what do you think of the squalid conditions our military personnel?

Question

have to live in?

Yes earthcal, I have 2 son-in-laws in the army!!!

It seems, my friends, that I have been reading the wrong newspaper. I assumed from the pictures I saw and the reports I read that most army accomodation in England for our troops and their families was in really bad condition. I do apologise, I must have dreamt it!!

Answer 1

I'll give the subscribers to this question examples as requested.

Try 1 leaking washing machine between 50 men. Try 18 months with the block heating system U/S and still the same. Try crap in the corridors because the contract cleaners can't enter the area - but the men can't use the cleaning materials because they are not trained in their use.

And that's 1 block at 1 base in the UK - NOT Basra or Afghanistan. And the men in this block - frontline troops. What a way to treat this country's finest!!

Answer 2

I wouldnt't necessarrily call the conditions squalid. It's only bad when you are deployed but, you get use to it and make the best of it.

The barracks are actuallly pretty nice now. Housing is getting better as well. The barracks now kind of look like mini hotel rooms.

Things were worse prior to the 90's when we had predominantly oben bay barracks or 4-man rooms with community showers. Those days are over.

So, if you ask a soldeir how the conditions are where they area at, you usually will not hear any complaint. Soldiers do not ask for much and expect very little in return for what we do.

When I deployed to Iraq with the 101st, we slept on the ground, on top of vehicles, in tents, wherever we could for the first 4 months. After that we made an old building into our home. It took a long time to get electricity and running water for showers or toilets (the water was still cold most of the time, except on warm days). Our toilet was a hold in the ground because they don't have toilets over there. We did end up ordering american made toilets though.

Anyways, I have never considered things to be squalid. I had to deal with whatever was delt to me and my soldiers. That's how the rest of the Army feels (well at least most).

So, those that live high and mighty and have a sports car that Daddy gave them, good for you. Give me a cot and 3 square meals and I won't complain!

Answer 3

What squalid conditions are you talking about? In 20 years, I had not noticed any. And thinking back to my youth as an Army brat, I don't remember any squalid conditions.

I have lived in Army, Air Force, and Navy housing. I would love to live in a place like that right now.

Answer 4

What squalid conditions? I say this as I am looking around at the house my husband and I are currently in on base.

Well, your question would have been better answered by everyone if you had been more specific about where you were talking about. I've never been to where the U.S. service members are quartered in England, so I don't know how bad they are. But not all places that they are going to be at will be bad. How bad is it in England?

Answer 5

i can not have self belief you stay contained in the twenty first century mate? huge style one, go searching and tell me everybody isnt out for what they could get? huge style 2, infantrymen are basically a similar because the bloke on the line lately, couldnt provide a **** about large Briton - what's that besides?? Doesnt exist mate. huge style 3, what might want to you do? Play alongside with the media or rot in detention center. i imagine i comprehend the answer. We shouldnt be invading different peoples international places besides - ie Iraq!!

Answer 6

What's a Squalid?

90% of the military people out there live in outstanding housing communities. Most are brand new or newly renovated. It does take time to get to EVERY housing complex out there to do udgrades, but in most of those cases, nobody is even living in the bad ones and they have been closed down for years.

Most of us in today's miltary own and live in our own homes.

When deployed I know Sailors have internet, satelite TV, telephones, movies, junk food, gyms, a bed of our own to sleep in...the works. Sailors from Nam, Korean, WWII and WW1 had nothing like that to talk about.

Soldier and Marines as well as Airmen deployed to Iraq do have AC, internet, gyms, stores the whole things again.

If you knew what you were talking about you might want to date your question back to the Civil War or Something where soldier had to dig their own shelters with the butt of their riffles, freeze to death or die of heat exposure out in the elements. Food was not guaranteed and people had to steal boots of of dead soldiers. Same thing for WWI, WWII, etc.

Before you speak, research what you are saying. Civilian really would look a lot smarter to us if you did do a little of that sometimes. If WE don't have a problem with where and how we live, why do you??

Answer 7

Oh gee, I recall living the same way when I served. Living in lousy accommodations is a part of military life.

Answer 8

There seems to be a lack of interest in soldiers accommodation the mod would probably like to get it all contracted out so they don't have to deal with it .I suppose when it comes to funding there are other things on their mind

Answer 9

I wasn't expecting the life of luxury when I joined. While I do find the conditions in certain areas disturbing, most in the military are survivors. They adapt to the conditions and move on.

Answer 10

Barracks in Garrison are always crappy - it's part of being in the Army. I wouldn't call them squalid, though.

In Iraq, we lived in both tents and these things called CHU's - neither of those were squalid, either - we cleaned them daily. So what if living in a tent is no picnic - it beats the hell out of where Soldiers have lived before.

I don't think you fully understand what squalid means. Just because something's old or doesn't have digital cable and big-screen tv's doesn't mean it's deplorable to live in.