I dealt with barracks management for 30 of my 32 years of service. I lived in the barracks as a young soldier and NCO. I managed three barracks rooms as a team leader and 6,000 barracks rooms as a division command sergeant major. But on a self-evaluation, I would give myself a C-minus on barracks management for most of my career. I am ashamed of this.

I did not become fully invested in ensuring that barracks provide the home that soldiers deserve until I became a division command sergeant major. This is a difficult admission. My epiphany came as my eldest child got ready to enter the military. I shuddered at the thought that she might have to live in the same type of substandard barracks I routinely inspected but did not adequately fix.

I also felt guilty because when I became the 10th Mountain Division command sergeant major, the Army provided my family with amazing quarters at Fort Drum, New York. I realized I could contact the garrison command sergeant major if my quarters were substandard or if there was an emergency work order. The division’s soldiers deserved the same level of attention to ensure that their barracks were fully functional, clean and safe.

In May 2020, a brigade command sergeant major and I discussed why senior leaders often neglect the barracks. He replied that the barracks situation is not all “doom and gloom” and there are “pockets of excellence” in his brigade.

I replied that I did not want “pockets of excellence,” which I interpreted to mean that only 20% of the barracks provided the living space soldiers deserve. With this in mind, we determined that senior leaders must try something new to improve the barracks and quality of life for our “Mountain Tough” soldiers.

Taking Stock

I drove around Fort Drum the day I arrived in March 2020. I stopped by brigade and battalion headquarters, company day rooms and soldier barracks. I was dismayed by what I observed. Most of the headquarters were in disrepair and showed a lack of pride. Company day rooms and supply rooms were dirty and disorganized. I quickly realized we had a lot of work ahead of us.

One of my first actions as division command sergeant major was to conduct a full day of announced barracks inspections. My goal was to briefly visit all 54 barracks in one day so senior NCOs could help me identify problems and develop feasible solutions. Ultimately, I spent the day with one brigade. I did not see much of the division’s barracks.

Fort Drum’s barracks reflected a lack of cleanliness and care. It looked like about 30% of the washers and dryers were broken. Many of the TVs in company day rooms were inoperable. I saw broken furniture everywhere. My assessment was that the root cause of these issues boiled down to apathy and a lack of enduring systems to maintain the barracks.

With that in mind, the Fort Drum team decided to take a military planning approach to improving our barracks by developing a comprehensive approach to fixing issues.

Making a Team Work

I solicited advice from a trusted friend, Command Sgt. Maj. Ray Harris, to address my barracks concerns at Fort Drum. Harris served as the division command sergeant major for the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley, Kansas. He and his team had made significant improvements to the barracks there, and we wanted to adopt their best practices.

Following their example, we created a team of command sergeants major, first sergeants, the Fort Drum Directorate of Public Works and barracks managers. We named our team the “Pando Team” in honor of the 10th Mountain Division’s first insignia, a panda on skis with an M1 rifle strapped to its back.

The team met weekly to identify maintenance issues, prioritize work orders and find preventive solutions. Most importantly, this forum was a way to bring 10th Mountain stakeholders together to frame and solve problems that would benefit soldiers.

Simon Sinek’s 2019 book, The Infinite Game, focuses on framing a problem, solving that problem and winning. I quickly realized that improving the barracks was an infinite game requiring a team commitment. I also realized we would never win. As soon as we addressed a problem, another barracks challenge would require the energy and attention of the Pando Team.

Our first line of effort focused on establishing reasonable repair timelines. The Pando Team and leaders conducted a deep dive on work order prioritization. After all fully understood the problem, we established a realistic goal of repairing all deficiencies (or replacing the equipment) within 10 days. The 10th Mountain Division became the Army’s first large unit to embrace and utilize the Army Maintenance Application, which soldiers use to request maintenance for their living spaces. This enabled soldiers and junior leaders to submit work orders themselves rather than depend on an inefficient system of reporting problems through well-intended but bureaucratic systems.

‘This is My Room’

Our second line of effort concentrated on creating ownership of the barracks by all stakeholders, from residents (soldiers) to managers (leaders). After brainstorming, we started a messaging campaign linked to the sergeant major of the Army’s “This is My Squad” initiative. We named it “This is My Room” and emphasized that the barracks should be a place where soldiers are proud to live, not just sleep.

We used social media to broadcast the initiative and highlight soldiers who took pride in their barracks. This gained momentum as we started receiving photo submissions from soldiers several times a week.

We ensured that first sergeants understood their unique stewardship responsibilities with regard to barracks maintenance/management. I also realized we needed to provide our first sergeants with knowledge, so the Pando Team created a series of classes on best practices to maintain and manage the barracks. The brigade command sergeants major and I placed tremendous emphasis on the barracks during leader professional development sessions.

Command sergeants major then held first sergeants, junior leaders and soldiers accountable. We directed that every barracks floor display a standardized sign with the name and phone number of the first sergeant and barracks manager. This was a clear sign of ownership and accountability.

Our third and final line of effort was to create pride in our headquarters and barracks. We started by focusing on battalion and company-level areas. If a commander or command sergeant major accepted a substandard headquarters, motor pool or dining facility, then they did not pay sufficient attention to their barracks.

Repeatedly, I was proven right. I made it a point to always walk through the battalion and company areas before checking out the barracks. If a headquarters was in poor shape, so were the barracks. We invested significant effort in simultaneously improving headquarters and barracks and began seeing tangible results and increased unit pride.

Positive Impact

I served as the division command sergeant major for the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum for 2½ years. I identified problems during my first week on the job, and we were still addressing barracks issues on the day of my change-of-responsibility ceremony.

We made a positive impact on soldier quality of life and the barracks at Fort Drum. The systems the Pando Team created are still in place. The current cohort of command sergeants major remains focused on our three original lines of effort: repairs, ownership and pride. The infinite game of barracks maintenance/management continues.

Army leaders demand a lot from soldiers. They work soldiers hard and often push them to their breaking point. In return, leaders have a moral obligation to provide a functional, clean and safe barracks for their soldiers.

Command Sgt. Maj. Mario Terenas, U.S. Army retired, is deputy director of the Association of the U.S. Army Center for Leadership. He retired from the Army in September 2022 following a 32-year career in the infantry, with his final assignment as command sergeant major of the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum, New York.