a United States Army post in Colorado Springs The FBI arrested an Army infantryman stationed at Fort Carson on federal cocaine distribution charges Wednesday evening The arrest comes four days after a federal raid early Sunday on an underground Colorado Springs nightclub that authorities said resulted in more than a 100 people detained on immigration charges According to a federal criminal complaint, Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez, an Army staff sergeant, appears to have an “ownership/leadership role” in a company called Immortal Security, which provided security for nightclubs, including Warike, the underground nightclub raided on Sunday when Orona-Rodriguez’s superior officer learns he is running the side security business and tells him to stop unless he has approval Authorities were able to get a search warrant for Orona-Rodriguez’s text messages and assembled several conversations he had they allege were related to dealing in cocaine and a gun was one of 17 active-duty soldiers present at the time of the Sunday raid.  “So you need a whole full and the 7 g right?” reads one message to Orona-Rodriguez from an unnamed contact — and Orona-Rodriguez responds The criminal complaint says that in drug transactions controlled substances are often referred to by weight when ORONA-RODRIGUEZ refers to ‘two half’ he is referring to two half ounces which I know to be a common measurement of cocaine,” reads the complaint.  the unnamed person offers to deliver an ounce of cocaine to the Warike Many of the amounts outlined in the criminal complaint deal with relatively small amounts of cocaine Colorado Springs Police were aware of the club having generated "numerous" 9-1-1 calls The text messages indicate Orona-Rodriguez was both a buyer and seller of cocaine at different times At one point a customer messages Orona-Rodriguez to purchase a half ounce “likely at Warike” where he was providing security for $500 and Orona-Rodriguez writes back “Your [sic] killing me smalls,” according to the complaint an undercover DEA agent purchased half an ounce of cocaine from Orona-Rodriguez near his residence in Colorado Springs 2024 outline proposed firearms transactions with people without legal status to be in the U.S including pistols with extended clip magazines It’s unclear from the criminal complaint if the transactions were completed The purchaser was trying to pay with cash and cocaine which Orona-Rodriguez indicated would not work Orona-Rodriguez appeared briefly in federal court Thursday afternoon Dressed in camouflage cargo pants and a light green t-shirt he was advised of his rights and answered a series of yes or no questions and have a detention hearing on Tuesday. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on all charges The raid on Warike was a joint effort by local and federal agencies Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the underground club was frequented by “Tda and MS-13 terrorists,” referencing South and Central American gangs.  Authorities said cocaine and methamphetamine were seized Photos posted on social media by the DEA show several weapons and drug paraphernalia the DEA says were seized at the club The paperwork in Orona-Rodriguez’s case is the most thorough accounting yet made public appears to be the only person facing charges from the Sunday raid though scores were taken into immigration detention Orona-Rodriguez is assigned to the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team He’s been in the service for nearly nine years Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. Listen now. © 2025 Colorado Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy A 28-year-old Army soldier has been accused of drug-related charges following a federal raid on an alleged illegal nightclub in Colorado on Sunday where authorities claim he provided security and more than a dozen other troops were present The charges against Staff Sgt. Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez, who is assigned to Fort Carson He's accused of one count each of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine as well as conspiracy to distribute cocaine the case against Orona-Rodriguez predated Sunday's raid led by the Drug Enforcement Administration at a Colorado Springs nightclub not far from Fort Carson The staff sergeant was allegedly a part of a security company that provided armed guards at the nightclub Read Next: Senators Voice 'Deep Concerns' About Trump's Pick for Air Force Under Secretary "Orona-Rodriguez appears to hold a leadership role in a business called Immortal Security LLC which provides armed security at 'nightclubs' -- including an afterhours unlawful nightclub called Warike -- within Colorado Springs Colorado," a news release from the U.S Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado said The statement said he was "one of approximately 17 active-duty U.S Army service members present at Warike during the execution of that search warrant." The Colorado Springs Police Department allegedly has received 911 calls related to Warike in the past An FBI agent detailed in court documents after speaking with DEA agents that they "believe employees of Immortal Security are involved in drug distribution and that employees of