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Leaked US Report Reveals Burnout, Racist Remarks Plague Alaska Troops

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An army Cohesion Assistance Team (CAT) review documented sexism, racist jokes and drinking as among the problems experienced by the newly-christened 11th Airborne Division. Resource shortages and a heavy workload were also cited.
In recognition of the prestige of the fighting forces, the US Army recently renamed Alaskan troops the 11th Airborne Division, but a report leaked to Reddit’s Army forum has revealed multiple problems facing service members in the northern state.
Sexist and racist behavior were among the issues cited in the report, which was informed by interviews and surveys with soldiers. Some 5% of interviewed service members said they’d experienced catcalling within the previous two weeks while 6% said they’d experienced unwanted touching. Meanwhile, 16% said they’d heard racist remarks directed towards other soldiers or themselves.
Heavy drinking was another problem noted by the report, perhaps exacerbated by low temperatures, short days and remote locations in Alaska.
​​"The boys and girls in the barracks, what else is there to do on a Friday night other than hunker down and get wasted," remarked one anonymous junior officer.

An army Cohesion Assistance Team (CAT) review documented sexism, racist jokes and drinking as among the problems experienced by the newly-christened 11th Airborne Division.

Resource shortages and a heavy workload were also cited.

Also cited in the report were outdated facilities and equipment, which were sometimes in short supply. Additionally, the pace of operations for the soldiers was deemed to be a major concern as US troops throughout the military have been under an increased workload since the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
A U.S. Army soldier assigned to Site Security Team Task Force Guardian, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, provides security for a C-130J Super Hercules from the 75th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron (EAS) at an unidentified location in Somalia Wednesday, June 10, 2020. No country has been involved in Somalia's future as much as the United States but now the Trump administration is thinking of withdrawing the several hundred U.S. military troops from the nation at what some experts call the worst possible time.  - Sputnik International, 1920, 22.09.2023
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No Man's Land: Shocking Report Reveals ‘Depressing’ Conditions in US Military Barracks
An increase in resources, dubbed Mission 100, was recently granted to tackle the issue of suicides among soldiers, but there were concerns about whether improvements spurred by the effort could be maintained.
Still, the 11th Airborne was commended for its initiative and performance in the unforgiving Alaskan terrain.
“[It’s] critically important, I think, to our Army and to our nation to have troops who can go out and operate in [an environment like this],” said General Randy George in a recent visit to Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson. “You have to survive in this, first and foremost, and be able to thrive in this environment and they train for that year-round.”

The leaked report comes on the heels of a startling assessment by the US Government Accountability Office that found poor conditions in barracks for troops throughout the armed forces, despite the US being known for devoting more money to military expenditures than the next ten countries combined.

Plumbing issues, mold and disrepair were found to negatively impact soldiers’ health and “undermine quality of life and readiness.”

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