1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

World War II Barracks

Discussion in 'Vets and Friends' started by Salty, Jan 28, 2018.

  1. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2003
    Messages:
    38,982
    Likes Received:
    2,615
    Faith:
    Baptist
    On a FB page, there was a light discussion about the old WW II barracks - but then one SM made this comment:

    "I did 14 weeks OSUT, at Ft Benning. These buildings were highly functional, shows how much cheaper the government can run when it has to. Really don’t know why they had to get rid of them."

    So should the Army use the old WW II type billets for Basic and AIT?

    Open for discussion
     
    #1 Salty, Jan 28, 2018
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2018
  2. padredurand

    padredurand Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2004
    Messages:
    4,541
    Likes Received:
    102
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Aberdeen Proving Grounds in 1979

    Dwayne Durand Uniform.JPG
     
    • Like Like x 1
  3. Van

    Van Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Messages:
    26,913
    Likes Received:
    1,017
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I have driven by some spiffy barracks on Camp Pendleton. And I visited the barracks of my grandson while in the Air Force basic training, very nice. One reason for upgrading them is that now we do not fill them with draftees.

    Another reason is that while I was in basic training (1965), Fort Ord was closed due to a meningitis outbreak. To many guys too close together.
     
  4. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2003
    Messages:
    38,982
    Likes Received:
    2,615
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Thus the reason for head-to-toe and sneeze sheets
     
  5. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    May 14, 2001
    Messages:
    26,977
    Likes Received:
    2,536
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Hi Van, I was in a similar situation - 1960 Lowry Air Force Training Base dysentery outbreak. Very unpleasant disease.
     

    Attached Files:

  6. Van

    Van Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Messages:
    26,913
    Likes Received:
    1,017
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Yeah, we slept head to toe but if someone in the top bunk would still sneeze directly onto to guy in the adjacent bottom bunk.
    But, yes it was a good step, just not the end all.
     
  7. Van

    Van Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Messages:
    26,913
    Likes Received:
    1,017
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I can only imagine, our latrine did not have privacy barriers between the row of toilets, so...
     
  8. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2003
    Messages:
    38,982
    Likes Received:
    2,615
    Faith:
    Baptist
    and then there was the one urinal.
     
  9. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    May 14, 2001
    Messages:
    26,977
    Likes Received:
    2,536
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Right, some of the men literally crawled to the latrine. I was pretty much doubled over in pain.
    There was a total replacement of the ancient dishes at the chow hall.

    HankD
     
  10. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    May 14, 2001
    Messages:
    26,977
    Likes Received:
    2,536
    Faith:
    Baptist
    For those of you who don't know in my day Lowry AFB was divided by the runway - Lowry I and Lowry II.
    The dysentery was contained in Lowry II via quarantine.

    HankD
     
  11. supersoldier71

    supersoldier71 Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2018
    Messages:
    122
    Likes Received:
    26
    Faith:
    Baptist
    If the barracks are serviceable, not overrun with black mold or asbestos then...maybe.

    The fact is that most servicemen in WW2 were drafted. Our entire force are volunteers. That doesn't mean that we can't, shouldn't or don't conduct tough, realistic training, but it does mean that some living standards that may have been barely acceptable for a conscripted force, don't even come close for an all-volunteer force, especially one that needs to retain talent down the line.

    Would the savings on the front end cost us on the back end?

    I don't know.
     
Loading...