Page 1 GAO-01-201R Quality of Life in the Balkans

United States General Accounting Office

Washington, DC 20548

December 14, 2000

The Honorable Tim Hutchinson

Chairman

The Honorable Max Cleland

Ranking Member

Subcommittee on Personnel

Committee on Armed Services

United States Senate

Subject: Quality of Life for U.S. Soldiers Deployed in the Balkans.

As agreed with your office, we are providing information on the quality of life for U.S.

military personnel deployed to the Balkans. On December 1, 2000, we briefed

Subcommittee staff on (1) how the Army defines and views the quality of life of

deployed soldiers there and (2) the results of our assessment of quality of life at three

base camps in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Macedonia. This report transmits the information

we provided the staff at this briefing (see encl.). We obtained this information as part

of a broader review that we conducted on whether there are opportunities to improve

the use of contractors that support Balkan operations and reduce the costs of that

support without jeopardizing mission success. We issued our report on the broader

review in September 2000.1

U.S. Army ground forces have been deployed to the Balkans since December 1995.

For these deployed personnel, a tour of duty in this region poses a significant

departure from life at their home bases in terms of living conditions and separation

from family and friends. The Army has spent over $2 billion to develop camps and

implement services to sustain deployed personnel. Much of what has been spent

contributes to enhancing soldiers’ quality of life.

SUMMARY

The Army defines quality of life as the provision of equitable, adequate, and

appropriate living, working, and leisure conditions consistent with available

resources and political and military considerations. To ensure an adequate quality of

life for deployed soldiers, it has developed standards for facilities and services. One

formal Army survey in Bosnia and Hungary in 1997 and other informal assessments

indicated that soldiers enjoy a good quality of life in the Balkans. Our assessment

 

1

Contingency Operations: Army Should Do More to Control Contract Cost in the Balkans

(GAO/NSIAD-00-225, Sept. 29, 2000).
Page 2 GAO-01-201R Quality of Life in the Balkans

showed that the Army was providing facilities in keeping with its quality of life

standards.

The vast majority of soldiers we surveyed during April and May 2000 said that the

Army’s efforts to provide a good quality of life met or exceeded their expectations.

The three most important factors to quality of life for the soldiers we surveyed were

(1) housing, (2) the ability to communicate with family and friends back home, and

(3) food services. The vast majority of the soldiers agreed that the Army met their

expectations in these areas. While not viewed as one of the three most important

factors affecting quality of life, the majority of all soldiers we surveyed were also

satisfied with their recreational facilities, exchange facilities, medical and dental

services, educational opportunities, and laundry services. Survey results and focus

group sessions revealed that some soldiers were dissatisfied with the amount of

space and privacy in the barracks, the small amount of time they had away from their

job and the mission, and the cost of telephone calls to family and friends. To the

extent possible, Army officials are taking steps to address these concerns.

SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY

To determine soldiers’ views on the adequacy of facilities, services, and programs at

U.S. camps in the Balkans, we visited the three headquarters camps in the Balkans--

Camp Eagle in Bosnia, Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo, and Camp Able Sentry in

Macedonia. Almost one-third of U.S. soldiers in Bosnia are based at Camp Eagle, the

largest single U.S. camp; more than half of U.S. soldiers in Kosovo are based at Camp

Bondsteel, the largest single U.S. camp; and all U.S. soldiers in Macedonia are based

at Camp Able Sentry. We gathered data pertaining to quality of life at these camps

using a variety of methods. These included personal observations of the facilities and

programs at each camp, individual interviews with key personnel at each camp, and

review of pertinent records supporting the Army’s goals and plans for its quality of

life programs.

We also administered a survey to a cross section of soldiers at each camp to

determine whether quality of life efforts met their expectations. The survey was

administered separately to lower enlisted personnel, senior enlisted personnel, and

officers at each camp. We held focus group meetings with each group after the

survey was completed in order to gain additional insight into their responses. We

surveyed 84 soldiers representing about 1 percent of the total personnel in the camps

in May 2000. The results are not projectable. However, findings from this sample

provide illustrative insights and are reinforced with information from individual and

group interviews and personal observations.

We reviewed this information with Army officials and made changes where

appropriate. We performed our work between April and November 2000 in

accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.

