More than a dozen mold-infested barracks at Fort Bragg will see about 1,100 soldiers leave in the upcoming weeks, but other soldiers who are currently serving in the military and former service members told CBS News that those are not the only barracks with mold. Additionally, not all soldiers are being given the opportunity to leave their moldy housing.
Due to their fear of reprisals, two soldiers who are not being evacuated talked to CBS News under the guise of anonymity of the mold that is also spreading across their barracks. It spread within a week, according to one soldier, and was characterized as “black specks all throughout the furniture and across the walls.”
One submitted images from the last several days showing the problem affecting wall tiles, furniture, and ceiling tiles:
And this one of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning room from July of 2021:
One of the troops described it as a “blow to the stomach” because although other soldiers at other barracks dealing with comparable issues are anticipated to remain, those at the barracks close to the Smoke Bomb Hill region of the North Carolina facility would be relocated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that persons with mold allergies or asthma may have more severe responses, such as fever and shortness of breath. Mold may also produce symptoms including a stuffy nose, wheezing, red, or irritated eyes.
Early in August, Fort Bragg admitted the significant mold in the dorms next to Smoke Bomb Hill after an Army officer inspection revealed poor conditions. The Army intends to destroy 12 of those barracks, rebuild them, and rehabilitate five of them, Fort Bragg said CBS News in an email.
The barracks, which date back to the middle of the 1970s and have undergone ongoing renovations, have raised “higher than average moisture levels and quality of life issues,” according to an email from an installation representative last week.
More than 100 troops have left the barracks close to Smoke Bomb Hill as of Wednesday morning. Soldiers from the 20th Engineer Brigade and the 35th Corps Signal Brigade, all of which are part of the XVIII Airborne Corps, as well as from the 1st Special Forces Command are among those who are impacted.
Mold is an ongoing issue at Fort Bragg. Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, raised concerns about problems with troops in a letter he addressed to the secretary of the Army last year. He said that it was dangerous for the nation to let troops to dwell in unsanitary conditions.
Josh Butler, who left the Army earlier this year as a sergeant, oversaw around 340 rooms in the barracks at Fort Bragg. Even though the buildings he was in charge of were far from Smoke Bomb Hill, they still had serious mold issues.
According to him, we would have black mold in our rooms in about a week if the men weren’t continually maintaining them.
Butler, who worked as a facilities manager at Fort Bragg for around three years, said he brought up the matter several times, particularly with the installation’s administration and the department of public works.
“People in this area of work might have severe emotional effects, and then you confine them to a room with mold problems by yourself. That is not a way to live. It is utterly inadequate for the boys, “Butler said.
A inquiry on the scope of the mold issue at the base was not answered by Fort Bragg, but Army officers would be present at a media roundtable on Friday to address worries.
A representative for Fort Bragg said in a statement, “The welfare of our people, the Soldiers and their Families, is our overarching responsibility at Fort Bragg and as Army commanders. Their health and wellbeing are crucial to the preparedness of our army.”