Immortal Security are carrying firearms while providing security at Warike and similar establishments." Orona-Rodriguez, according to information from the Army Criminal Investigation Division detailed in court documents, received a developmental counseling form from his commanding officer earlier this year and was told at that time that the security company was “off limits to members of the armed forces." told Military.com the division is "aware of this matter and is currently conducting a joint investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)" but added they "are unable to provide further information at this time." A Fort Carson official told Military.com they were aware of the FBI investigation and that with the help of Army CID they took one of the base's soldiers into custody told Military.com in an emailed statement that they "facilitated the arrest Wednesday evening." "The charges in the complaint are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," Migoya added A call to Orona-Rodriguez's federal defender's office went unanswered Orona-Rodriguez was accused of selling cocaine to an undercover DEA agent last week A subsequent search warrant for the soldier's phone allegedly found text messages from 2024 and this year that "appear to show him repeatedly purchasing cocaine and selling it to others," the U.S attorney's office in Colorado said in the news release The soldier is "also suspected of unlawfully trafficking firearms including those with high-capacity magazines" to illegal migrants Related: Service Members Detained After DEA Raid at Alleged Illegal Underground Nightclub in Colorado The parade didn't begin until Alan Kennett Hegseth argued that senior leaders should be "unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that.. 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Visit our Customer Support center for solutions or to contact us Daily Weather Report Powered By: Baggies of drugs were dropped into the back of a vehicle Sunday after the raid at 296 S Other baggies were flushed down toilets inside the building Baggies of drugs were dropped outside Sunday morning cash and drug paraphernalia during a raid on Sunday at 296 S cash and drug paraphernalia during a raid on Sunday cash and drug paraphernalia during a raid Sunday at 296 S Fort Carson soldiers fire cannons on May 24 to honor the dignitaries at the Change of Command ceremony for the North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command at Peterson Air Force Base A Fort Carson staff sergeant who was present at an illegal nightclub during a large-scale federal raid Sunday morning was arrested on suspicion of cocaine distribution Wednesday by the FBI is facing one federal count each for distribution and for possession with intent to distribute connected to his alleged involvement in cocaine distribution according to a Thursday news release from the FBI The DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation During his initial appearance in the Byron G Orona-Rodriguez appeared calm as his charges were read to him Each count has a possible sentencing of up to 20 years in prison with no more than a $1 million fine Each charge also would require not less than three years and up to life on a supervised release Orona-Rodriguez's offenses started no later than Sept investigators recovered numerous text messages between Orona-Rodriguez and another unnamed individual The arrest affidavit obtained by The Gazette states investigators are aware of the other person's identity and know they are "unlawfully present in the United States without admission and is a Mexican citizen." Investigators said they believe that individual is a source of supply for illegal drugs to Orona-Rodriguez Other photos and texts outlined in the arrest affidavit indicate Orona-Rodriguez was also allegedly involved with the unlawful sale of firearms One thread of messages related to firearms in the document lays out texts between he and an alleged potential buyer "present without admission in the United States." The affidavit claims that Orona-Rodriguez also sold cocaine to an undercover DEA agent just a week before the raid Orona-Rodriguez appears to hold a leadership/ownership role in a business called Immortal Security The affidavit states Immortal Security provides armed security at “nightclubs” — including an after-hours unlawful nightclub identified as "Warike" in the affidavit That club was the site of the DEA raid on April 27 DEA agents believe employees of Immortal Security were involved in drug distribution and that some carried firearms while providing security at Warike and similar establishments The affidavit also states that Orona-Rodriguez received “a developmental counseling form from his commanding officer in the spring of 2025" related to his after-hours security work He was allegedly told at that time that working for Immortal Security is off-limits to military Orona-Rodriguez was one of 17 soldiers present at the raided nightclub April 27 a social media post from the DEA showed a busload of 60 people who had been detained in the raid More than 300 law enforcement officers from at least 10 agencies raided the property at 296 S at the northwest corner of Academy Boulevard and Airport Road The