Ossoff pushes for better barracks on military installations

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., says he’s leading a bipartisan effort to upgrade barracks on military installations in Georgia and across the country.

In a new inquiry with the Department of Defense, he’s among several senators pressing the department to increase armed service funding requests to upgrade barracks.

The other senators include John Cornyn, T-Texas; Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.; Marco Rubio , R-Fla.; Ted Cruz, R-Texas; and Ted Budd, R-N.C.

The senators also asked the DoD to commit to greater transparency on steps they are taking to improve decrepit infrastructure, which affects military readiness and quality of life for servicemembers.

The letter comes in response to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report that found dangerous living conditions including clogged showers, mold growth, and a lack of hot water in barracks, and other physical and mental health risks for service members.

“Those who have already answered the call to serve deserve a standard of living commensurate with the most modern and capable fighting force in the world,” the senators wrote. “Anything less represents a failure to uphold the U.S. government’s commitments and endangers military readiness.

Last year, Ossoff and Cornyn led a bipartisan push to upgrade barracks, daycare centers, and other facilities for military families in Georgia and across the nation.

And after more than 10 years of coverage by the I-TEAM, Ossoff led an eight-month bipartisan investigation into the mistreatment of military families who live in privatized housing on Fort Eisenhower and other installations.

MORE THAN A DECADE OF I-TEAM COVERAGE:

• Ossoff returns to Fort Gordon to announce progress
• Families share stories on Fort Gordon housing problems
• Fort Gordon housing investigation could bring consequences
• Fort Gordon housing provider pleads guilty to fraud scheme
• How military families feel about housing settlement
• 10 years later, we hear from the private company that provides housing on Fort Gordon
• Mold, filth linger in Fort Gordon housing, investigators find
• U.S. Army kept in the dark about many issues, employee says
• Asking about Balfour Beatty complaints only raises more questions
• Some companies still fail to address safety issues in military housing
• Explaining the safety behind the Tenant Bill of Rights
• Housing company responds to allegations about drowning at Fort Gordon
• Mold, bugs, and safety issues put spotlight on housing provider
• GAO report shows much work to be done for private military housing
• Mold at Fort Gordon? Part 1 and Part 2
• Crews demolish housing unfit for Fort Gordon service members
• 8 years after reports of mold at homes, problems may still exist

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