- - - - -
Page 3 GAO-01-201R Quality of Life in the Balkans

We are sending copies of this report to the Honorable William S. Cohen, Secretary of

Defense; the Honorable Louis Caldera, Secretary of the Army; and the Honorable

Jacob Lew, Director, Office of Management and Budget. We will also make copies

available to appropriate congressional committees and other interested parties on

request. An on-line version of this report containing color photographs can be

viewed on GAO’s web site (www.gao.gov) by searching on the report number, GAO01-201R, or by directly accessing the report at http://www.gao.gov/cgibin/fetchrpt?rptno=gao.-01-201r.

If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please call me at (202) 512-

5140. Principal contributors to this report were Steve Sternlieb, Assistant Director;

Ray Carroll, Evaluator-in-Charge; Les Ward, Senior Evaluator; and Jack Edwards,

Senior Evaluator.

Sincerely yours,

Carol R. Schuster

Director, Defense Capabilities

 and Management

Enclosures-2
Page 4 GAO-01-201R Quality of Life in the Balkans

Contents

Letter 1

Enclosure I 5

Background 5

The Army’s Standards and Views on Quality of Life 8

Our Assessment of Quality of Life 13

What is Most Important to Quality of Life 17

Soldiers’ Views on Housing by Camp 18

Principal Forms of Communication With Family/Friends 24

Soldiers’ Views of Food Service 28

Soldiers’ Views of Other Factors Affecting Quality of Life 30

Soldiers’ Use of Off-Duty Activities 44

Soldier’s Want a Break From the Routine 46

Effectiveness of Quality of Life Actions 48

Summary 50

Enclosure II 51

Questionnaire Administered to Personnel in the Balkans 51
5

Background

• About 11,000 U.S. personnel were

deployed in Balkan and neighboring

countries as of June 2000.

– About half (5,500) were deployed in

Kosovo and 4,400 in Bosnia.

– The remainder were deployed in

Macedonia and Hungary to support

operations in Bosnia and Kosovo.

Enclosure I
6

Major Army Locations in the

Balkans

Comanche

Eagle

Bondsteel

Taszar

McGovern

Dobol

Monteith

Able Sentry

Enclosure I
7

Quality of Life Services Provided by

Various Groups

• The Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and

one Army contractor, Brown and Root

Services, were involved in building the

base camps.

• A number of contractors provide

services related to quality of life. The

largest of these is Brown and Root

Services, which provides food and

laundry services and operates some

recreational facilities.

Enclosure I
8

The Army’s Standards and Views on

Quality of Life

• The Army defines quality of life as “the

provision of equitable, adequate, and

appropriate living, working, and leisure

conditions consistent with available

resources and political and military

considerations.”

• The Army’s definition recognizes that

– quality of life is affected by both

working and leisure conditions,

– facilities and services must be equitably

provided, and

– quality of life actions are constrained by

available resources and political and

military considerations.

Enclosure I
9

Quality of Life Standards

To ensure adequate quality of life for its personnel, the

Army has developed standards for facilities and

services in the Balkans.

For Army base camps, the 

Red Book provides standards

covering housing; unit

facilities; soldier support

facilities; and morale, welfare,

and recreation facilities.

The draft Blue Book is the Army’s

first effort to provide standards

for services available to deployed

personnel. Camp commanders are

applying the standards, and U.S.

Army, Europe (USAREUR) hopes

to finalize them in December 2000.

Enclosure I
10

Quality of Life Standards (Facilities)

• Published in 1997, the Red

Book provides minimum

standards for the construction

of camp facilities.

• The standards are expressed

in terms of

– square feet ( e.g., 80 square

feet of barrack space per

soldier),

– quantity ( e.g., one electrical

outlet per soldier in the

barracks), and

– construction materials

( e.g., plywood exteriors

and metal roofs).

Exterior of SEAhuts at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo

Interior of SEAhut at Camp Eagle, Bosnia

Interior of SEAhut wooden barracks at Camp

Bondsteel, Kosovo

Enclosure I
11

Quality of Life Standards (Services)

• The draft Blue Book’s

minimum standards, which

are being applied by camp

commanders, specify

– accessibility ( e.g.,

recreational facilities

at each camp),

– availability (e.g.,

24-hour access to

nonsecure e-mail and

telephone systems),

and

– quality ( e.g., water

temperatures for

sleeping bags are

specified to ensure

thorough cleaning).