DEA said federal agents are investigating drug trafficking prostitution and other violent crimes that allegedly occurred at the nightclub The Colorado Springs Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the operation An unspecified quantity of drugs and weapons were found during the raid Law enforcement officials said the property had been under investigation for months and local law enforcement was informed of the raid weeks in advance Fort Carson officials confirmed Monday that "several" of its soldiers were present at the club at the time of the raid The soldiers were either patrons of the club or moonlighting as security “Illegal activities of any kind do not represent our military values,” Fort Carson officials stated in an email “We will continue to work in coordination with our federal state and local law enforcement agencies to ensure our community is safe.” Orona-Rodriguez has served in the military for more than eight years he was on assignment with the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team Orona-Rodriguez holds the Army Commendation Medal with Combat Device; two Army Commendation Medals; 10 Army Achievement Medals; three Certificates of Achievement; and Meritorious Unit Commendations Orona-Rodriguez was being held at the El Paso County jail with a no-bond hold according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office His preliminary hearing is set for Tuesday Gazette's Michael Braithwaite contributed to this report a large-scale Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operation in Colorado Springs led to the detainment of more than 100 individu… After law enforcement officers raided an "underground" nightclub early Sunday morning Mayor Yemi Mobolade said he foresees additional arrests in Colorado Springs' future "I anticipate that there will be more arrests I hope to see more raids happen in my city This is not the first one," Mobolade told national media outlet NewsNation Now Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Stories you've missed since your last login: Recommended stories based on your interests: (KRDO) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Denver office says a soldier at Fort Carson is now facing federal charges related to distributing cocaine According to FBI Denver Army Staff Sergeant Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez was arrested on Wednesday by special agents His criminal complaint says that he worked as security at the Colorado Springs underground club that was raided over the weekend a story that quickly made national headlines he was one of about 17 active duty service members at the club at the time of the raid MORE: More than 100 illegal immigrants in custody after underground nightclub bust in Colorado Springs Orona-Rodriguez appears to have held an ownership or leadership role with Immortal Security LLC a group that provides armed security at "nightclubs," the U.S "DEA agents with whom I have spoken believe employees of Immortal Security areinvolved in drug distribution and that employees of Immortal Security are carrying firearms whileproviding security at Warike and similar establishments," wrote an FBI special agent in the complaint Court documents contain text messages allegedly sent between Orona-Rodriguez's phone and another unnamed suspect The FBI says that suspect is from Mexico and is in the country illegally Unnamed suspect: That’s why i always try to give you like in rock but my bad bro ima have a talk with them see wat they say Unnamed suspect: Watt really bro whenever it’s like that I can always give it back bro hell nah that’s like a big NO your like the first person to tell me this Orona-Rodriguez: Thanks make sure is good the last batch peoplecomplain about it b Unnamed suspect: Yea I got you no worry’s and Simon I should have it by like one,two the latest Orona-Rodriguez: Yeah I do just split in half lol Unnamed suspect: So you need a whole full and the 7 g right Orona-Rodriguez: Ima pick them up later today if you have them The FBI also found texts sent allegedly between Orona-Rodriguez's phone and an unnamed customer Orona-Rodriguez: [[REDACTED]] is my buddies address Orona-Rodriguez: Hey he gave you an 8 can you send me atleast 50 more Seemed less than you give me lol but I got you Orona-Rodriguez: Yeah because he gave to you in a bigger bag the FBI says they believe Orona-Rodriguez was selling guns to people living in the U.S The agency's criminal complaint alleges that Orona-Rodriguez texted videos of guns for sale to customers Fort Carson officials confirmed to KRDO13 on Thursday morning that Orona-Rodriguez is indeed a Fort Carson soldier “We are aware the Federal Bureau of Investigation took a Fort Carson Soldier into custody," a Fort Carson official said in a statement to KRDO13 Thursday morning "We will continue to cooperate with all agencies involved." Staff Sergeant Orona-Rodriguez has been a member of the military for more than 8 years He was presently assigned to the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team His record shows he received the following awards: Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here. KRDO NewsChannel 13 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KRDO Jobs | FCC Applications | KRDO