The father of an Army Sergeant says he’s concerned about the living conditions his son came home to after being deployed in Afghanistan. The Menomonie, Wisconsin man took video of his son’s barracks at Fort Bragg in North Carolina just 2 weeks ago. Now, he’s using those images to spread awareness. After 15 months of serving in Afghanistan, troops from the Charlie Company, 82nd Airborne Division came home to their barracks at Fort Bragg. “The instant you walk through the front door, you know you’re entering a building that should be condemned,” said Ed Frawley whose son lives in the barracks. And while Frawley says the troops are not complaining about the poor living conditions, He is. Frawley said, “My son didn’t know I was putting this videotape together, and I’m not sure he’d support the decision, but I couldn’t walk away from it. I don’t think very many parents could walk away from it.”

Frawley says in 2005 some of the barracks at Fort Bragg were rebuilt. He says his son’s company didn’t receive a new building at that time and likely won’t see any construction until 2009 at the earliest. In fact, he says some of the new barracks may not be completed until 2012. “We’re lucky enough to have him back and they shouldn’t live the way they have to live,” said Frawley. Frawley says he was mad when he first took the photos, but says he now understands it’s hard to point fingers and place blame on any one person. “The entire 82nd Airborne Division has been deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq for the last 15 months. They’ve had a lot more things on their minds than barracks,” said Frawley.

Frawley believes one solution could be for large corporations to donate money to help fix the barracks at Fort Bragg. “Give it to Charlie Company and some of these other CO’s at Fort Bragg so their soldiers can live off base in decent apartment buildings,” Frawley said. Especially since he says supporting the troops that fight for your freedom is what’s really important. Ed Frawley said, “This is not a if you’re for the war or against the war. This is not a democrat or republican issue. It’s not what color your skin is or your religion is. This is about Americans supporting soldiers who come out of dangerous combat zones.” Frawley said you can help these soldiers by writing to your local congressman and senators about the conditions at Fort Bragg.

In a response from Fort Bragg, Garrison public affairs officer Tom McCollum said the fort began repairs on the barracks back in January before the unit got back into town. However, the unit got back 3 weeks before they were scheduled to, and so all repairs were not completed yet. McCollum said Ft. Bragg acknowledges the pictures in Ed Frawley’s video are appalling, but says all repairs have been made and all concerns have been addressed. He says this happened before the Frawley’s video was posted on the Internet.

McCollum says Ft. Bragg understands their responsibility to take care of their troops and their commitment is to their well-being. In a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Wisconsin democratic congressman Ron Kind called on the Department of Defense and U.S. Army to promptly improve unhealthy and unsafe living conditions at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. “In the aftermath of the problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the U.S. Army needs to act quickly to end another national embarrassment,” Rep. Kind wrote. “The condition of these barracks is simply unacceptable.” “Ed’s son and other returning soldiers deserve better,” said Rep. Kind. “Without Ed’s diligence and hard work, this unfortunate situation would have continued.”