The Air Force is working to get rid of mold in buildings at Al Udeid AB, Qatar, and is evaluating and treating airmen who may have had a reaction to the mold, Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Mark Ediger said Tuesday. “We’ve had a few that have identified symptoms that could be related to mold exposure,” he said, and the command is working to improve the maintenance of the “temporary facilities” where mold grew, to repair leaks or other issues, and to renovate or replace structures that will continue to be in use. “Really, the remedy for mold is to get rid of the mold. … It actually doesn’t matter a great deal what kind of mold it is, the action is the same: Get rid of the mold,” he said. A construction project slated to be finished this summer will allow more than 2,000 troops to move out of temporary facilities and into permanent buildings that will be easier to maintain and less susceptible to mold, he said. The mold is mainly a problem in temporary living quarters, Stars and Stripes reported.
Unit commanders are being told to separate service members who can’t shave their cheeks and chin for medical reasons for more than a year, according to new guidance from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