FCC Public File | KRDO FCC Applications | Do Not Sell My Personal Information | Contest Rules Billal Rahman is an immigration reporter based in London He specializes in immigration policy and border security He has uncovered allegations of misconduct among border agents under investigation and exposed claims of abuse at ICE-run detention centers in the U.S He joined Newsweek in 2024 from The Independent He has covered the British Post Office scandal and the conflict between Israel and Hamas he studied Journalism in Edinburgh and then worked for STV News before moving to London in 2022 You can contact Billal at b.rahman@newsweek.com either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content As part of an investigation into drug trafficking prostitution and violent crimes at an illegal underground nightclub in Colorado Springs over 100 illegal immigrants and more than a dozen U.S active-duty service members were detained in a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operation on Sunday morning The U.S. military has told Newsweek it's investigating the involvement of Fort Carson service members at the illegal nightclub "We acknowledge that there were some Fort Carson service members present at the location during the operation Each person involved in this incident is presumed innocent until proven guilty We will look at everyone's situation on a case-by-case basis," a Fort Carson spokesperson told Newsweek Sunday's raid comes amid heightened immigration enforcement efforts under the Trump administration which has vowed to ramp up deportations nationwide The administration is implementing extensive deportation operations aimed at removing millions of undocumented immigrants as part of a stringent immigration enforcement policy The White House said on Monday that the administration has carried out 139,000 deportations since Trump assumed office in January DEA Rocky Mountain raided an illegal nightclub at around 3:45 a.m In a video that was posted to social media hundreds of federal agents can be seen swarming into the nightclub apprehending attendees as they attempt to flee from the scene Nearly 300 people were inside the nightclub the majority of whom were from Central and South America The agency shared a video showing agents apprehending a group of men attempting to escape DEA Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen said that individuals suspected to be involved with gangs, including Tren de Aragua and MS-13, which the Trump administration has declared terrorist organizations active-duty service members were identified among the patrons at the club or working security Fort Carson leaders acknowledged the presence of military personnel inside the illegal nightclub stressing that each individual's case would be examined thoroughly "Fort Carson leaders are aware of the Drug Enforcement Administration-led operation that occurred at an illegal night club in Colorado Springs early Sunday morning," a Fort Carson spokesperson told Newsweek Fort Carson is located south of Colorado Springs and is situated in El Paso County and the El Paso and Douglas County Sheriffs President Donald Trump hailed the enforcement operation in Colorado that resulted in arrests A Fort Carson spokesperson told Newsweek: "Illegal activities of any kind do not represent our military values We will continue to work in coordination with our federal and local law enforcement agencies to ensure our community is safe." President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: "A big Raid last night on some of the worst people illegally in our Country — Drug Dealers and Judges don't want to send them back to where they came from." DEA Rocky Mountain Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan C Pullen said at a news conference Sunday morning per ABC17 News: "What was happening inside was significant drug trafficking We had active-duty service members who were running security at the club and involved in some of these crimes we had over 100 illegal aliens inside as well." Investigations into the presence of service members at the illegal nightclub remain ongoing the DEA Rocky Mountain said that 114 illegal immigrants who were arrested were placed on buses for processing and "likely eventual deportation." Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsweek is committed to journalism that is factual and fair We value your input and encourage you to rate this article Newsletters in your inbox See all DENVER — A decorated U.S. Army staff sergeant based at Fort Carson in Colorado was arrested on federal drug charges Wednesday and is part of a group of active military members that was working as security at an underground nightclub that was part of a federal operation Sunday morning faces charges related to the alleged distribution of cocaine according to the complaint filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation the Army Criminal Investigations Division and Fort Carson officials helped the FBI with the arrest Wednesday The complaint states that Orona-Rodriguez appears to hold a leadership/ownership role in a business — Immortal Security LLC — that provides armed security to nightclubs illegal club known as Warike that was raided by multiple federal law enforcement