Lawmakers in Arkansas and Georgia say the Air Force should reimburse those subcontractors that are out thousands of dollars because of the housing privatization debacle involving Carabetta and its subsidiaries and affecting bases in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and Massachusetts. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) said of the project at Moody AFB, Ga., the Air Force should have been “more proactive before it got to this point.” At Moody, he said, a project begun in 2004 has eaten millions of dollars and produced only two of 400 new homes. In Arkansas, Sen. Mark Pryor (D) said, “The Air Force chose a rogue contractor that left behind rows of cement floors, unfinished housing, and unpaid bills.” He declared, “It’s time for the Air Force to step up.” An editorial in The Valdosta Times earlier this month was even more pointed, asserting the Air Force has shown “callous disregard” for the community around Moody, subcontractors, and the base.
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.