Army leaders are outlining ways to improve privatized housing standards after damning congressional testimony and a barrage of negative news stories from Reuters and others, and a Military Family Advisory Network survey showing the majority of military families have had bad housing experiences.
“Our instinct is this is bigger even than what’s been reported,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said Friday, according to The Hill, “and we want to get to the bottom of it, get to the bottom of it fast.”
At a hearing last week, Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), an Air Force veteran, told executives from housing privatization companies that they should be “embarrassed.”
“I hope all of you can look these service members and their families in the eye and tell them that you’re sorry, but then do the right thing starting now,” McSally said.
But Milley said the Army is also at fault.
“Just because someone said it’s privatized doesn’t wash our hands of the responsibility to take care of our soldiers and their families,” Milley said, according to Reuters.
 
U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jim Greenhill