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We’ve spoken a few times on the topic of outsourcing military base support operations to civilians. Here are a couple of examples of how well that is working:<\/p>\n
Ft. Leavenworth, has outsourced building maintenance to a civilian contractor, the Michaels Corporation.<\/p>\n
Fort Leavenworth, set to celebrate its bicentennial in 2027, is a National Historic Landmark with some 269 of its 1,700 living units built before 1919. It has more historic homes than any other military base. Fort Leavenworth is the oldest U.S. Army garrison still in operation west of the Mississippi River.<\/p>\n
One of its barracks, The Rookery, built around 1830, is said to be the oldest occupied home in Kansas. Each fall and spring, the fort\u2019s most beautiful historic homes are opened for tours on a parade of homes.<\/p>\n
Residents of Fort Leavenworth were upset at the news last year that as many as 89 of the garrison\u2019s historic homes are seen as too costly to maintain and could be demolished.<\/p>\n
Now, The Star has confirmed, that number has ballooned to as many 185.<\/p>\n
Carol Ayres, president of the Leavenworth County Historical Society, said she understands that clash behind a company tasked with making profits versus the high cost of maintenance and preservation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s expensive to redo those old homes,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re expensive to replace, too. I think everyone understands the reality of the situation. I\u2019m afraid the people that make those decisions, excuse me, don\u2019t always think about the history and how important it is.<\/p>\n
A complaint heard among post residents is that, over the last several years, instead of maintaining its older homes, Michaels is engaging in \u201cdemolition by neglect\u201d \u2014 allowing a greater number of historic homes to sit unoccupied and to decay to the point that demolition may become inevitable.<\/p>\n
Residents maintain that if Michaels simply lived up to its obligations under its \u201cprogram agreement\u201d with the Army to properly care for the homes, few to none would now be imperiled.\u00a0 Military.com<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
And let us not forget the chow hall situation further south – multiple chow halls with inadequate support and staffing, notably on Ft.
Hood<\/del>\u00a0 Cavazos. But they’re not alone – the Army is going all-in on food kiosks to make up for it.<\/p>\nThe kiosks are generally designed to serve 1,000 soldiers a day and offer an alternative or a supplemental food source apart from traditional dining facilities. In recent years, the Army has opened 14 of them, and plans to open an additional 13 within the next year, according to the service.<\/p>\n
The minimalist food stations are akin to a snack shop at a gas station and are stocked with a basic assortment of chips, small desserts, soda, sushi, fresh fruit and sandwiches. All of that food is sourced from the respective installation’s commissary, including its deli.<\/p>\n
“This is more of a snack,” one noncommissioned officer told Military.com on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press. “Most of this stuff is unhealthy, and the stuff that is sorta good for you are in such small portions, it’s not helping me or my soldiers.”\u00a0 Military.com II<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Sounds like taking the cheapest path of least resistance.<\/p>\n
“I’d rather eat gas station sushi, or discount bungee jump”\u00a0 is the first phrase that came to mind reading that. (I know you know where that came from.)<\/p>\n
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