Marine Corps instructs troops to make repairs to barracks after watchdog report reveals poor living conditions

The Marine Corps recently instructed troops to make minor repairs to their own barracks, following reports of poor living conditions at military housing facilities, Task & Purpose reported.

A new video circulating on social media revealed that Marines at Camp Pendleton, California, are being encouraged to put in "self-help requests" to make small repairs in their barracks, including drywall repairs, lightbulb replacement, mold mitigation, and repainting.

"Camp Pendleton hosts a robust barracks maintenance program, providing Marines tools and materials necessary to fix minor room discrepancies quickly and easily," the video stated.

"Step one: A Marine identifies an issue in their barracks room and notifies the barracks manager or area facility manager," it continued. "Step two: The barracks manager or AFM then orders the tools or materials necessary to fix the issue. Step three: Self-help receives the request and processes it. Often times, a request will be processed on the same day. Step four: The Marine then picks up the tools and materials from self-help."

The Marines' video noted that the self-help request program empowers troops to fix minor issues quickly and "develops smaller scale home repair skills." Service members are encouraged to contact their barracks manager or AFM with questions about the program.

The video racked up many comments from skeptical social media users who expressed concerns that the barracks' squalid conditions would be placed on service members to address.

One individual stated, "I feel like this shifts the burden of certain barracks issues on the marines themselves... probably not the best idea."

Another commenter claimed the requested tools and materials are being provided to Marines on a first-come, first-serve basis despite troops placing specific and individual orders.

A spokesperson for the base, 1st Lt. Taylor M. Dorsey, told Task & Purpose that the program provides service members with more independence to make minor repairs, including replacing smoke detector batteries and broken door locks. It also allows them to repaint their rooms before moving out.

"The Self-Help Program is merely an option to expedite the process for minor discrepancy, therefore, allowing for more labor support toward complex requests requiring skilled maintenance personnel," Doresey insisted.

Maj. John Parry, a Marine Corps Installations Command spokesperson, told the news outlet that the Marines' self-help programs vary by installation.

"The self-help program is about empowering Marines to be able to use their own initiative to make a repair at no cost of their own if they deem it a better option than waiting to make a repair," Parry stated.

"Marines living in the barracks have varying degrees of experience with independent living and technical skills," Parry continued. "Self-help provides resources for Marines who would like to solve a maintenance problem or even make improvements to their assigned spaces on their own time."

The Marine Corps announced last month that it would perform a "wall-to-wall inspection" of all its barracks, following a September report from the Government Accountability Office that found that some of the Department of Defense's military barracks pose "potentially serious health and safety risks."

An inspection of 10 military campuses revealed "clogged showers, broken door locks, broken elevators, and apparent mold growth." The GAO also noted that as of March 2023, approximately 17,000 Marines were residing in "substandard barracks."

The Marine Corps recently concluded its inspection of over 60,000 barracks rooms, the Marine Times reported. The details of the inspection's results have yet to be released. However, Parry stated that the initial findings "have been consistent with the sample of barracks taken" for the GAO report.

The Corps is seeking $274 million in fiscal year 2025 to restore its barracks.

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