The Marine Corps completed its force-wide barracks inspection Friday, marking the end of a month-plus-long effort to assess the state of more than 60,000 rooms across the force, according to a statement from Marine Corps Installations Command, or MCICOM.
The inspection was meant to better understand the state of the barracks, which have recently come under scrutiny across the military. A government watchdog report last year pointed to dismal living conditions in “unaccompanied housing,” which is typically occupied by junior enlisted service members and young sergeants.
The Marine Corps inspection “most importantly” looked for health and safety issues, according to MCICOM. It also established a baseline for what is needed in barracks overall — including for managing mold, moisture, amenities and temperature — which MCICOM said would help it better direct funds to fix those problems.
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“As of three days ago, we finished the entire inspection of all of our barracks all over the globe,” Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlos Ruiz told the House Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday. “Now we know we're in a better spot to understand where the rest of the issues are. It's not defendable, and [I'm] not going to, but the commandant has, in fact, invested heavily in the future of barracks.
“Now we will know all over the…
