Fort Bragg moves 1,029 soldiers from substandard barracks; deadline extended for other 160
Editor's note: This story had been updated to reflect Fort Bragg's latest count of moved soldiers as of Wednesday.
About 86% of the soldiers living in substandard barracks have moved, according to an update from Fort Bragg officials.
In the update last week, officials said the majority of soldiers living in the Smoke Bomb Hill Barracks have relocated to other housing, meaning the goal to move all soldiers by the end of September was “not feasible.”
“Although the timeline will need to shift slightly, Fort Bragg will not sacrifice the safety and well-being of our soldiers,” officials said.
As of Wednesday, 1,029 out of the 1,189 impacted soldiers had moved.
Impacted soldiers are from the 1st Special Forces Command, 18th Airborne Corps units, including the 20th Engineer Brigade, and 35th Corps Signal Brigade, and other units on post.
Officials said soldiers living in rooms identified as having "life, health, and safety concerns” have moved to suitable housing on or off the installation.
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The application process for private housing means that some soldiers will continue living in Smoke Bomb Hill Barracks past the Sept. 30 move-out goal.
Senior leaders deemed the barracks as substandard in late July because of mold and heating and ventilation system issues.
The constant upkeep of the buildings was too time-consuming and costly, Fort Bragg officials said during news conferences held in August and September.
Some soldiers opted to move into Army hotel rooms on post, as they await vacancies in off-post housing, Maj. Gen. Brian Mennes, deputy commander of the 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, said Sept. 12.
With more than 18,000 soldiers living in barracks, Mennes said, commands identified senior noncommissioned officers to move off post and free up space for the junior enlisted soldiers who may not be ready to take on costs associated with living off post.
He said leaders have approved about 470 spots for soldiers opting to move off of Fort Bragg, and those soldiers should be moved no later than October.
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The Army will provide those soldiers with a dislocation allowance to help offset costs for deposits and other moving costs
The Greater Fayetteville Apartment Association has also developed a website to highlight a list of apartments with special discounts available to service members impacted by the Smoke Bomb Hill Barracks relocation.
Officials said affected soldiers who are granted certificates of nonavailability to move off post are eligible for an initial utility waiver, and Spectrum Internet and Cable has waived all fees including transfer of services for the soldiers relocating.
Barracks concerns
The latest move is not the first time concerns have been raised about barracks or that soldiers have been moved because of issues in housing.
In December, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina wrote a letter to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth after a Fort Bragg soldier contacted his office about mold in the barracks.
In an Aug. 10 tweet, Tillis said that once he heard from the soldiers, he asked Army leaders to step in.
“I’m glad to see the Army is taking steps to directly address this problem (and) provide families with safe housing,” he said.
Military.com first reported that Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston was part of an inspection “that did not go well” at the end of July and that Grinston “scolded local leadership” for the condition of the barracks that were riddled with mold issues, and one room had a hole in the wall with exposed pipes.
Grinston wrote in a tweet Aug. 28 that the visit “was not the first domino in this process.”
“Getting it done right will always be more important than getting it done fast,” Grinston said.
During a Sept. 16 interview with The Fayetteville Observer, Wilcox reiterated that the move is a “whole of Bragg” approach.
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Barracks, where the affected soldiers are being moved, are inspected by both units of the impacted soldiers and the unit that manages the barracks.
Wilcox said he meets with representatives from units affected by the move and all the Fort Bragg’s directorates twice a day to discuss the progress and coordination of moving the soldiers.
Once all the soldiers are moved, Wilcox said, 12 of the Smoke Bomb Hill Barracks buildings will be demolished, and five other barracks will be renovated or rebuilt.
The overall cost and demolition is about $115 million.
During the Sept. 12 news conference, Aaron Brown, Fort Bragg’s director of public works, said replacing the demolished buildings is not yet funded, but expected for fiscal years 2026-2028.
He said the new barracks would be double the size of the ones at Smoke Bomb Hill and built to new Army standards, costing an estimated $80 million.
Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Barracks relocation delayed for about 300 Fort Bragg soldiers
