The Army’s largest base is struggling to manage a massive build-up of trash that allegedly accumulated due to “unexpected equipment issues,” according to statements late Tuesday, after images of the piling waste surfaced.
Officials at Fort Liberty, located in North Carolina, said they are implementing a “phased approach” to removing the trash and bringing in reinforcements from local vendors to remove the piling trash, they said in statements. They shared a video on social media of garrison commander Col. John Wilcox and others beginning to remove some of the trash after reports and photos began to garner attention and soldiers complained anonymously.
“The current situation of trash build-up on the installation is unacceptable, and we are working to resolve the issue immediately,” Wilcox said in a statement. “It is our obligation to provide and maintain safe, clean facilities for our Soldiers, families, and civilian employees.” (RELATED: ‘Unacceptable’: Pentagon Ignores Squalid Living Conditions For US Troops In Military Barracks, Report Finds)
Task and Purpose verified photos posted on social media showing dumpsters overflowing with full trash bags, boxes, furniture and other waste on Monday. Much of accumulated refuse was located near living quarters, and one soldier said no trash collectors had come for months.
The base said it was seeking to hire local vendors for “stopgap refuse support” as equipment issues had prevented the regular contractor from keeping up with the installation’s trash collection requirements.
“TODAY, we are moving in additional large trash containers for trash overflow and will continue placing these containers around the installation over the next several days to accommodate new trash,” the statement read.
“Despite the circumstances that led to the overflow of trash on the installation, we are working diligently to address the issue as quickly as possible,” it continued, reiterating that soldiers would not be expected to contribute to pick-up efforts.
“But we are asking for their patience as we resolve this problem,” the officials added. “We are here to support Soldiers, their families, and our civilian employees – and we take that responsibility seriously.”
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Fort Liberty is the largest Army base, hosting up to 10% of the Army’s active duty force, according to Task and Purpose. Roughly 40,000 people live on the base, which produces about 25,000 tons of garbage each year, documents show.
One soldier previously told Task and Purpose his unit had to walk about a mile to reach the nearest dumpster.
“This has been a slow build,” the first soldier told the outlet. “What the units have been doing is having the guys get out there and stomp the trash down and throw it in trucks and take it places.”
“I’m pregnant right now so the smell of trash makes me go crazy,” a former soldier and current military spouse said.
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April Olsen, a base spokesperson, said the installation was aware of the problems with trash pick-up and working to solve them in the story published Monday.
Trash collection efforts prioritizing barracks, child development centers, dining facilities and medical facilities resumed in recent days, Olsen told Task and Purpose.
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