Action line 80804 - Dorm inspections

  • Published
  • By Anonymous
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Complaint:

This is my first time living in the dorms since I was 19 years old. I realize there are certain rules that apply to the maintenance of facilities; however, I don't understand why, at any given time, someone (i.e. the shirt or chief) can just walk through our rooms without notice. This doesn't occur in housing, which is government quarters as well, so why is it okay for the dorms? We're told over and over again that is our "home" and to take care of it, but if people in housing received an email one day saying "FYI, the shirt and chief did a no notice walk through of your house today," there would be an uproar. It takes a certain sense of comfort knowing that every day I go to work someone could be "inspecting" my home. The same goes for burning candles - housing occupants have no restrictions on this even though the houses are connected, just like the dorm essentially.

Response:

Thanks for taking the time to write; I appreciate the opportunity to discuss this sensitive topic which affects many people on base. I want you to know that we're very aware that the dorms are your homes while you are on Incirlik and we make every effort to ensure your comfort and privacy.

However, there are many differences between dorm living and living in base housing. Dormitory living is closer quarters and the poor living standards of one individual can directly impact the living conditions of another. While your quarters may be up to standards, your neighbor's might not and we want to ensure your quality of life doesn't suffer because of another dormitory resident. As the wing commander, I am responsible for providing you a clean and safe place to live; these inspections help me ensure you have just such an environment. You may have also heard that we are going to ban smoking in dormitory rooms effective 1 October, since it became apparent we could not keep smoke out of non-smoker's rooms. This further shows our commitment to keeping a clean and comfortable environment for all residents.

The close proximity and sheer number of people living in the dormitories requires special attention. I think you will (or have) found that our inspections are not arduous: nobody is looking to bounce quarters off your bed. Rather, we are checking for general condition and cleanliness ... and of course they are not searches! By ensuring the cleanliness of our dormitories we are making it a safe and healthy environment for all our residents.