Conditions in some barracks for military personnel and mission-critical infrastructure, like runways on Air Force bases, have suffered because of a $285 billion maintenance backlog, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.
Due to competing budget priorities, the Department of Defense set the goal for funding maintenance projects at 90%, but GAO investigators found the military services were only meeting 80% of their maintenance needs.
“The Department of Defense has not fully determined the risks to its mission and to the quality of life of its personnel as a result of not meeting its funding goals,†the report stated.
The Pentagon is often described as the largest institutional landlord in the world. According to the GAO, the Defense Department has more than 736,000 facilities in its real estate portfolio with an estimated value of $2.6 trillion as of fiscal year 2025.
About a third of the facilities in the Defense Department are more than 50 years old. Aging infrastructure only adds to the department's maintenance needs, GAO officials said.
“Neglecting mission-critical infrastructure like runways and depots can harm readiness, while deficiencies in maintenance for facility systems, such as heat, ventilation, and air conditioning [HVAC] and plumbing, can affect service members' quality of life — to include their health and safety — as well as opportunities for recruitment and retention,†according to the report.
The GAO investigated living and work conditions at Army, Navy, and Air Force installations across the U.S. and overseas locations like Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
“We obtained and reviewed relevant documents, including guidance, policies, and procedural documents,†the GAO officials said. “We interviewed officials in each of the services who are responsible for managing installation facility maintenance and facility project funding at the service level.â€
GAO officials said Pentagon leadership consistently prioritizes immediate operational readiness and modernization programs, like weapons development and ongoing missions, over long-term infrastructure maintenance.
“Continual funding of needed maintenance below recommended [Facilities Sustainment Model] funding levels has contributed to the growing backlog of deferred maintenance needs,†according to the report.
The Army identified about $140 billion in needed military construction and facility repair projects that have not yet received funding as of April 2025. Meanwhile, Navy officials identified about $70 billion in military construction requirements and about $37 billion in repair project requirements as of April 2025.
“The Marine Corps and Air Force have not measured unfunded military construction and facility repair needs, but there were substantial unfunded needs†as of May 2025, the GAO said.
Deferred maintenance backlogs have contributed to degraded infrastructure, which can negatively affect military missions as well as service members' quality of life.
“Some of the facilities with deferred maintenance and repairs are aging facilities that officials said are overdue for repair or replacement,†the report stated. “In some cases, the long-term costs for maintaining aging facilities are more than the short-term costs [the Defense Department] saves through lower budget requests for improvement projects that would renovate or replace these facilities.â€
Military officials told the GAO auditors that the aging facilities are less effective in supporting installation missions and quality of life than if they were repaired or replaced.Â
At Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, the GAO investigators noted a B-52 bomber parking area that was more than 30 years past its expected lifespan.
“Air Force leadership instructed the base to complete the project through a multiple-phase repair plan,†the GAO said. “The base developed a plan accordingly, but has not been able to complete it due to competing maintenance priorities at Minot and other bases.â€
Meanwhile, a critical aircraft hangar at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam is several years behind schedule for completion. Officials there must maintain older hangars to house their aircraft and routinely fly the aircraft to other locations for painting.
Housing officials at the Norfolk Naval Base reported suspected mold in a barracks in 2023. However, the installation maintenance office declined a request to test the growth for mold due to the cost of testing and potential remediation. They were forced to treat the area with household cleaning products and close the affected rooms.
The GAO investigators said the main dining facility at Fort Wainwright is designed to serve 800 soldiers, but about 3,000 troops are based there. The post commander and other Army leaders have repeatedly advocated for expansion of the dining facility as a high priority. But the expansion had yet to be selected for military construction funding as of March 2026.
“As a result, the dining facility is not able to serve soldiers promptly, so many opt to eat less-healthy food in their living spaces at their own expense, especially in the winter when it is too cold to wait in line outside,†the GAO investigators said.
Pentagon officials told the GAO investigators that they face several challenges in hiring and retaining key maintenance personnel, including hiring in remote and isolated locations and competition with the private sector.
“However, GAO found that the military departments have not fully identified the extent of maintenance workforce shortages or developed strategies to address these challenges,†the report stated. “Doing so would better position department and service leadership to ensure that they have the skilled workforce to address maintenance needs.â€
