U.S. Sens. David Vitter and Mary Landrieu and U.S. Reps. Jim McCrery and Rodney Alexander today applauded the award of funds to upgrade barracks at the Fort Polk/Joint Readiness Training Center.  Conditions at the barracks have deteriorated significantly over the years, and this situation has had negative impacts on unit morale and readiness.  Vitter, Landrieu and McCrery recently sent a letter to chief Army officials that outlined their concerns with living conditions at the base and requested a meeting to discuss these issues.  During a meeting today with Lt. Gen. Robert Wilson, Commanding General, U.S. Army Installation Management Command, the delegation members learned the Army will allocate funds in the amount of $166 million to upgrade the barracks.

“This is truly great news for the soldiers stationed at Fort Polk,” said Vitter.  “These important upgrades have been a long time coming, and this will help boost the morale of troops stationed here. This is a quality of life issue, and we owe it to these brave men and women to provide them with the best possible living conditions.”

“This funding to improve and modernize the Fort Polk barracks is very welcome and long overdue,” said Sen. Landrieu. “Each and every one of our brave soldiers deserves a clean, livable home, and I am proud that after our delegation’s hard work together, the Army is finally acting.  These funds will make much-needed immediate improvements to the quality of life on the base.  But we must also work with the Army and the greater Fort Polk community to advance better approaches for the future, such as privatizing the barracks.  Family housing on the base has already been privatized, and the end result has been a beautiful, clean and effective model for what is possible.  Our troops give their all for our nation, and we owe them our all in return.  I know no one in our delegation intends to give up that fight.”

“Today is a great day for Fort Polk.  This initiative constitutes the largest maintenance and repair project in the installation’s 68 year history,” said McCrery.  “Modernizing our barracks at Fort Polk will make the installation considerably more competitive for future missions, not to mention drastically improving the quality of life for the thousands of enlisted soldiers stationed at Polk.  This announcement is the culmination of many years of hard work.  I’d like to personally thank Fort Polk’s Garrison Command and the Directorate of Public Works for their hard work and commitment on this successful effort.”

“Our troops deserve nothing less than the very best, and making improvements to the barracks at Fort Polk is a way of honoring their commitments as well as investing into the overall success of Fort Polk,” Alexander said.  “Fort Polk continues to serve as a major employer for Central Louisiana, and it has played a profound role in training our nation’s brave men and women to continue to protect and preserve our freedom.”

Since its founding in 1941, Ft. Polk has struggled with pervasive mold issues, and many of the barracks suffer from a litany of problems compounded by poor design and a lack of appropriate upkeep and maintenance. Ft. Polk officials have tried on several occasions to address these concerns but have been faced with a lack of funding that has hampered such efforts.

“We have two combat units from Fort. Polk that are currently on deployment,” Vitter said.  “After spending months enduring extremely difficult and hazardous living conditions, they deserve to return home to clean and modern barracks. We certainly owe them that much – and more – and I know that Louisianans would hate to see these troops forced to live in these substandard conditions any longer.”

The Army plans to use funds remaining from the current fiscal year to make the necessary upgrades and repairs at Ft. Polk.