An air conditioning problem that plagued the U.S. Army’s Fort Cavazos barracks in early February continued for several weeks after being identified, according to testimonials from soldiers.
Soldiers said they experienced five to six weeks of unbearably hot temperatures in their rooms, reporting the problems both on the dorm-reviewing app Hots&Cots and through statements provided to Military Times.
On Feb. 7, a Fort Cavazos spokesperson confirmed at least 10 buildings were affected by a mechanical failure with water pumps that controlled the AC units. Brian Dosa, director of the Directorate of Public Works, said in an emailed statement that the chillers were fixed and the air conditioning was restored as of Feb. 28.
“The root problem was a manufacturer’s recall on one of our three chillers, which we had to take offline,” Dosa said.
The Directorate of Public Works oversees the facility management of Fort Cavazos, according to the Army website.
Enduring weeks of heat
Fort Cavazos worked to fix the problems in the previous weeks, but the repairs didn’t go as planned, the base previously acknowledged. When Military Times reported on the issue Feb. 7, a spokesperson for the base did not provide a timeline for when the repairs would finally be completed.
“The Fort Cavazos Garrison Team is working closely with 1st Cavalry Division leadership to provide appropriate accommodations to impacted soldiers until successful repairs can be completed,” the statement read at the time.
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Hots&Cots founder Rob Evans contacted Military Times last week, flagging further complaints about the AC units on the review app. He said the problems had affected 41 buildings, instead of the previously reported 10, claiming that the larger number was given to him by Fort Cavazos.
When reached for comment, Fort Cavazos did not confirm that 41 buildings were dealing with an AC unit problem. Instead, they confirmed that 41 facilities received chilled water for air conditioning, with 10 of those being barracks.
Throughout February, Hots&Cots posts continued to complain of excessive heat at the Texas military base.
A review posted Feb. 15 showed a photo of a thermostat reading 80 degrees Fahrenheit, along with a caption that read, “STILL busted.” Two separate posts uploaded on Feb. 26 similarly showed high room temperatures, one at 78 and one at 89 degrees Fahrenheit.
“We’re going on 5-6 Weeks of NO AC, I’m at my wits end,” the latter post read. “Leadership and garrison has ZERO care for single soldier Quality of Life.”
Another post Feb. 20 even showed a room dipping into cold temperatures, with a photo of a 57.5 Fahrenheit thermometer reading.
When complaints first started flooding Hots&Cots, soldiers accused the base of closing work orders immediately after they’d submitted them, despite the issue persisting.
“There is no need for multiple open work orders for a problem that has already been identified,” a Fort Cavazos spokesperson said at the time.
Soldiers complain of lackluster response
A soldier stationed at Fort Cavazos spoke to Military Times on Feb. 28 and described a lackluster response to the complaints about AC problems. The soldier spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing potential retaliation.
“I’ve called them about four or five times periodically ‘cause this AC thing has been an issue for the last five to six weeks,” the soldier said.
The soldier also described a problem-solving system in which electronically filed complaints were immediately canceled after submission.
“They refused to put in a work order because there were already work orders in,” the soldier said.
Meanwhile, the soldier’s barracks room consistently reached high temperatures. On the evening of Feb. 26, the room was 84 degrees, making it difficult to sleep, the soldier said.
The Directorate of Public Works advised the soldier to buy a portable AC unit to help cool down the room, without offering reassurance that any money spent on a unit would be reimbursed. The soldier declined out of principle.
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Plug-in fans were dispersed to soldiers at the building’s duty desk one day, the soldier said, but a fan wasn’t enough to successfully combat the heat.
As of March 4, the soldier’s room was hovering at 77 degrees Fahrenheit, creating doubts about whether the issue had been fully resolved.
The soldier believes the base’s broken AC units — and the response from leadership — were indicative of a more systemic problem.
“The AC situation is a symptom of the bigger issue of DPW not actually being held accountable to get stuff done,” the soldier said.
Some rooms to undergo remediation
The Directorate of Public Works was slow to respond to work orders, the soldier claimed, and sometimes the office didn’t respond at all. Like with the AC problems, orders for other issues submitted in the past had been canceled before any solution was provided, as well, according to the soldier.
The soldier described the overall quality of life at Fort Cavazos as poor, with broken washing machines and dryers and mold in certain barracks, which the soldier worried would be exacerbated by the intense heat from the AC problem.
“We take our responsibility to care for our single Soldiers who live in barracks on Fort Cavazos very seriously and respond to all work orders that we receive, including reports of mold,” Dosa said in response to an inquiry about the complaints.
Dosa said a barracks renovation program had invested $835 million in upgrading 72 out of 100 barracks over the past 12 years, referencing the makeover as an example of the base’s commitment to its soldiers’ wellbeing.
On April 8, 2021, the U.S. Army announced an “on-post housing overhaul” worth $420 million that would replace 600 homes at Fort Cavazos.
“As of today, we are tracking 17 rooms in two permanent party barracks and one transient barrack with confirmed mold,” Dosa said. “These rooms are under contract for remediation.”
Dosa recommended soldiers submit a work order through ArMA, the Army Maintenance Activity platform, or call (254) 287-2113 to report any suspected mold in their rooms.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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