Photo By Lance Cpl. Jeslianne Torres | U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Adam T. Taitano, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion logistics...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – U.S. Marines and Sailors aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton successfully completed the first iteration of Operation Clean Sweep, a deliberate maintenance stand-down that addressed the backlog of barracks maintenance requests through self-help projects and a surge of contracted labor, from Oct. 16-30, 2024.
To provide unit oversight of barracks procedures and maintenance, 120 barracks buildings and more than 12,000 rooms were formally assigned to commanding officers across Camp Pendleton before the operation began. I Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Corps Installations West Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton personnel then completed more than 4,500 self-help projects during the 15-day stand-down to revitalize barracks negatively affected by deferred maintenance.
Working side-by-side, officers, staff non-commissioned officers and junior Marines repaired dry-wall, painted walls, repaired and replaced window screens, and conducted grounds maintenance – not only improving living conditions but enhancing camaraderie and esprit de corps.
“The success of this operation is a testament to the dedication and teamwork of our Marines and Sailors at all ranks,” said Lt. Col. Robert Hillery, I MEF G-4 operations officer. “The all-hands effort to tackle the maintenance backlog and the bottom-up feedback provided by our junior Marines to shape the operation and its future iterations was a powerful reminder of our shared mission and values.”
During this first iteration of Operation Clean Sweep, MCI-West Public Works Department deployed six task-organized Direct Maintenance Teams to address work orders citing plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and carpentry issues. The DMTs successfully completed more than 2,000 work orders, to include repairing or replacing more than 390 washers and dryers. Additionally, more than 6,000 air conditioners were purchased for barracks rooms which are anticipated to arrive in time to combat rising summer temperatures in southern California.
Tackling the maintenance backlog as a Navy-Marine Corps team, U.S. Navy Seabees with Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303, Naval Construction Group 1, supported projects across the base. By empowering Marines and Sailors with valuable knowledge in the completion of self-help projects, the Seabees ensured the success of enduring maintenance efforts that aim to provide our Marines and Sailors the high standard of living that they deserve.
"The barracks aren’t a junior Marine problem, they’re an everybody problem. Between the Direct Maintenance Teams from Public Works, our planners and engineers, the Seabees, and the Marines of all types, everyone rolled up their sleeves and got after it,” said Cmdr. Stephen Ramsey, MCI-West public works officer. “The teamwork was infectious, there was a powerful sense of common purpose just like on a deployed operation."
Over the next fiscal year, I MEF and MCI-West will continue investing in updated HVAC, plumbing repairs, washer and dryer units, and improved furnishings to further improve quality of life and increase operational readiness across the force. Additionally, Marine Corps Community Services plans to install eight additional Mobile Exchanges that operate 24-hours a day. While maintenance efforts are still ongoing at Camp Pendleton and separate iterations are planned for other west coast bases, the initial Operation Clean Sweep has saved more than 3 million dollars in contract labor costs and successfully returned 446 previously unoccupiable barracks rooms to acceptable habitability standards.
Operation Clean Sweep is the first step in a larger I MEF and MCI-West Barracks 360 Reset initiative, which aims to improve the living conditions and operational readiness of Marines and Sailors through increased oversight by command teams, a dedicated effort to reduce the maintenance backlog and shared ownership of the barracks.
Media interested in more information on the first iteration of Operation Clean Sweep, or the larger Barracks 360 Reset initiative, should contact the I MEF Communication Strategy and Operations office at imef_commstrat@usmc.mil or 760-763-7047.
For more information, photos, videos and stories about the Barracks 360 Reset initiative, please visit:
https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/Barracks360Reset
| Date Taken: | 11.22.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.22.2024 19:19 |
| Story ID: | 486010 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 76 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Camp Pendleton Marines and Sailors Improve Barracks Conditions, by SSgt Jennifer Andrade, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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