War hero Meyer takes on barracks crisis that’s stumped Pentagon for years

Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer will advise the Pentagon’s barracks task force as military leaders push to fix housing issues across U.S. bases. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, left, speaks beside Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer in a Defense Department video. Hegseth named Meyer senior adviser for a task force that is charged with fixing myriad problems in military barracks. (Department of Defense) Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer was tapped this week to help address the military’s chronic barracks crisis as scores of bases across the force face repair backlogs, mold infestations and rundown facilities despite years of attempted fixes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday that Meyer will serve as his senior adviser to the Pentagon’s barracks task force.

He will go “directly to our warfighters” to find out what needs fixing, Hegseth said. The appointment puts one of the most recognizable recent combat veterans in a high-profile role aimed at solving one of the military’s most complex budget challenges and intractable quality of life issues. “From this point forward, there’s no confusion about who’s accountable. If we don’t get this fixed, there’s only one person to blame. Me,” Meyer said in a post on X. Hegseth established the barracks task force in October 2025 and directed officials to develop a plan for turning things around. The