As the Army addresses the lifestyle needs and concerns of its soldiers and their families—as defined by a 1983 survey and laid out for resolution in an “Army Family Action Plan”—many residential facilities the Corps of Engineers is designing and building resemble towns and villages rather than military bases.
“For a number of years the Army has believed that we recruit young soldiers, but we retain families,” says George Wright, spokesman at the Pentagon for the Army’s human resources and personnel team. “Child development centers, medical care, libraries and extra activities on bases have reflected that focus.”