Contractor laundry facility serving Camp Eagle, Bosnia

E-mail center at Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Ballfield at Camp Eagle, Bosnia

Enclosure I
12

Army Quality-of-Life Assessments

• From August to November 1997, the Army’s Community

and Family Support Center surveyed 570 soldiers in

Bosnia and Hungary.

– Over 96 percent were satisfied with morale, welfare,

and recreation (MWR) activities;

– 66 percent reported using MWR activities and

programs daily; and

– the top five MWR activities were sports facilities

(69%), recreation centers (40%), post exchanges

(35%), rest and recuperation trips (21%), and

commercial telephones (18%).

• The Army has not conducted formal quality-of-life

or MWR assessments in Kosovo or Macedonia.

• Visiting military personnel and Inspector General teams

routinely provide information obtained and observations

to deployed commanders and other Army officials. Their

trip reports cite a good quality of life for U.S. personnel

in the Balkans.

Enclosure I
13

Our Assessment of Quality of Life

• We obtained soldiers’ views on the

adequacy of facilities, services, and

programs at Camp Eagle in Bosnia,

Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo, and Camp

Able Sentry in Macedonia.

• We gathered data pertaining to quality

of life and satisfaction with the Army’s

efforts to provide for quality of life through

– personal observations,

– individual interviews with key personnel

at each camp,

– reviews of pertinent records,

– a survey, and

– focus group meetings.

Enclosure I
14

U.S. Camps We Visited

Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo

Camp Eagle,Tuzla, Bosnia

Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Enclosure I
15

Our Survey of Quality of Life

• We administered a survey to a cross section of soldiers

in each of the camps.

• The soldiers surveyed, grouped by pay grade at each

camp, are shown below. We also held focus group

discussions with each personnel group.

• The number surveyed represents about 1 percent of

total personnel at the camps in May 2000, and the

results are not projectable. However, this sample

group provides illustrative insights that are reinforced

with information from individual and group interviews

and personal observations.

Pay

grade

Camp

Eagle

Camp

Bondsteel

Camp Able

Sentry Total

E1-E4 17 16 11 44

E5-E9 4 2 8 14

Officers 9 11 6 26

Total 30 29 25 84

Enclosure I
16

First Page of Our Questionnaire

Completed by Personnel in the

Balkans

The entire questionnaire is contained in enclosure II.

Enclosure I
17

What Is Most Important To Quality

of Life

Soldiers who cited each factor as one of three most important.

62

58

46

27 24

21

13 12 10 8 7 6

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Housing

Communications with family/friends

Food Service

Recreation Facilities

Show ers

Entertainment

Post Exchange

Medical/Dental

Other

Educational Opportunities

Religious Services

Laundry

• The three most important factors to quality of life 

for those surveyed were (1) housing, (2) ability to 

communicate with family and friends at home, and

(3) food services.

Percent 

Enclosure I
18

Soldiers’ Views on Housing by Camp

48

69

28

48

27

64

4 3

8

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Excellent/Very Good Satisfactory Unacceptable

Camp Eagle, Bosnia Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

SEAhut at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Barracks building, Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Enclosure I
19

Soldiers’ Views on Housing

• The housing soldiers occupy in the Balkans meets

Red Book standards, according to Army officials.

• More than 90 percent of soldiers surveyed rated

their housing as satisfactory or better.

• In Bosnia and Kosovo, the Army’s “SEAhuts”

are unpainted wooden barracks with wooden

floors, a single heating/air conditioning unit,

and no partitions. While amenities vary by

rank, most personnel share bathroom facilities.

• Soldiers assigned to Camp Able Sentry,

Macedonia, are housed on a former Yugoslav

base in concrete barracks.

Enclosure I
20

Adequacy of Housing Space and

Privacy

SEAhut interior at Camp Eagle, Bosnia

Soldiers who believe that their

housing is adequate.

SEAhut interior at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo

90

72

50

77

52 50

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Space Privacy

Camp Eagle, Bosnia Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Percent

Enclosure I
21

Adequacy of Housing Space and

Privacy

• The majority of soldiers we surveyed believed

their housing was adequate in terms of space and

privacy, with those assigned to Camp Eagle

being the most satisfied.

• 48 percent of respondents at Camp Bondsteel

and 50 percent at Camp Able Sentry said their

housing was inadequate in terms of privacy.