agencies early Sunday morning and led by the Drug Enforcement Administration Orona-Rodriguez was one of approximately 17 active-duty service members present at the club when the operation took place He appeared in federal court Friday afternoon and was charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine Each count carries up to 20 years in prison Orona-Rodriguez allegedly sold cocaine to an undercover DEA agent during the week of April 21 and has a history of text messages that outlines months of suspected cocaine trafficking The text messages — obtained through a search warrant — date back to Sept He is also suspected of illegally trafficking firearms including high-capacity magazines to undocumented immigrants no weapons charges were filed in court on Thursday Immortal Security employs active and former military service members It adds that the DEA believes that the company is involved in drug distribution The complaint notes that Orona-Rodriguez received a form from a commanding officer and was told that Immortal Security was off limits to Armed Forces members he was told that "you are prohibited in engaging in off-duty employment without the approval of the Battalion Commander." "We are aware the Federal Bureau of Investigation took a Fort Carson Soldier into custody," a Fort Carson official said in a statement Thursday assigned to the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team He's served more than eight years and has received numerous awards He does not have any prior felony convictions said he was ‘shocked’ after learning the property was allegedly used as an illegal nightclub “I've never even seen a lot of trash in the parking lot to even suspect that anything like an after-hours nightclub is going on Orona-Rodriguez will have another hearing at 10 a.m This work, Ceremony honors Fort Carson volunteers, by Anissa Connell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper joined more than 20 other U.S. senators in penning a letter to the Secretary of Defense this month demanding answers about apparent underinvestment in food options for members of the military.  The letter followed an investigation by Military.com that revealed millions of dollars taken from soldiers’ wages for food allowance was spent elsewhere.  "Our national security depends on a strong military The Department of Defense needs to address the troubling reports of food access issues on military bases and support base leadership to resolve them,” said Hickenlooper in a statement to CPR News deserve consistent and high-quality meals.” Each enlisted service member living in the barracks at Fort Carson has a “Basic Allowance for Subsistence” deduction of $460.25 per month Many troops make less than $30,000 a year as junior enlisted soldiers and do not have access to kitchen equipment in their shared living quarters "Senator Bennet believes that service members who dedicate their lives to protecting our country deserve access to high-quality and nutritious meals every day," Bennet's office said in a statement "It is inexcusable for our service members to pay hundreds of dollars a month for their meals and then experience food shortages or be served poor-quality food with no alternatives Our military readiness is jeopardized if they cannot access the basic nutrition they need." According to the Military.com investigation of the $22 million collected in BAS deductions from troops at the post south of Colorado Springs last year only $5 million dollars actually went toward food they could access at dining facilities It is unclear where the unused money was spent.  Senators said the numbers revealed by the investigation show the issue spread beyond state lines.  which include 2024 financial records from eleven of the largest Army installations show that more than $151 million of the $225 million in [subsistence funds] collected from servicemembers on these installations was not spent on food costs,” the letter from senators reads “That figure does not include the additional garrisons under the Army’s control nor does it include spending at installations managed by the other military services suggesting the issue may be much more widespread.”  The group of senators want Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to detail how the DOD is making decisions about on-post food service operations what barriers the military is facing to provide healthy meals to troops and what his plan is to improve food quality on military bases.  “If a servicemember is losing money from their paycheck because they are being given a meal it is reasonable for them to expect that funding will be used only to cover the costs of providing it and to ensure it is of the highest possible quality,” the letter reads “We trust you will move expeditiously to answer our inquiries.” Most new recruits stationed at Fort Carson are required to spend their first two to three years in service living in the barracks with up to 8,000 troops housed there at any given time.  