible condition.
Ah, our time period of Musical Barracks. One floor per company in the wooden ones. In about 5 years we lived in 4 barracks. The original one by the big parking lot first and last with a short stay in the one across from the JFK Chapel and the COSCOM area in between.
I've looked through my old pictures before and only found one picture of the wood barracks we stayed in. It was a picture of Rodney D with the barracks in the background. I'd say the wood barracks was easier to keep clean and maintain - not that we spent much time in any of them:D.
Team Sergeant
04-29-2008, 06:45
Pete, I know you remember when we had to move out of the barracks on Smoke Bomb Hill and into the WWII era barracks in the old COSCOM area in 1977. Those old squad bay barracks were in terrible condition.
I started my SF career in those wooden barracks on Smoke Bomb Hill, it was 1983 and if I recall correctly we spent a few a few more years in them...A-1-5.
The COSCOM area barracks we, the barracks rats, stayed in during the 77/78 time period were one "big block" north of the Training Group area of the late 80s early 90s.
5th Gp and 7th Gp each had a couple of rows. We, as 3/5th, had the last row and right behind us was an MP Company. They would line up their jeeps on the street between our buildings. The was a little bit of friction between the two groups of barracks rats.
DUIs? They knew who drove which car and could just hide near the entrance to the parking lot. Turn in and they would hit the Blue Light. We used DDs before DDs were cool.
Sullivan, a commo guy, Mr Survival, had a Black Dodge Van and he didn't drink. A little money for gas and buy him all the Coke he could drink and he was happy to drive all of us downtown for the evening. He got stopped a few times and it was a riot listening to the interplay between him and the MPs.
brewmonkey
04-29-2008, 16:06
That is just f-ing sad. Not to start a pissing contest, but I guarantee that the support batts that spent deployment in BAF, Salerno, etc are in nice, new, shiny barracks. They always stick it to the grunt cause come on, he is just going to mess something nice up. Same thing happened to my old unit at Ft Drum. Now it was nowhere near as deplorable as this. However, after 16 months on a company FOB and being promised new barracks by BC and Brigade Command, we arrived to the same style old barracks we left from, just smaller. This is so ate up and no one outside of the community cares.
I just watched that video on another site and am appalled at the state of affairs for our soldiers, especially after returning from a 15 month deployment. I realize a grungy barracks with overflowing toilets is probably better the being shot at on a daily basis, but because of what those soldiers have been doing they deserve so much better.
Worse is that new barracks are under construction but most will not be done until most of those soldiers in those run down hovels have long since ETS'd or PCS'd. They need to get the ball rolling and bring in more construction crews!
Back in 89 at Irwin they built 6 new sets of barracks for the Infantry and Armor battalion on post as we were living in pre-Korean war era buildings that were falling apart and had 4-5 men per room that had been designed for 2. Instead though they decided to give the new barracks to the FSB so they could have 1 man rooms, even though all their barracks were 20 or more years newer then ours at the time. Thankfully they worked out a compromise and we got to move into the new place. Of course they did not realize that they moved an Infantry company into the same building that housed the MI Company, females and all. LOL!
BMT (RIP)
04-29-2008, 17:11
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080429/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/bad_barracks
BMT
BMT (RIP)
04-29-2008, 17:38
Guess the bitch can't remember what Slick did for 8 years.
http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=292719
BMT
She will say anything right now to get a sound bite.
Just what we need is another Hearing. Wonder how much that will cost?
About the only question they could ask in a hearing is "Why are you not building faster?"
They are planning on tearing down and replacing all the old barracks. This is underway. According to the outgoing 37th Eng Brigade CSM even the stuff put up in the early 80s on Smoke Bomb Hill is scheduled to be replaced - after the older stuff.
The new barracks are more like condos than "Barracks" like us old farts think of them.
Guess the bitch can't remember what Slick did for 8 years.
http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=292719
BMTLeave her alone...I need her too beat Obama.:o:D
Stay safe.
Another update.
http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=292811
Ret10Echo
05-01-2008, 05:14
Great, more "studies" and "hearings"...that will cost more than the repairs themselves.