• Focus group participants reported sharing their

SEAhuts with two to seven soldiers.

• More than one-quarter of the respondents at

Camp Bondsteel and one-half of the

respondents at Camp Able Sentry said their

housing was also inadequate in terms of

personal space.

Enclosure I
22

Some Soldiers in Kosovo Live At

Remote Outposts Under Spartan

Conditions

Soldiers guarding a school in Kosovo live

 in an abandoned, unfinished house

Spartan living conditions for soldiers guarding

a church in Kosovo

Soldiers guarding a monastery in Kosovo

 live in a floored tent

Enclosure I
23

Some Soldiers in Kosovo Live Under

Spartan Conditions

• Nearly 40 percent of the soldiers deployed

in Kosovo live outside the main camps to

protect people and buildings from attack.

• Soldiers assigned to remote sites normally

remain there for up to 2 weeks and are then

relieved by another unit.

• The Army’s quality-of-life standards do

not apply to these remote locations.

Soldiers live in abandoned, unfinished

houses or buildings and tents. At some

locations there is no running water, hot

water, or shower. The Army’s contractor

provides water and portable toilets for

sanitation and brings in one hot meal per

day from Camp Bondsteel.

Enclosure I
24

Principal Forms of Communication

With Family/Friends

Telephone center at Camp Eagle, Bosnia

E-mail center at Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Enclosure I
25

Principal Forms of Communication

With Family/Friends

• Soldiers most frequently communicate by email, using government provided computers.

• Soldiers at all U.S. camps in the Balkans have

access to computers for e-mail and to

telephones. The majority of soldiers told us that

their wait to use either computers or

telephones is generally 15 minutes or less.

– Since our visit, the Army has installed

cameras on some computers to allow

soldiers to videoconference with their

families, who go to family centers at home

station.

• 86 percent of soldiers reported communicating

with family and friends by e-mail at least 10

times in the 30-day period preceding our

survey, and 31 percent of this group reported

doing so every day during the period.

Enclosure I
26

Adequacy of Ability to

Communicate With Family/Friends

53 52

60

27

21

12

20

28 28

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Excellent/Very Good Satisfactory Unacceptable

Camp Eagle, Bosnia Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Percent

Enclosure I
27

Adequacy of Ability to

Communicate With Family/Friends

• Well over half of the soldiers in each camp rated

their ability to communicate with family and

friends as satisfactory or better.

• Between 20 and 28 percent of respondents at

each camp said communications were

unacceptable because of cost of available

telephone service.

– At the time of our visit, calls using phone

cards cost nearly $1 dollar per minute. A

typical comment we received was, “[We need]

phone cards that offer more time for less

money, 26min/$20 is unacceptable.”

– Since our visit, the Army has switched

telephone service providers, and the cost has

been reduced to 50 to 75 cents per minute,

depending on location.

• In contrast to the frequent use of e-mail, one

quarter of the soldiers reported they had

telephoned family or friends twice or less in the

30 days preceding our survey.

Enclosure I
28

Soldiers’ Views of Food Service

60

24

88

37

69

8

3

7

4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Excellent/Very Good Satisfactory Unacceptable

Camp Eagle, Bosnia Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Dining facility at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Dining facility at Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Percent

Enclosure I
29

Soldiers’ Views of Food Service

• More than 90 percent of the soldiers

rated food services at their camp as

excellent, very good, or satisfactory.

• The dining facilities at all U.S. camps

operate 24 hours a day.

• Numerous selections are available to

the soldiers at each meal. Sandwiches,

soups, and beverages are always

available.

• Unit officials in Bosnia said that the

quantity and quality of the food is so

good that personnel are gaining weight.

Enclosure I
30

Soldiers’ Views of Other Factors

Affecting Quality of Life

Note: Figure reflects responses from soldiers at all the camps 

we visited. Survey results by individual camp are shown in the 

following sections.

Soldiers who rated other quality of life

factors as satisfactory, very good, or excellent

93

88 88 87

98

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Recreation Facilities

Exchange Facilities

Medical/Dental Services

Educational Opportunities

Laundry Services

Percent

Enclosure I
31

Soldiers’ Views of Other Factors

Affecting Quality of Life

• The majority of soldiers we surveyed were

satisfied with

– recreational facilities,

– exchange facilities,

– medical and dental services,

– educational opportunities, and

– laundry services.

