Source: United States Navy
Accompanied by Capt. Matthew Schlarmann, Naval Station Norfolk Executive Officer; Capt. Ray Glenn, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (CNRMA) Executive Assistant; and Ron Plowman, unaccompanied housing director, Secretary Del Toro inspected several of the 4,000 unaccompanied housing and 3,600 Public-Private Venture (PPV) housing units during his visit The intent is to identify the most pressing infrastructure concerns and prioritize improvements.
“I need to see firsthand the issues and concerns of our service members, who volunteer to serve our Nation. We need to treat them with dignity and respect, identify their concerns, and implement processes to directly improve their experience outside the workplace. While we are doing much already, much more needs to be invested in our unaccompanied barracks and infrastructure,” said Secretary Del Toro.
This is Secretary Del Toro’s second tour of housing facilities in as many months. In October, Secretary Del Toro and Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith toured barracks across Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to gain a better understanding of living conditions and requirements to improve facilities across the Marine Corps.
As part of a follow up to the visit to Naval Station Norfolk, Secretary Del Toro plans to host a Department of the Navy-wide offsite on unaccompanied housing to ensure the best decisions and the right solutions are being made for servicemembers and their families.
“Quality of life is connected to mission readiness, and we need to ensure our Sailors, Marines, civilians, and their families have the best possible resources both in and out of the workplace,” said Secretary Del Toro.