SAN ANTONIO – Renovations are coming to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston after thousands of medical students living in dorms were relocated.
Around 5,200 enlisted medical students at the base were relocated due to what officials described as “climate control systems and foundational defects” in the buildings.
In a statement Thursday, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said the Department of Defense plans to replace five barracks that were “plagued by mold and faulty construction.”
Castro said the cost to replace those barracks is over $1 billion, and construction is expected to begin by the end of the year.
Earlier this week, KSAT received several emails and calls from people alleging mold in the dorms forced military members into base hotels.
JBSA’s official statement, however, cited “infrastructure” issues. The base said that “no one is being moved because of mold.”
A JBSA spokesperson confirmed to KSAT that Army, Navy and Air Force enlisted medical students assigned to the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) “are being relocated to on-base temporary lodging.”
KSAT asked a base official Wednesday for an interview and if any students were reported sick related to the dorm conditions. JBSA-Fort Sam Houston has yet to respond.
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