Patuxent River: A Model for Excellence in Navy Barracks Management

The living conditions of junior military personnel, especially sailors, have been under active public and congressional scrutiny in recent years to address concerns about safety, sanitation, and the overall quality of life. Leadership across the Department of Defense has acknowledged that it can significantly impact readiness by affecting the morale and well-being of service members, and subsequently, their warfighting missions.

Navy barracks, also called unaccompanied housing facilities, provide housing for junior sailors, particularly those with paygrades E-4 and below, and are maintained either by private contractors under the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) or, as in the case of Patuxent River, by the Department of the Navy through the installation commanders. Pax River’s Navy-managed unaccompanied housing facility presents a picture of barracks life done right. As its personnel maintain, the $40 million facility has stood out over its five years of service as the “platinum standard” of barracks living across the service.

Being a newer facility not only limits the maintenance burden, but incorporates newer amenities such as “intelligent mail lockers” for residents to received Amazon, FedEx, and other carrier packages, full kitchens, private bathrooms, and individual air-conditioning units for each suite to provide residents with as comfortable a living experience as possible.

“We’re able to be proactive and on top of maintenance needs because we succeeded in maintaining trust and alignment with the decision makers,” said Jeff Sias, NAS Patuxent River Fleet and Family Readiness director. “On the other hand, being a Navy-managed facility staffed with three active duty billets fosters a higher level of accountability, as the welfare of the service members – not profit making – is top priority. The facility management and staff create an unparalleled sense of community and camaraderie through a set of targeted programs and activities designed to directly interact with the residents like Nutritious Food Initiatives promoting healthy shopping and cooking habits, to rock painting and outdoor activities such as fishing and chalk-the-walk during events like our sexual assault awareness and prevention campaigns.”

Wendy Thomas, NAS Patuxent River Unaccompanied building manager and responsible for maintenance and safety of the facility, described the importance of these staff-to-resident connections, especially for junior Sailors.
“I show them that we are here for them,” said Thomas. “They come from different backgrounds, and for many of them it’s there first time away from home, we support them as they bloom.”
This personal stake in the wellbeing of the residents as warfighters and people makes a difference, according to the residents.

“I’d say she’s like a mother and a friend,” said Aviation Electrician’s Mate Airman Princessanneco Gerona, a resident of Pax River’s Unaccompanied Housing barracks. “I didn’t feel she was a building manager, because she takes care of everyone here and makes sure we feel that we belong.”

This interest in a high standard for barracks living extends beyond Pax River. On a recent familiarization tour of NAS Patuxent River, Rear Adm. David J. Faehnle, Commandant, Naval District Washington (NDW), made a point of inspecting the barracks and walked away impressed. His tour was capped by a unique interaction, when Faehnle welcomed a new Sailor checking into the barracks that day and expressed his confidence that the Sailor will be very comfortable there.

“It was a serendipitous meeting between two levels of barracks life – The admiral in charge of the region overseeing this unaccompanied housing facility at Pax and a brand new resident,” said Sias, who was leading the tour that day. “To have Admiral Faehnle tell a new check-in at his first command that he trusts the Sailor will be looked after and comfortable here is a vote of confidence you don’t get every day.”

In spite of budgetary challenges, Pax River’s leadership is confident that incremental change will lead to success. Sias stated that investments in newly-built Navy-managed facilities coupled with a top-down approach enables the staff to perform their duties better and continue to foster a sense of ownership; this responsibility will parlay into a greater living standard for the service members.

“Every day we’re getting better,” added Sias. “And our management team knows what’s at stake – the quality of life for the future of the Navy - our most important and greatest investment.”