NC barracks video draws attention to conditions

[Guest guest]

NC barracks video draws attention to conditions

Florence Morning News*

By ESTES THOMPSON

Associated Press Writer

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NC_FORT_BRAGG_YOUTUBE_NCOL-?

SITE=SCFLO & SECTION=STATE & TEMPLATE=DEFAULT & CTIME=2008-04-25-18-34-27

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A video shot by the father of an 82nd Airborne

Division soldier that shows poor conditions such as mold in a

barracks at Fort Bragg caught the attention Friday of a U.S. senator

and high-ranking Army officials.

Ed Frawley, a dog breeder from Menomonie, Wis., posted the narrated

video on YouTube.com on Tuesday after traveling to North Carolina to

welcome his son, Sgt. Jeff Frawley, home from a 15-month tour in

Afghanistan.

The video shows peeling paint, mold, a bathroom drain plugged with

what appears to be sewage and a broken room door lock, conditions

that Frawley described as disgusting and embarrasing.

" The instant you walk through the front door, you know you are in a

building that should be condemned, " he said.

Sen. Dole, R-N.C., said she contacted the Army secretary

after learning of the barracks' condition. " Our service members

deserve safe, clean housing, " she said. " If this video posting

accurately portrays living conditions for our soldiers, this is

wholly unacceptable and it must be immediately corrected. "

Rep. Bob Etheridge, D-N.C., whose district includes Fort Bragg,

agreed.

" Although the military continues to be stretched thin during the

wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is no excuse for substandard

housing for our soldiers, " Etheridge said.

Maj. Tom Earnhardt, spokesman for the 82nd Airborne, said the

conditions are " appalling and unacceptable, " but said the post must

use the buildings that the Army provides.

One problem was that maintenance and repairs weren't complete

because the soldiers in C Company, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute

Infantry Regiment, came home three weeks ahead of schedule, he said.

The barracks had been empty, except for brief periods, since the

company left Fort Bragg.

The Army hosted a tour of the barracks for the news media. Many of

the buildings used by the division were built in the 1950s, but are

being replaced. About 40 of the old buildings remain, and all single

paratroopers are scheduled to be in new buildings by 2012.

---

On the 'Net:

Frawley video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v46vYZFU1Dew

[Guest guest]

Just sent an email to all my elected officials on my list even the White

House. If you don't know who to contact just go to

_http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/_

(http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/) where you can find them all by zip

code!

Like Joe said they may not listen to us but they may when it comes to our

troops. No one in America should have to live as they are. I wouldn't want an

animal to live in such conditions. The public needs to be made aware!!

Sue

Here is the correct link to the YouTube video of the mold in the army

barracks at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The original link had omitted the " = "

sign,

after the letter " v " . The video is almost ten minutes long, and is narrated

by the father of one of the soldiers. If someone treated MY son that way, I'd

want to kill someone. Its worth your time to watch the video.

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[Guest guest]

Here is the correct link to the YouTube video of the mold in the army barracks

at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The original link had omitted the " = " sign, after

the letter " v " . The video is almost ten minutes long, and is narrated by the

father of one of the soldiers. If someone treated MY son that way, I'd want to

kill someone. Its worth your time to watch the video.

If the below link, STILL does not work, just type in the name of the video in

any " search " field on YouTube. The name of the video is: " Barracks for Charlie

CO 2/508 82n Airborne " .

Try to email this video to as many people as possible. People care what

happens to our troops. They DON'T care what happens to me and you. It will draw

their attention to the issue of mold, hopefully. Even Bush won't be able to

cover this up, by throwing an American flag over it, if the world sees this

video.

Joe