Pentagon maintenance backlog reaches $285 billion

A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals that the cost of deferred maintenance for military facilities has risen to an estimated $285 billion for fiscal year 2025. This figure represents more than a doubling of the $137 billion in deferred maintenance recorded in fiscal year 2020.

The GAO faulted the Pentagon for failing to request sufficient funding from Congress to cover necessary repairs, upgrades, and construction. While the Department of Defense has a target of funding 90 percent of identified maintenance needs, military services have only been funding approximately 80 percent.

The military manages over 736,000 facilities globally. The report highlights that roughly one-third of buildings on U.S. installations are more than 50 years old. In one instance at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms in California, investigators found structures over 80 years old, including a building where occupants reported discomfort due to the presence of mold and asbestos.