• The level of satisfaction varied among the

camps, especially regarding the adequacy

of exchange facilities.

Enclosure I
32

Soldiers’ Views of Recreation

Facilities

59

28

36

41

66

48

7

16

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Excellent/Very Good Satisfactory Unacceptable

Camp Eagle, Bosnia Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Fitness center at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Recreation Center at Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Percent

Enclosure I
33

Soldiers’ Views of Recreation

Facilities

• The Army has provided a wide array of

recreational facilities at all the camps.

These include

– outdoor running trails, volleyball courts, and 

ballfields;

– game rooms with pool tables, board games, 

and tables for playing cards;

– physical fitness centers with weights and

exercise machines;

– library centers with books and videos; and

– movie theaters that offer several movies per

month.

• Nearly all the soldiers we surveyed

indicated that recreation facilities were at

least satisfactory.

Enclosure I
34

Soldiers’ Views of Post Exchange

(PX) Facilities

53

45

12

47

55

48

40

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Excellent/Very Good Satisfactory Unacceptable

Camp Eagle, Bosnia Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Interior and exterior of the PX at Camp Eagle, Bosnia

Percent

Enclosure I
35

Soldiers’ Views of PX Facilities

• All the soldiers surveyed at Camp Eagle

and Bondsteel said their exchange services

were satisfactory or better.

• Facilities appeared to be adequate in size

and well stocked with items similar to

those of other military exchanges,

including military items and clothing,

snack foods, souvenirs, and electronics.

• At Camp Able Sentry 40 percent of the

soldiers said that the exchange was

unacceptable due to its small size and high

prices.

Enclosure I
36

The PX Facility at Camp Able

Sentry

The PX at Camp Able Sentry 

The interior of the PX

Enclosure I
37

Limitations of the PX Facility at

Camp Able Sentry

• The exchange facility at Camp Able Sentry is

about 1/10th the size of the PXs at Camps Eagle

and Bondsteel.

• The size of the force stationed at Camp Able

Sentry is much smaller than that at Camp Eagle

or Bondsteel, but a large number of transient

personnel are processed through Camp Able

Sentry, increasing the number of people using

the exchange.

• The number and selection of items available for

purchase are very limited compared with those of

other camps.

• Camp officials said that the camp did not have

enough room for a larger facility, but the PX has

been remodeled since our visit. Also, unlike at

Camp Eagle and Bondsteel, soldiers can

sometimes shop in nearby Skopje on Saturdays.

Enclosure I
38

Soldiers’ Views of Medical/Dental

Services

Medical facility at Camp Eagle, Bosnia Medical facility at Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

50

45

32

27

48

64

20

7

4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Excellent/Very Good Satisfactory Unacceptable

Camp Eagle, Bosnia Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Percent

Enclosure I
39

Soldiers’ Views of Medical/Dental

Services

• Medical facilities at the major camps in

Bosnia, Kosovo, and Macedonia provide

full medical and dental services.

• Ninety percent of survey respondents said

that the services met their quality-of-life

expectations.

• Only 13 percent of respondents reported

having to postpone any medical or dental

procedure while in the Balkans. The

procedures that were reported as postponed

were routine teeth cleanings and eye

examinations.

Enclosure I
40

Soldier’s Views of Educational

Opportunities

Education Center at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Education Center at Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

52

35

80

17

59

20

24

7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Excellent/Very Good Satisfactory Unacceptable

Camp Eagle, Bosnia Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Percent

Enclosure I
41

Soldiers’ Views on Educational

Opportunities

• The majority of all soldiers surveyed said that

educational opportunities in their camps were

satisfactory or better.

• Officials at all the camps we visited mentioned the

education center as one of their priorities.

• Education centers at all the camps provide access to

Army correspondence programs via Internet, testing

services for college admission and military

certifications, and college courses through on-line

distance learning from a number of universities.

• All soldiers deployed to the Balkans receive 100

percent tuition assistance for college courses up to

$189 per credit hour.

Enclosure I
42

Soldiers’ Views of Laundry Services

73

52

56

27

45

40

3

4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Excellent/Very Good Satisfactory Unacceptable

Camp Eagle, Bosnia Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Contractor laundry facility serving Camp Eagle, Bosnia

Percent

Enclosure I
43

Soldiers’ Views of Laundry Services

• Almost all of the soldiers we surveyed said

that the contractor-operated laundry service in

their camp was satisfactory, very good, or

excellent.

