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Old 12-06-2022, 05:52 AM
 
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Do you think base housing would be improved if the base set up a detachment of qualified enlisted personnel to perform routine maintenance and repairs as well as perform routine inspections to document issues beyond base staff capabilities for contractor repairs? For example, the US Navy have ratings with training as plumbers, AC/refrigeration, & electricians. The Seabees are a construction crew. They can get most General home repairs done quickly. For larger repairs like roof leaks they can report and get estimates from roofing contractors.
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Old 12-06-2022, 06:44 AM
 
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I wouldn't think they'd do any better than the professional trades government employees that used to do it. It's not as much about the 'who', as it is 'how many' and the beauracracy that manages them.
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Old 12-06-2022, 12:23 PM
 
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Most base housing has been privatized, where someone else owns the buildings, not the government. The folks I know that live in it seem to find it more responsive.

And from the looks of the dorms I see every day at my nearby base, it looks like hell. Less money is being spent on general base upkeep.
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Old 12-06-2022, 07:14 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slduvall View Post
Most base housing has been privatized, where someone else owns the buildings, not the government. The folks I know that live in it seem to find it more responsive.

And from the looks of the dorms I see every day at my nearby base, it looks like hell. Less money is being spent on general base upkeep.
Still govt owned but run & maintained by contractors. Long Island has base housing left over from Mitchell Field.
Some were sold off like the waterfront housing in Ewa Beach on Oahu.
Military transfer every few years. It's not really their mission to maintain facilities.
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Old 12-07-2022, 09:25 AM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
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During my career, I observed that the US Navy would buy land near a base and announce contracts for local contractors to bid on construction. However, since it is Federal property the local municipal offices look the other way. The contractors may be good, but since there are no building inspectors many things will be overlooked.

Serving in Italy, a previous base commander had bought land for a new base and contracted the perimeter fence and buildings. I was in the position to be the guy to sign the forms that the buildings had been finalized and approved. I am no building inspector. and nobody in my chain of command had been present when the contracts were issued. Whatever the builders built is what we got.
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Old 12-07-2022, 02:04 PM
 
Location: Hawaii/Alabama
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Our last quarters were privatized (Scholfield Barracks, HI) and it was awful. They never returned messages and I would have to go in person (really fun when I m blind and had to go in my wheelchair to the office thank goodness for Google maps!).

They were curt and unprofessional and demanded that I leave my service dog outside (had his vest on and his leash was attached to my chair; I also had an ID from the organization as well as a laminated copy of the ADA section regarding service animals).

That was a huge fight (my boy was worth $50,000 or so) and I actually had to get the IG involved.

As soon as my DH was back from Iraq we bought a house (commuting was a nightmare for DH).
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Old 12-07-2022, 05:47 PM
 
Location: Las Vegas & San Diego
6,906 posts, read 3,291,628 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by victimofGM View Post
Do you think base housing would be improved if the base set up a detachment of qualified enlisted personnel to perform routine maintenance and repairs as well as perform routine inspections to document issues beyond base staff capabilities for contractor repairs? For example, the US Navy have ratings with training as plumbers, AC/refrigeration, & electricians. The Seabees are a construction crew. They can get most General home repairs done quickly. For larger repairs like roof leaks they can report and get estimates from roofing contractors.
Not realistic for a number of reasons

- why would you think these military members are not already fully employed without adding to their work that is better done by a contractor.

- most base housing is now contracted out so not owned or maintained by DoD. Therefore would be illegal to use government people to maintain.

- the equipment in housing is very different from what is used on ships and aircraft - they would need to train on housing equipment to be effective.

- the personnel are assigned to do a task that is military related, doing these would take them from that task. They would not be able to do the primary task they are assigned such as teaching.

- the personnel are not where the housing is in a lot of cases and not enough to cover the tasks - contractors are cheaper than having a skilled industrial pipefitter repairing a simple faucet leak.

This would be like taking a fighter pilot and assigning them to drive a school bus.
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Old 12-07-2022, 06:15 PM
 
Location: Las Vegas & San Diego
6,906 posts, read 3,291,628 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Submariner View Post
During my career, I observed that the US Navy would buy land near a base and announce contracts for local contractors to bid on construction. However, since it is Federal property the local municipal offices look the other way. The contractors may be good, but since there are no building inspectors many things will be overlooked.

Serving in Italy, a previous base commander had bought land for a new base and contracted the perimeter fence and buildings. I was in the position to be the guy to sign the forms that the buildings had been finalized and approved. I am no building inspector. and nobody in my chain of command had been present when the contracts were issued. Whatever the builders built is what we got.
Not at all correct - there are ongoing inspections on every government building under construction - they have to follow the contract and inspections are often more rigorous than local regulations. There are also Navy CeC officers and civilians that manage these buildings and ensure they are inspected and maintained. I have dealt with them on these inspections before.

There is also a contracting officer on the hook for any contract - it is up to them to verify that the government is getting what is contracted. I dealt with many major contracts for many years as a program manager (My DW was a contracting officer also) and they do not "just accept" what the contractor delivers - you may not see the other stuff happening but doesn't mean it is not happening.
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Old 12-09-2022, 04:39 AM
 
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Contractors bid on whole regions and hopefully they're good. The federal government is usually responsible for underground utilities, storm drains and street lights.
The government still owns the property occupied by base housing.
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