The Navy is rolling out a new bill of rights for sailors living on base housing.
The new “Bill of Rights and Responsibilities” spells out that sailors living in barracks housing have the right to safe and clean living conditions.
Among other things, sailors have the right to inspect conditions before they move in. They also have the right to report problems with housing without fear of reprisals from the chain of command.
Among the responsibilities listed in the document, sailors give 30 days notice before moving out to allow for any maintenance or repairs.
The Navy has been under Congressional scrutiny after complaints were raised about living conditions in military housing throughout the country, both on base and privately run military housing in the community.
Troops have reported mold, rodents, wastewater leaks and other substandard conditions. The Army, Air Force and Marines have reported similar problems.
The Bill of Rights and Responsibilities is supposed to be the first of several measures the Navy is rolling out to address housing conditions.
The Navy has labeled housing a morale issue. The new bill of rights is supposed to be in place in all orientation manuals by the end of the month.
Navy Installations command oversees 10 Navy regions, 70 bases and more than 43,000 employees worldwide.
