Pentagon Warns of Severe Degradation at Pacific Military Bases

The Pentagon inspector general issued an emergency management advisory warning that U.S. military facilities across the Pacific are in a state of severe degradation. Inspections of 11 facilities revealed critical infrastructure decay, including corrosion, holes in buildings, falling ceilings, mold, and asbestos. These deficiencies impact both mission-critical combat capabilities and essential housing for troops and their families.

At Kadena Air Base, 243 homes were vacated due to spalling and 139 were affected by ceiling collapses. Similar infrastructure failures were reported at Yokota Air Base and Marine Base Camp Courtney. Pentagon officials attributed the decay to aging buildings dating back to the 1970s, environmental factors such as earthquakes and tsunamis, and shortages in funding and personnel.

Mark Sinder, the deputy assistant for infrastructure modernization, stated that military departments will lead efforts to address the deficiencies and establish a correction timeline. This follows a 2025 initiative by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who created a task force to identify and improve substandard housing.