Navy Secretary "Appalled" by Barracks Conditions in Guam

Exposed wires dangling from the ceiling, bubbling and cracked walls where mold was painted over, badly corroded plumbing — these are housing conditions faced by service members in barracks at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, according to photos and internal emails obtained by the Project On Government Oversight (POGO).

Navy Secretary John Phelan told POGO he was “appalled” and “very upset” after seeing conditions in Andersen’s barracks where sailors were housed during a visit in early May. Phelan said he initially thought the buildings were condemned, based on their appearance, and gave leadership ten days to move out the sailors and Marines who were being housed there.

Guam, a U.S. territory, is home to Andersen Air Force Base, Naval Base Guam, and Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz. All told, roughly 21,000 people connected to the U.S. military live in Guam, out of a total island population of just under 154,000.

Phelan’s recent decision to open new barracks at Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz in Guam ahead of schedule was in part prompted by dire conditions at the Palau Hall barracks facility at Andersen, the secretary said. As of May 22, 25 Marines and 48 sailors had been moved out of the barracks. 

Conditions in other barracks at Andersen aren’t significantly different from those in Palau Hall, nor are they maintained at a higher level, according to an Air Force spokesperson. While sailors and Marines were moved to different barracks with better conditions, 430 airmen and soldiers continue to live in the barracks at Andersen, the Air Force spokesperson said. 

Revelations of the poor conditions at Andersen prompted worldwide inspections of Navy barracks, according to a May 5 email sent by Vice Admiral Scott Gray, who leads the Navy’s installation command. In the email, Gray described the Guam barracks conditions in attached photos as “clearly neglected” and “unacceptable.”

“The conditions shown in the photos are a failure of leadership across multiple echelons of command,” said Gray in his email, which was sent to Naval leadership around the world.

The photos attached to Gray’s email showed water damage, crumbling and deteriorated walls, mold that has been painted over, exposed electrical wiring, corroded plumbing with mineral deposits, chipped fixtures, and other signs of neglect. 

A spokesperson for the Air Force said they are “committed to providing safe and adequate living conditions” for service members and have assigned dorm leaders who inspect barracks daily. 

“Unfortunately, in Guam, we face several environmental elements, and the harsh conditions accelerate the rate at which materials deteriorate and reduce their overall lifespan,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to POGO.  

“The Washington Post Test”

A Naval officer who was formerly stationed on Guam said they weren’t surprised by the conditions in the photos. The officer asked to remain anonymous due to fear of professional repercussions. 

“Anybody that’s been to Guam can tell you … if you’re living on base, you’re going to be in crappy quarters,” the officer said.

Gray’s email directed the Navy’s regional commanders to carry out inspections of all barracks that house sailors by May 27, including instructions for how to inspect the buildings. Gray’s email specified that officials should use the “Washington Post test.” 

“If the pictures you have taken or the results of your assessment conducted of a particular facility were published online tomorrow, would you be able to personally justify Sailors living there?” Gray’s email asked. 

A spokesperson for Gray clarified that some installations may need more time beyond the May 27 deadline to ensure the inspections are thorough. They said that “individual rooms and resident concerns are being addressed immediately as they are identified. Thus far, no issues of significant concern have been reported.”

In an interview with POGO, Gray said he is intent on addressing barracks conditions.

“We've got challenges, like all the other services,” he said. “Of all my barracks, about 20% of them are what’s classified as poor conditions.” He described the planned barracks inspections as a “colossal effort” under a tight timeline and emphasized his commitment to improving quality of life for sailors. 

Gray highlighted his recent efforts in this vein, including suicide prevention, improved transportation and parking, and privatization of some Navy barracks.

“I’m not going to let up until we get to where we need to be,” Gray said. “Where I can say I am proud of every barracks that we have.” 

Budgeting for Barracks Repairs 

The Navy-wide barracks inspections could run the risk of becoming an empty gesture, or just another box to check, according to the anonymous Navy officer. They highlighted the need for Pentagon funding to be directed toward improving service member quality of life. 

Gray told POGO that those concerns about the inspections are valid, based on how the Navy has operated in the past. “We honestly cannot afford the Navy we’re asked to maintain,” Gray explained. 

“I’d love people to throw more money at me, for sure, but we’re going to get after it as quickly as I can,” he said. “There’s a lot of great people working hard under very difficult circumstances to do the best they can with the money that they have.”

The Air Force alone currently has a $49.5 billion maintenance and repair backlog, according to Michael Saunders, the service’s acting assistant secretary for energy, installations, and environment, who testified at a May congressional hearing. 

“Maintenance and repair funding levels have not kept pace with the rising cost of construction, leading to compounding sustainment costs, widespread degradation, and increases in infrastructure issues that adversely impact mission execution,” Saunders said in a statement during a House Armed Services Committee subcommittee hearing on readiness. Saunders’ statement further explained that 70% of utility infrastructure on Air Force bases in the Indo-Pacific region are in a “high-risk condition.” 

Navy Secretary Phelan told POGO that deferred spending on infrastructure and housing has contributed to maintenance backlogs, emphasizing that he will make sure troop housing is “acceptable.” 

“Poor living conditions” in military barracks were identified in a 2023 report by the Government Accountability Office, which detailed substandard housing conditions and “insufficient oversight” by the Pentagon. 

Since then, multiple branches of the military have revealed new plans for improving conditions in barracks, and President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” includes $1 billion for barracks maintenance and improvements in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force. (The Marine Corps has a separate budget line for $230 million in barracks repairs.) The bill passed in the House on May 22 and is headed for a vote in the Senate. 

But whether that amount is sufficient to address the scale of the problem is another question. 

“A billion dollars for four branches [of the military] is really not a lot,” according to Rob Evans, creator of Hots&Cots, an app where service members can review and rate barracks conditions. Evans pointed to recent news that the Department of Defense plans to reallocate funds that would have gone toward repairing barracks and to redirect them toward immigration operations at the southern border.

“I don’t expect the Navy to have the resources to fix all the things that need fixing,” the Navy officer said. “I would think they’d have to move money within [an] existing budget. I don’t think the DOD needs another dollar.” 

The Trump administration has proposed a record-setting $1 trillion budget for the Pentagon.

When asked whether any Navy leadership would face professional consequences related to the barracks conditions in Guam, Phelan said this particular situation was a “confluence of factors.” “I don't anticipate, under my leadership, for this to be a problem again at any barracks I visit and there will be consequences if it is,” Phelan said. 

The Air Force did not indicate if they have implemented any new inspection protocols in response to conditions in Guam barracks, similar to those initiated by the Navy. 

A spokesperson also did not directly answer a question from POGO of whether any Air Force leadership would have disciplinary consequences as a result of barracks conditions at Andersen. They wrote in an email to POGO that the Air Force expects commanders to inspect barracks “to ensure service members have safe housing.”