Blake Hall
Would you shower in this den of filth?
This photo was posted by Power Point Ranger, an anonymous Facebook page moderated by an NCO that posts military memes and comics. Perhaps it is because of PPR’s reputation as a satire site that fans were drawn to the image and its serious caption.
“This is a shower in the barracks at Camp Bullis, TX, that National Guardsman are being forced to utilize this week,” PPR wrote in a caption after posting the photo. “Disgusting and a shame that we can spend a Trillion dollars on a sucky plane but we risk our soldiers health like this.”
“Being in the field is one thing. This where you’re SUPPOSED to be able to get clean,” PPR added.
The photo was shared far beyond PPR’s network, wracking up 4,000 shares and 2,000 comments in just a few days. Most respondents are military veterans.
The comments themselves are a confusing mixture of mockery and concern. Many users say they have used and cleaned showers far dirtier than this one, and PPR should just suck it up and quit complaining. The word ‘pansy’ is thrown around a lot, as is the suggestion to wear shower shoes.
Others disagree about whether or not this picture was actually taken at Camp Bullis. Is the photo troll bait to stir up controversy? Or is it pointing to a real problem?
“That’s not bullis. I was there 2 months ago and I used to work there as well. I can tell you, firsthand, that the facility managers do NOT allow anyone to leave their facility without it being cleaned,” one user said.
“Not a joke or satire. I’ve been there,” yet another user said. “The North FT Hood barracks were just as bad if not worse. Showers with ankle deep raw sewage. Not a matter of cleaning or policing, these are old WWII POW barracks.”
Plenty of users also question the entire premise of PPR’s post. What does it matter that the shower is dirty? American tax dollars don’t clean military showers. Military members do.
“Money goes into training. Where it needs to,” one user wrote. “Which is more important than a shower that needs some paint and can be cleaned by the soldiers themselves, like the rest of us that went to Bullis had to. Gotta love the new Army.”
So now we’re asking you, our audience, 1) is this a Camp Bullis shower? And 2) are dirty facilities are problem at American military bases, especially those stateside?