Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has promised a focused effort to address longstanding problems in U.S. military barracks that have frustrated service members, lawmakers, and taxpayers for decades. In a recent social media post, Hegseth flipped through the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) 2023 report detailing unsafe and unsanitary conditions in barracks where junior enlisted troops live.
“For far too long, this department has failed too many of our warfighters,” Hegseth said. “Every member of our joint force deserves housing that is clean, comfortable and safe.” The GAO report documented sewage backups, mold, inoperable fire safety systems, broken heating and air conditioning, brown tap water, and rodent infestations at barracks installations across the country.
Hegseth rejected past indifference and stressed that the quality of life for troops is essential to morale, readiness, recruitment, and retention. He blamed previous administrations for the failures, though the GAO noted that poor barracks conditions have persisted for years despite taxpayer investments and privatization efforts. The report found the Pentagon lacked accurate oversight of spending and that its own facility condition assessments often painted an inaccurate picture. In some cases, barracks with condition scores above 80 were visibly uninhabitable.
In response, Hegseth created a barracks task force that reports directly to him. He said the team has completed assessments across the Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, and the 18th Airborne Corps, with inspections of the Army Reserves and National Guard expected by January 2026. The Department of War plans to invest $1.2 billion to improve conditions, with $400 million allocated for immediate repairs and $800 million for critical renovations.
Rep. Don Bacon (R‑Neb.), who has championed barracks improvements on the House Armed Services Committee, said the task force is a positive step but urged continued accountability. “The time for studying is over and the time for action is now,” Bacon said, pointing to more than $137 billion in deferred maintenance across all facilities.
The GAO issued 31 recommendations in its report; while the Pentagon agreed with most, 16 remain unaddressed as of late 2025. Hegseth acknowledged that lasting change will take time and sustained effort, but insisted the military must eliminate the outdated notion that troops should “tough it out” in substandard housing.