A Fort Carson official said in December that 4,633 of those recruits are meal card holders who rely on dining facilities Editor's note: This story has been updated with comments from Sens Southern Colorado is changing a lot these days Sign up for the KRCC Weekly Digest here and get the stories that matter to Southern Colorado Contact KRCCFCC Applications & FilesFacebookInstagramNews That Matters © 2025 Colorado Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. based at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs is sending another 400 troops from bases across the county to the southern U.S border "to bolster security." This includes engineers from Fort Carson USNorthcom said the engineers from the Army will provide support for construction and other operations to mobilize the mission along the border This includes the 76th Combat Engineer Company-Styker 4th Infantry Division from the Mountain Post The soldiers are joining a Stryker Brigade Combat Team, military police and other engineers from Fort Carson already there or approved for deployment the deployment of these troops will bring the total number of U.S troops deployed or approved to deploy to the southern border to more than 10,000 Fort Stewart in Georgia and Fort Detrick in Maryland are also part of this latest announcement Previous reporting150 soldiers from Fort Carson deploy to U.S. southern borderMore soldiers from Fort Carson head to the southern U.S. border (KOAA) — News5 has confirmed that a Fort Carson Army Staff Sergeant has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for his alleged involvement in cocaine distribution The FBI announced Thursday morning that Staff Sergeant Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez is facing federal charges for alleged cocaine distribution the Scripps News Group has acquired the FBI's arrest affidavit detailing more of the alleged activity of Staff Sergeant Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez The FBI worked with the Rocky Mountain Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S Army to determine that Orona-Rodriguez was the head of a business called "Immortal Security LLC," providing security for an unlawful nightclub called "Warike." The affidavit states that this was the club the DEA raided on Sunday The FBI says the Colorado Springs Police Department previously received multiple calls about alleged illegal activity at Warike the DEA stated its belief that other employees of Immortal Security were involved with drug distribution at the Warike club the Rocky Mountain DEA posted images of the cocaine found at the time of the raid saying that these were just a few of the bags found outside and that other bags had been flushed by the completion of the raid The affidavit goes on to publish conversations from Orona-Rodriguez's phone discussing with multiple unidentified individuals about what the FBI believes to be sales of cocaine where the DEA performed their raid of the underground club Warike Another series of texts in the affidavit details a conversation about the alleged sale of illegal firearms between Orona-Rodriguez and a person the FBI says was in the country illegally Orona-Rodriguez's arrest came Wednesday evening following an investigation by the DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division pic.twitter.com/EjdjGZnspW Fort Carson officials confirmed that they were aware of the arrest and shared information about Orona-Rodriguez's role at the Mountain Post Orona-Rodriguez's military service has been 8 years and 8 months and he was currently on assignment with the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team Orona-Rodriguez had the following awards: - Army Commendation Medal with Combat Device- x2 Army Commendation Medal- x10 Army Achievement Medal- x3 Certificate of Achievement- Meritorious Unit Commendation Orona-Rodriguez was being held on no-bond hold in the El Paso County Jail for the FBI Orona-Rodriguez is in the custody of the FBI We will continue to follow Orona-Rodriguez's case as it moves through the legal system it's worth noting that service members who retire and then teach at the Academy are considered civilian instructors Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5 Report a typo An official website of the United States government A net zero energy building or installation produces as much energy as it uses over the course of a year The Fort Carson Army base in Colorado Springs Colorado was a flagship in the Army’s Net Zero Initiative under which the entire base was aiming to achieve net zero energy General Services Administration Office of Federal High-Performance Buildings partnered with Fort Carson The Fort Carson project targeted six different Army building types and four areas of opportunity for the buildings to achieve energy efficiency breakthroughs Three of these opportunities — thermal envelope optimization daylighting and lighting system performance and retrofit optimization — involved improving building systems and the fourth targeted the impact of building occupant behavior on energy performance The first three studies were conducted by NREL this research project demonstrated effective ways in which not only Fort Carson but Federal agencies and other building owners and operators can drive down their energy use and thereby save money and achieve ambitious energy and climate change goals The following research questions were addressed: Download the executive summary [PDF - 1 MB] Findings of each of the four studies are