FORT CARSON, Colo. — Soldiers living in 17 of Fort Carson’s barracks buildings are swapping end-of-lifecycle furniture for new items by the end of March. Once the exchanges are complete, 1,554 rooms will have new Army furniture.
“A Soldier’s experience in our barracks is quality of life issue #1, and that drives readiness,” said Joe Wyka, acting deputy garrison commander. “A huge part of that experience is having clean, comfortable and serviceable furniture.”
The Fort Carson Directorate of Public Works (DPW) team worked with the units and its U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Installation Management Command (IMCOM) partners to order more than 15,000 pieces of new barracks furniture and appliances, which is being installed this winter, he said.
“It is truly a team effort to provide the best service with the least disruption to Soldiers and leadership,” Wyka said.
The large-scale barracks furniture replacement effort supports 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson Commanding General Maj. Gen. David Doyle’s commitment to taking care of people, he said.
Army furniture replacement is determined by the last lifecycle exchange or from when the building was built or renovated, noted Ed Ruiz, DPW Furnishings Management Office housing manager. The age of the barracks furnishings currently being replaced range from 23-27 years old.
The first deliveries took place between Dec. 4, 2023, and Jan. 29, 2024, as Soldiers in building 756, 4th Engineering Battalion; building 758, 4th Division Sustainment Brigade; and building 2250, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team (1st SBCT); received new room and common area furnishings, Ruiz said.
The second batch of furniture deliveries, scheduled for early to mid-February, are for 1stt SBCT barracks building 1951, 1953, 2251, 2252, 2253 and 2254.
The estimated schedule for the final set of barracks slated for new furniture in March are:
- Building 1952 (DPW holdover barracks)
- Building 2052 (4th Combat Aviation Brigade)
- Buildings 2450, 2451, 2452, 2453, 2454 and 2450 (1st SBCT)
Each Soldier barracks room will be issued the following replacement furnishings:
- Bed frames and mattresses
- Five-drawer chests
- Nightstands
- Desk and student chairs
- Lamps
Barracks common rooms are set to receive:
- Refrigerator/freezers
- Ranges (depending on barracks style)
- Microwaves
- Pedestal desks
- Coffee and end tables
- Café height tables (depending on barracks style)
- Activity tables
- Lounge and dining chairs
- Two-seat sofas
- Barstools (depending on barracks style)
- Pool, table tennis and foosball tables
- Three-in-one game tables with chairs
- Wall-mounted large-screen TVs
- Blu-ray players
- Floor scrubbers/polishers
- Artwork
If an April 2024 furnishings request to IMCOM is approved, an additional 336 Fort Carson barracks rooms will receive new furniture soon.
Sgt. Eric Fikes, barracks facility manager for building 2251, is looking forward to the younger Soldiers in his barracks getting new furniture.
“I’m not thinking about the Soldiers currently here, but about the new Soldiers coming in,” said Fikes, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 1st SBCT. “As a new private coming into a unit, it would be nice to see newer stuff versus older, outdated equipment.”
Pfc. James Goerlitz, is excited about getting new items for his room in building 2251.
“It looks much nicer,” Goerlitz said. “New mattresses are a big plus. The chairs are a massive upgrade from what we had; I can study comfortably for longer periods of time.”
For more information on barracks furnishings, including one-for-one exchanges for broken items, call the DPW Furnishings Management Office, located in building 307 off Tevis Street, at 719-524-0051 or email eduardo.ruizmendoza.civ@army.mil or elias.j.ruiz.civ@army.mil.
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