• Laundries at all the camps are open 12 hours

per day, 7 days per week. Soldiers may have

20 pounds of clothes laundered per week.

• Turnaround time for laundry ranges from 1 to

3 days, depending on location. Where current

turnaround time is 3 days, the Army’s goal is

to reduce it to 2 days.

• Some soldiers wanted access to self-service

washers and dryers. The Army’s draft Blue

Book for operation standards plans for this.

Enclosure I
44

Soldiers’ Use of Off-Duty Activities

93

83

88

67

83

68

73

55

75

48

41

36

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Sports facilities

Newspapers

Videotapes

USO shows

Camp Eagle, Bosnia Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo

Soldiers who use recreational and

entertainment activities

Percent

Enclosure I
45

Soldiers’ Use of Off-Duty Activities

• Most soldiers at all the camps take

advantage of recreational and

entertainment opportunities.

• Available sports facilities are used the

most, and soldiers said they are

outstanding. Newspapers and videos are

also widely used.

• USO shows are used the least by soldiers

at all the camps. Comments suggested that

the types of performances and the

occasional cancellation of performances

affect usage. Army officials said that 90

percent of cancellations are due to

transportation problems.

Enclosure I
46

Soldiers Want a Break From the

Routine

17

11

8

50

46 44

33

43

48

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Very effective Somewhat effective Ineffective

Camp Eagle, Bosnia Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Soldiers’ perceptions of the effectiveness

of quality of life actions in breaking the routine

Percent

Enclosure I
47

Soldiers Want a Break From the

Routine

• The Army does not have a policy on time off

because task force commanders determine work

schedules and off-base leave policies.

• The majority of soldiers stated that the Army’s

quality-of-life activities effectively provided a

break from their daily routine.

• One-third to nearly one-half of the soldiers at each

camp, however, said that the Army’s quality-of-life

activities were ineffective in providing a break in

daily routine.

• The most frequent complaints involved the lack of

time away from the job and the inability to leave

the camps when off duty.

• Commanders in the Balkans said that these issues

are affected by force protection needs and troop

ceilings.

Enclosure I
48

Effectiveness of Quality of Life

Actions

17 14 16

73

69

52

10

17

32

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Very effective Somewhat effective Ineffective

Camp Eagle, Bosnia Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Effectiveness in helping to improve morale

17

14 12

70

59 60

13

28 28

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Very effective Somewhat effective Ineffective

Camp Eagle, Bosnia Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia

Effectiveness in helping to control stress

Percent

Percent

Enclosure I
49

Effectiveness of Efforts to Provide a

High Quality of Life

• The Army’s efforts to provide a high quality of life in

the Balkans have helped to control stress and enhance

morale.

• Among the minority that viewed the Army’s programs

and services as ineffective, there were important

differences by camp, with the fewest people

expressing concern in Camp Eagle and the most

people expressing concern in Camp Able Sentry.

• At the time of our visits, the principal reasons for

concern at Camp Able Sentry were the restrictive rules

related to dress, firearms, and off-base access, given

what soldiers saw as a more secure environment in

Macedonia. However, since our visits, soldiers at

Camp Able Sentry have been allowed day passes into

Skopje and 4-day passes to other locations.

• Commanders are limited in what they can do to relieve

stress and improve morale because of mission and

force protection requirements.

Enclosure I
50

SUMMARY

• The Army has devoted a significant amount of

attention to quality-of-life programs in the

Balkans.

• The vast majority of soldiers we surveyed said

the Army’s efforts met or exceeded their

quality-of-life expectations.

• Our survey, focus group sessions, personal

observations, individual interviews, and

reviews of documents revealed some areas of

potential concern for commanders. These

included

– lack of space and privacy in the barracks,

although Red Book standards were being

met;

– the small amount of time soldiers have

away from their job and the mission; and

– the cost of telephone calls to family and

friends.

Enclosure I
51

Questionnaire Administered to Personnel in the

Balkans

Enclosure II
52

Questionnaire Administered to Personnel in the

Balkans

Enclosure II
53

Questionnaire Administered to Personnel in the

Balkans

Enclosure II
54

Questionnaire Administered to Personnel in the

Balkans

Enclosure II

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