Today, much of society seems to worship the military: “thank you for your service” and so much more is common, perhaps more than ever before, even in major wars. But at the same time, the way the military personnel are being treated is disgusting – especially on the part of government entities. We are reminded of Matthew 15:8: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Now, we here at TPOL in no way support worshipping the military. We point out the hypocrisy of those who do – one of many, of course.

Fox News recently reported on a GAO report about living conditions on military installations, making 31 recommendations that DoD is expected to have to implement after inspecting 12 different (unnamed) bases and posts.

The litany appears to be damning. Those of us with decades of military service, in some cases going back 60 years and more, know that most of these problems with barracks (dormitories to USAF and USSF folks) have been around for a long time. Those of us who are historians and especially those who have been to and worked in historic military installations, from coast to coast, know these problems have been around for more than 150 years.

Which does not make them right, of course.

And not all of these problems are new. For example, the GAO found that there are homeless squatters who were found living in military barracks and dormitories. Even in the 1970s in hippie- and homo-infested San Francisco, security at the Presidio of San Francisco was sufficient that such was not a problem. (Yes, we did have other security problems, but not that.)

Other problems include poor condition of water systems, heating and air conditioning, roof, systems, and other problems that are a result of what DoD calls “deferred” or “backlog” maintenance and repair, DM&R. This is certainly NOT a new problem, but one that was a constant battle back well before WW1 and WW2. Are conditions worse now than then? Or in the 1950s, 1970s, or 1990s?

Honestly probably not.

But not from lack of trying. And it very well mean that the bad conditions are spreading to more areas. Face it, infrastructure, including buildings like barracks and dining facilities and medical clinics wear out. They require repair and replacement. And frankly, the quality of work done in the 1970s and 1980s was poorer than that done back before WW2. As late as the early 1980s, many troops lived and worked in wooden barracks built as short-term “theatre of operations” structures between 1940 and 1945, or slightly better Korean War era buildings. Massive projects in the 70s and 80s replaced most. But then the wars in the Middle East sucked up trillions of dollars: construction and maintenance slowed or even stopped stateside.

And today, the FedGov’s illegitimate relationship with Ukraine is again busy draining billions, both in giving money to Kiev and in replacing the weapons and ammo being given together with the money.

At the same time, the Pentagon has gone Woke and more and more money and time is poured into DIE training and compliance, while other costs – for example, fuel – is siphoning money out of budgets. As in the past (for almost two centuries), funding to maintain and repair essential buildings and services (not just utilities but roadways and security systems) gets diverted. Even while other “perks” given to soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, guardians, and coasties are taken away either for monetary reasons or because they are now politically-incorrect. (Example: enlisted clubs and rec centers have been merged into consolidated facilities shared with non-commissioned officers and sometimes even commissioned officers: lower enlisted personnel no longer have places to escape from their bosses even for a few hours at a time!)

It is not JUST the Pentagon (DoD) that is to blame for this: we must look at Congress and the White House for their games and political dictates. And of course, both the GAO and congressional agencies know this. But they too are government bureaucrats and know which side their bread is buttered on. Like Congress and the White House/senior DoD leadership, they push military necessities and requirements to one side, figuring arrogantly that the military establishment can afford the corruption (legal and illegal) and political games, all courtesy of the US taxpayer now and in the future.

Which is what Putin and the Duma apparently thought until the Spring of 2022 when the reality was revealed in the unforgiving atmosphere of heavy combat.

And which is why so many of the 31 recommendations are not worth the paper they are printed on.

The present American style and operating method for military forces for defense and much less for imperial domination is unsustainable. And going green and woke will not make it sustainable: they will simply hasten the final collapse.