As far as blaming barracks troubles on those who live in them, this might be a new one.
Army officials say mold spotted in barracks showers by soldiers training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, last month was caused at least in part by soldiers leaving “shower areas wet after use,” according to an official memo.
Mold growth was discovered in 43 out of the 49 buildings on the Louisiana base, according to a Directorate of Public Works memo obtained by Task & Purpose. Seven of the buildings had mold growth that covered over 10 square feet of space.
The memo lists the following contributing factors for the mold growth: building infrastructure, HVAC/air distribution, open windows impacting HVAC efficiency, leaving bathrooms and shower areas wet after use, and air drying towels inside.
Robert Evans, founder of Hots&Cots, said the memo’s language puts blame on the service members when there are larger systemic problems that need to be addressed, like aging buildings or insufficient maintenance staff.
“Your showers are going to be wet after use. That’s the job of a shower. If soldiers are having to clean them afterwards, what are they expecting? What is the ask here then of Fort Polk?” Evans said. “I think that’s just kind of putting the blame back on the service numbers.”
Laurel Stone, a spokesperson for Fort Polk, told Task & Purpose that the base is prioritizing HVAC repairs in barracks facilities and making an effort to respond to HVAC work orders within two hours. Stone also said that in order “to address soldier contributions to the problem,” the base has “reinforced the need for daily common area maintenance.”
That doesn’t, Stone said, mean showers must be kept dry.
“Soldiers are not responsible for ‘drying their showers,’” Stone said. “Rather, they are responsible for keeping their shower areas clean.”
Wet towels and clothing left in the open, she said, raise humidity levels, which can foster mold. Soldiers should instead use laundry facilities to dry those items.
Stone said Fort Polk authorities have done remediation in three buildings since the mold was reported, including lining the floors with protective absorbent covering, scrubbing, disinfecting and using simple green or other degreasers to make sure “spores do not become airborne once disturbed.” Shower curtains were also replaced.
Mold in junior unaccompanied barracks has been reported frequently in recent years as soldiers have taken to public outlets to complain about their housing. The majority of moldy barracks issues that have garnered attention have come from installations in the Southeastern U.S., which has some of the highest levels of humidity. To combat this problem, soldiers in Georgia even built their own mold detection tool, which tracks the temperature and humidity levels in barracks rooms.
Fort Polk officials encouraged soldiers to submit work orders through the official Army and Directorate of Public Works maintenance websites — a point of contention among younger service members who regularly take to social media because of frustrations with the official systems.
“We rely on occupants to ‘help us help them,’” Stone said in a statement, adding that the base currently does semi-annual inspections of barracks and hosts regular briefings on mold mitigation and reports at facility manager and environmental compliance officer training.
Soldiers who submit work orders for mold covering less than 10 square feet can get a “mold-buster kit” at the self-help store on base or request one, Stone said.
Evans said he’s seen other bases direct troops to use mold-busting kits or clean it up themselves, which doesn’t always solve the problem directly.
“The verbiage will vary of their responsibilities for the soldier, but in situations like when it’s in the shower and in the caulk — caulk is porous, you have to rip out the caulk to really get rid of the mold,” Evans said. “If it’s a shower that’s been grouted, when was the last time that grout has been sealed? Because, again, grout is porous, so that mold is going to get deep inside there. Are we gonna start training soldiers in tile work and how to repair their showers?”
Temporary barracks
Directorate of Public Works completed the barracks review and remediation at Fort Polk in June after reports by soldiers from the Iowa National Guard. The soldiers were at Fort Polk for training ahead of a deployment to the Middle East.
The barracks where the Iowa soldiers were housed are used by troops who are temporarily assigned to the base for training. The facilities where officials found more than 10 square feet of mold growth are not part of the base’s routine inspection schedule and are serviced based on work orders. Stone said the base recently incorporated vacant buildings into their routine inspections.
“Moving forward, the installation will be incorporating a process overview of how rotational units can request service for mold concerns,” Stone said.
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Evans said those temporary buildings can sometimes get less attention than barracks where troops are housed full-time.
“When I was in the reserves, the rotational barracks are kind of treated — I don’t mean this in a negative way — but as a stepchild. They’re rotational for a reason,” Evans said. “They’re used temporarily and they’re left. They’re not permanent party. I could see them being handled differently. Now, does that make it right? No, I don’t think so. But I think that’s kind of the view sometimes.”
The Iowa Guard’s Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn and other senior leaders made “multiple visits” to the base to assess the mold, hear from soldiers and “advocate on their behalf,” said Jackie Schmillen, a spokesperson for the Iowa National Guard.
“These men and women have volunteered to serve their state and nation and are preparing for an important overseas mission in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in the Middle East,” Schmillen said. “Despite these challenges, the Iowa National Guard ensured our soldiers were properly trained, equipped, and prepared prior to reporting to the mobilization site.”
CORRECTION: 7.22.2025; An earlier version of this article incorrectly referenced Fort Hood further down in the story, rather than Fort Polk. The mistake occurred during the editing process and has been corrected.
