FORT CARSON BARRACKS A/C FAILURES

PHOTO CAPTION: A barracks room at Fort Carson is shown in an April 2024 U.S. Army file photo. Soldiers in at least four barracks buildings reported weeks of air-conditioning problems during the summer of 2026. (U.S. Army photo by William Farrow)

Soldiers at Fort Carson say weeks of air-conditioning failures have pushed temperatures inside some barracks into the 80s and 90s, leaving troops struggling to sleep and, according to multiple reports, driving some to spend the night in their cars. At least four barracks buildings on the Colorado installation have been affected.

KRDO13 Investigates spoke with several soldiers about the conditions, including one who said sleeping in a vehicle had become preferable to remaining in the barracks. Other soldiers told the station they were getting only three to four hours of sleep each night because of the heat.

Photos provided to KRDO showed thermostat readings in the 80s and 90s. Soldiers said the lack of sleep was becoming more than a comfort issue because troops were still expected to drive military vehicles, handle weapons and perform their normal duties.

Additional complaints surfaced through Hots and Cots, a platform where service members review military housing and dining facilities. One message provided to Stars and Stripes said at least three soldiers were sleeping in their cars because it was cooler outside, while others had begun staying with people on or off post. Stars and Stripes said it could not independently verify those particular claims, though KRDO separately confirmed at least one soldier reported sleeping in a vehicle.

Fort Carson officials acknowledged ongoing A/C problems in four barracks buildings and blamed aging HVAC infrastructure, including difficulty obtaining replacement parts for older chiller systems. Portable chillers were delivered as a temporary measure while longer-term repairs were underway.

The installation said it expected all repairs to be completed no later than Friday, Sept. 4. As of Friday afternoon, publicly available reporting had not confirmed that repairs at all four buildings were complete.

The length of the outages also stands out against Fort Carson's own maintenance guidance. The Army installation classifies building air-conditioning failures as urgent work that can seriously affect morale, with its contractor expected to make every effort to complete such work within seven working days.

Fort Carson's Directorate of Public Works says it oversees more than 7,000 permanent-party barracks spaces across nearly 60 buildings. The installation is also in the middle of a years-long effort to renovate and replace aging barracks.

Sources: KRDO13 Investigates, Stars and Stripes, U.S. Army/Fort Carson

(Source: KRDO13 Investigates, Stars and Stripes, U.S. Army/Fort Carson)