FORT HOOD, Texas (KXXV) — Fort Hood is undergoing a series of improvements aimed at upgrading the quality of life for soldiers, including the demolition of one of its oldest barracks to make way for a modernized replacement.
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Command Sgt. Maj. John McDwyer of III Armored Corps said the changes reflect a broader effort to prepare soldiers for the future.
"We're starting to make improvements on our old infrastructure, and as we're transforming the army and the armored corps for future fights, we're transforming everything for a better quality of life for our soldiers," McDwyer said.
McDwyer said improvements span nearly every aspect of life on post, from where soldiers work to where they live and how they get around.
"We started with motor pools, so they have better working conditions down here. We have the barracks. We're building new ones as fast as we can and we get money for. And then we're refurbishing and upgrading the other ones. We've started family housing. You have Heritage Heights, which is brand new that's catering to our E6s and below. We have the 42 Bistro, which is the campus-style dining venue which is revolutionizing the way the army serves food for our single soldiers, and I think the biggest change that's hurling us into the future is the Cavazos Connector, our Uber-like free ride system that we have that anybody with an ID card, 14 years and up can do... We see more people going to the PX. We see more kids, especially during the summer, using the pools and using the outdoor youth centers, the bowling alley, and things like that. That is the foundation of all the changes that we're making at Fort Hood because we want to make this the best place that there can be so that you want to come back to Fort Hood in central Texas," McDwyer said.
As the old barracks came down, Brent Cabaniss, DPW Chief of Engineering, acknowledged that upgrades to aging infrastructure happen incrementally.
"We would like to go in and fix all our old buildings in one fell swoop, but it just doesn't happen that way, so we have to have small victories year after year," Cabaniss said.
After receiving a grant in December, construction on the new barracks are now underway. The modernized design will feature four rooms per pod with shared amenity spaces and two bathrooms, designed to help soldiers build community.
Cabaniss said seeing the post's oldest structures replaced is a meaningful milestone.
"We've made a lot of progress here on Fort Hood, but there's more to be done and to get rid of really probably our two worst barracks here on the installation, knowing those are coming down, be replaced with modern barracks that will benefit 224 soldiers on Fort Hood — it's just a good feeling," Cabaniss said.
McDwyer said the investments are essential to honoring the sacrifices soldiers and their families make.
"We're transforming the army. We're moving to the future, so we need to do that with everything else we have. We have to invest in our infrastructure, and like I said before, we work our soldiers hard, our families sacrifice a lot, so we need to make sure we have the best facilities possible," McDwyer said.
The new barracks is expected to be completed by spring 2029.
