A soldier returning from Afghanistan now in quarantine at Fort Bliss in El Paso as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus says prisoners are treated better than he and the others who are with him.
Along with two other soldiers, he is being held in a 15-by-15 room, fed two meals a day and given two bottles of water, according to The Daily Beast .
“This is the most dysfunctional Army operation I’ve ever seen in nearly 17 years of service,” the soldier, who used a pseudonym, told The Daily Beast in a text message.
He told the website the quarantined soldiers at Fort Bliss — a mixture of both active duty and reservists — are kept in their rooms and aren’t even being tested for the coronavirus.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper is aware of the alleged conditions for quarantined soldiers at Fort Bliss, said chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman.
“His response is: We can do better and we need to do better,” Mr. Hoffman said.
Maj. Gen. Patrick Matlock, commanding general of Fort Bliss and the 1st Armored Division, has met with the quarantined soldiers and listened to their concerns, Mr. Hoffman said.
“They’re looking to make some changes, such as setting up more time for people to be out of their rooms and being able to travel around,” Mr. Hoffman said.
Fort Bliss officials are working on a plan so quarantined soldiers would be able to purchase items at the on-post convenience stores. Also, they are working with other military bases in similar situations to determine quarantine “best practices,” he said.
“We can do better. They’re aware of it and they’re working through it,” Mr. Hoffman said.
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