Marine Corps orders base inspections after CDC Camp Lejeune report

The United States Marine Corps on Wednesday said it was ordering all its installations to either assign a Marine at the rank of Gunnery Sergeant or above or an unaccompanied civilian equivalent to do the inspections. It ordered that they be completed by March 15.

Why is the Marine Corps doing this? Marine Maj. Gen. David Maxwell said the inspections would allow the Corps to determine a baseline, or “point of reference,” for its housing system as it transitions to “professional management.” The Corps’ Assistant Commandant Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney told Marines in a social media video that the inspection, which he described as “wall-to-wall,” would “ensure the health, well-being, and safety of each and every one of you.”

What does this have to do with Camp Lejeune? Last month, the CDC released its biggest-yet report on water contamination at Camp Lejeune and how it affected some kinds of cancers. The report concluded that people on those bases experienced a roughly 20 percent greater risk of certain types of cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, breast, and throat cancers.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about the CDC’s Camp Lejeune water contamination report.