keirnna

iTrader: (8)

To Whom It May Concern:



My name is Corporal Nathan A. Keirn, and I am stationed at Marine Corps Bases Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. I have been in the military serving my country for the last three and a half years; in that time I have been station in MCRD Parris Island, Camp Geiger, 29 Palms, MCB S.D. Butler, Okinawa, JP, and finally my current duty station MCBH Kaneohe Bay with 3rd Marines. I’d just like to say that while I have been in the USMC it turned out to be much different that what I thought it would be. I remember looking up at my father, a US Marine Veteran of the Vietnam War, and thinking that I should join the same organization that helped to shape him into the respectable man he is today. I joined at age 17 expecting a tough boot camp, which it was. I though that the USMC was a band of brothers and that I would be taken care of by my fellow Marines. This has happened to an extent, but somehow the United States has forgotten about us. We hear about Marines fighting in Iraq daily, and Americans can sleep safe at night because every United States Marine has sworn to protect America from all enemies foreign and domestic. No matter what your opinions are on the military or the war on terror please take a few minutes to read and think about what I have to say. I will give you a little history on the living conditions that I have experienced while I have been in the United States Marine Corps. If I were to say that I have lived in substandard conditions while I was in the USMC it would be an understatement. I have lived in the worst maintained, most decrepit buildings I have ever seen in my life. I have lived in “condemned” buildings at least twice in the last three and a half years; the buildings that were not condemned likely should have been. One of the condemned buildings is the place I currently call home. The reason I decided to send this email, is because the heinous living conditions have come to a boiling point, because there is currently a dead animal lodged into the barracks walls. So in my home, building 1056 on Hawaii I can smell rotting flesh each time I go to and from my home. Now remember I am not in Iraq. I am in the United States of America. This smell is one of the strongest and worst I have every smelled. I gag and want to vomit when I walk up and down the stairs because the odor is so pungent. I cannot stand to breath to air so I filter it through a t-shirt when I pass by the area where a dead animal is lodged in the walls of my home. I’ve contacted animal control and facilities maintenance for 1st Battalion 3rd Marines, and 3rd Marines. I cannot go further through the chain of command because people are so lazy here that I was told by a Staff Sergeant of Marines that he would be immediately coming to investigate the smell and would have it taken care of as soon as possible. I waited, and then I waited some more. No one ever came. The SSgt went home to his wife and family forgetting about the dead animal that I share a home with. It is unsatisfactory that young men who could be sent to war at any moment have to put up with these unlivable conditions. The dead animal is just the worst of it, I have lived in this building since early November of 2003, and since that point I have not had Air Conditioning. Now in Hawaii the temperatures are at least 85 year round, so I sweat through the last 6 months. I also cannot drink the tap water in my barracks because it causes severe diarrhea, vomiting, and cramping. Now this would all make sense because this building is condemned, but last time I checked condemned meant that no one could live in the building. The USMC must not use the same dictionary that the rest of us do because they have filled this barracks with troop after troop just telling us to, “Suck it up.” Well I for one am sick of allowing the public to think that the tax dollars that they pay every year actually make it to the causes they are supposed to. Where are you tax dollars going; I don’t know, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that they are not making it to the Marines in building 1056. Enclosed are pictures I’ve taken myself to show what we live in. Tell me if you want your sons or daughters living in this kind of filth. This barracks is not dirty because we haven’t tried to clean it; it is dirty because it is slowly collapsing on us.


Semper Fidelis,


Corporal Nathan A. Keirn

USMC


keirnna@thetestbed.com

keirnna@mcbh.usmc.mil


Go here for the pictures:
http://www.thetestbed.com/1056

funkdrmr

I feel ya dude. When I was a single sailor, we had it pretty bad sometimes, but not THAT bad. One thing, though. Check your contract. I kind of remember something in the Navy one that said we accept the fact that living conditions will be substandard. I'm not sure if that's an entire Navy thing, or just for us submarine guys, but I think it was there. Good luck getting all of that taken care of.

keirnna

iTrader: (8)

I've posted even more pictures. Please take a look at them. This is what I ask of you. Please forward this email to anyone you know who will listen. Go to http://www.senate.gov and write your senators. Go to http://www.house.gov/ to write your representatives. Go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ to write the President of the United States, and the Vice President. Please take action to help me, and my fellow Marines solve our problem. All we ask for is livable conditions. Be it a new barracks, or permission and compensation to live off base. Please contact me for more information, or with any question. I am a resident of Indiana. Thank your for your time and help.

funkdrmr

Where in Indiana are you from? I'm from Indiana as well. Watch out for the "we" you put in there too. Individual complaints from different people are ok. You don't want to get someone riled up about the whole "mutiny!!" thing.

keirnna

iTrader: (8)

I'm from Sullivan, IN. It is just south or Terre Haute.

silver satin

iTrader: (7)

I sent a e-mail to my Sentator not sure if it will do any good. I hate to say it but that place is a dump I cannot see how they expect somebody to live there. There are bare wires sticking out of walls. Is there anyway you can move off base??? Maybe you try to see if they will let you if you can find a roomate you should be able to get a nice place....

funkdrmr

Sweet! Go 30 minutes North of Terre Haute to a really small town called Rockville, and that's where I'm from.

I dunno if I'll write anything in for you, but good luck anyways.

keirnna

iTrader: (8)

Thanks, and I know rockville. I used to live in Crawfordsville, and I go through rockvill everytime I visit my friends.

keirnna

iTrader: (8)

I am currently trying to get authorized to move off base, but the USMC doesn't want to permit it. I would rate about $1,000 a month in BAH. Here is the really crappy thing; I currently pay $400 a month for my room in that barracks. I never see the money it is automatically taken from my pay. Thanks for you help, and thanks for writing your senator.

silver satin

iTrader: (7)

You mean they are charging you to live there thats crazy.....I lived in Anderson until I was like 5..

gdogg

iTrader: (38)

wow
nathan dude,
i had no idea
i know u said it sucked-
but that is bad- i sent out the email.
hopefully everything works out for you.
i can't believe they are actually charging you to live there!
well, u know how to reach me


aloha from the summit of Mauna Kea

ftnssn

Nobody should send out that email until they've fixed all the errors in it. I totally understand what you are saying and where you're coming from but if you want to be taken seriously you need to proofread that thing. You deserve to be taken seriously and you really won't be if you don't fix it. But I contacted my state senator when I was in the Navy about an issue I had and trust me your voice will be heard. But if you can contact a democratic politicican you'll probably get better results but they will use you to wave their anti military flag but you will get results.

keirnna

iTrader: (8)

Yeah I realized that the grammar was not perfect, but when I sent it out I was so enraged I didn't care.