UNIT 1 MILITARY HOUSING

Task 1. Describe the pictures and predict the content of the text to be read.

Task 2. Read the text and answer true (T) or false (F):

1. The issue of military accommodation in the UK armed forces has only recently proved to be a
more serious problem.
2. According to the ALIs report, the living quarters were most often dilapidated, dreary and
depressing.
3. The MoDs own report concluded that a change programme was an immediate must. ..
4. The increasing number of complaints within the British Army recently is simply due to a lack of
funds.
5. The militarys family accommodation has finally become one of the governments priorities.

MILITARY HOUSING

As the government accepts that housing for servicemen and women in the UK armed forces is
"not perfect", BBC diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams explains where the problems lie. What are
the soldiers complaining about?
This is all about accommodation. Soldiers are not slow to complain about aspects of military
life, but the poor standard of their living quarters is one that just will not go away. Since the BBC first
aired this story, our website has been inundated with e-mails, many from serving soldiers or family
members, highlighting problems with single living accommodation (barracks) and service family
accommodation. The complaints cover a host of problems, from cracked walls and broken pipes to
mildew and even rats. Has this always been a problem or has the situation worsened recently?
It's certainly a long-term problem and there's no particular evidence that it's worsened recently.
Numerous reports in the past have highlighted the issue. In 2004, in the wake of the concerns raised by
the unexplained deaths of recruits at the Deepcut barracks in Surrey, the Adult Learning Inspectorate
(ALI) was commissioned by the Ministry of Defence to look at the way training was conducted. The
ALI's report, the following March, found that living quarters were sometimes "dilapidated, dreary and
depressing". The report spoke of "sparse and shabby" furnishings and "run-down lavatories and shower
facilities". The ALI's latest findings suggest that the situation in training barracks has improved
dramatically over the past two years.
In 2003, the MoD's own Directorate of Operational Capability was ordered by the vice-chief of
defence staff to conduct its own survey of initial training. Some of its findings also made sober reading.
It found the accommodation at three large sites to be "squalid and depressing, with persistently
unserviceable facilities and decaying fabric and unreliable ablutions". Significantly, the report said it
was "clear that top-level direction" was required to "kick-start change programmes".
Why have figures within the British army appeared to be more outspoken about problems
recently? We live in a culture where complaints are more readily registered because there are more
avenues through which they can be heard. The media, in particular, encourages comment from its
audience. Soldiers are perhaps more inclined to voice their concerns than they would be otherwise.
Secondly, when the Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, chief of the general staff, spoke candidly to a
daily newspaper about his fears that the "military covenant" between the nation and its armed forces
was in jeopardy, it seemed that something of a taboo had been broken. It's highly unusual for serving
officers to voice their feelings in this way, but others have followed suit. Finally, the fact that some
senior officers have added their voices to the chorus of criticism could represent an element of special
pleading at a time when the defence budget is under strain, with costly high-tech programmes and two
continuing conflicts gobbling up cash.
To a certain extent, the military is able to spend its own money, but that's always subject to
priorities set by ministers. You often hear military chiefs talking about "cutting our cloth", making day-
to-day adjustments according to available funds and government priorities. And when it comes to
cutting cloth, as one officer put it to me, it's easier to tell families to wait for their houses to be fixed
than it is to postpone a big-ticket equipment programme. (Paul Adams. January 4th, 2007)

Task 3. Now read the text again and choose a highlighted word or phrase that means:

a) to do the same thing ..

b) to start rapidly or forcefully ..
c) in a condition of decay or partial ruin ..
d) in an excessive physical or mental tension ..
e) to broadcast the news ..
f) to tighten ones belt..
g) in degradation because of neglect or poverty ..
h) to give a clear and lucid description of something ..
i) a great number of ..
j) showing signs of advanced wear and tear ..
Task 4. Work in pairs. Talk to your partner about your worst experiences of army
accommodation. Use the following vocabulary grid to help you describe the typical deficiencies
you encountered.

Inadequate heating and/or air-conditioning.

Inadequate ventilation.
Roof leaks, pipe leaks or sewer drainage problems.
Hot water problems.
Inoperable windows.
Clogged drains, sinks, or toilets.
Inadequate number of showers or of bath fixtures.
Poor bath ventilation.
Exterior structure deterioration.
Broken bath fixtures.
Plumbing deficiencies.
Excessive noise.
Floor deterioration, corrosion of underground pipes.
Mildew or mold.
Inadequate electrical systems

Task 5. Write one paragraph in which you describe the current conditions of accommodation in
your army in general or on your military base in particular.

Task 6. Work in groups. Rank the following facilities or conditions of accommodations in your
training barracks in order of your priorities. Then, present them to the rest of the class,
motivating your options.

a) individual dorms with en-suite bathrooms

b) four square meters of living space per recruit
c) hundreds of bunk beds on each floor
d) reception barracks
e) separate barracks to house incoming recruits
f) modern furnishings
g) clean and functional lavatories
h) central heating
i) good condition of the barracks exterior
j) air-conditioning and/or ventilation
k) a mess and a common room on each floor

Task 7. Write a letter of complaint addressed to your superior as regards the current living
conditions in your service family accommodation.