summarized below Download findings and recommendations [PDF - 1 MB] This study incorporated actual performance and cost data into energy models to compare a variety of wall and window envelope assemblies in five Fort Carson building types A net present value (NPV) analysis was applied to determine the most cost-effective solutions over 30-year building lifecycles The research team also studied opportunities to save energy during troop deployments Download thermal envelope research [PDF - 1 MB] This research evaluated lighting and daylighting performance and opportunities for Fort Carson buildings to provide superior lighting with minimal energy use and daylighting patterns at four building types modeling alternative solutions and identifying recommendations for improvement Download daylighting and lighting research [PDF - 2 MB]. For the fact sheet, see Saving Energy through Lighting and Daylighting Strategies [PDF - 1009 KB] The research team used an office building on the base that had been renovated from a former barracks as the basis for a study to identify lifecycle-cost-effective pathways to achieve energy reduction performance up to NZE as part of a retrofit project NREL sought to demonstrate the feasibility of NZE retrofit planning primarily using open source on-line modeling tools Download net-zero retrofit [PDF - 1 MB] This research tested the potential of the Army’s Building Energy Monitor (BEM) program to motivate building occupants to employ energy-saving behaviors Based on surveys and interviews with occupants the research team designed a three-month intervention at five buildings to test a model of change that integrates policy (“Rules”) identification of people in specific roles as linchpins (“Roles”) and a variety of behavior change methods (“Tools”) Download occupant behavior [PDF - 2 MB] The Army defines a Net Zero Energy Installation (NZEI) as an installation that produces as much energy on-site as it uses The Sustainable Fort Carson Program is working to achieve net zero energy Fort Carson has built over 70 LEED rated green buildings and installed over 3 megawatts (MW) of solar electric (photovoltaic [PV]) panels among many other energy efficient and sustainable practices Home Rates are available between 10/1/2022 and 09/30/2025. More soldiers from Fort Carson are heading to the southern U.S The approximately 2,400 troops are from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team The soldiers will join parts of the 569th Combat Engineer Company-Armored and 759th Military Police Battalion, both based at the Mountain Post in Colorado Springs. Those units deployed earlier this year The newly deployed troops will be involved in "detection and monitoring and engineering support," according to a release from U.S "Personnel will not conduct or be involved in interdiction or deportation operations." Northcomm said Strykers last provided support to the southern border in 2012 Other additional units heading to the border include around 500 soldiers from Fort Stewart Georgia and a public affairs unit from Fort Riley The new deployments bring the total number of military forces at the southern border to around 9,000 Army soldier stationed in Colorado was arrested on federal drug charges He faces federal charges related to the distribution of cocaine The soldier was taken into custody with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Field Division the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and Fort Carson officials “We will continue to cooperate with all agencies involved,” a Fort Carson official said in a statement on Thursday The DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division said it is conducting a joint investigation with the FBI and Army Criminal Investigation Division No additional information on the case has been released Fort Carson is located south of Colorado Springs It is unclear if the arrest is related to a federal raid of an underground nightclub in Colorado Springs over the weekend The DEA said it detained more than 200 people — including members of the military — at an unlicensed nightclub in Colorado Springs early Sunday 114 illegal migrants were taken into custody A Fort Carson spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that 17 service members were identified at the scene during the nightclub raid and were allowed to leave on their own ABC News’ Anne Flaherty contributed to this report Download the WEIS Radio app in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our text alerts here 19 of a dining facility at Fort Carson in Colorado that showed a dwindling food supply (Courtesy of Hots&Cots)Leaders at Fort Carson say they’re working to make changes following reports from soldiers about meager and unappetizing meals in the dining facilities at a Colorado Army base Objections about the food at Fort Carson spiked on the Yelp-style app, Hots&Cots launched by a former Army reservist last year allows service members to anonymously review the quality of barracks and dining services addressed the issues in a statement Wednesday “We recognize that we’ve had some challenges with consistency and quality of our soldiers’ dining experiences at our warrior restaurants and kiosks,” Payton said “We’re committed to ensuring our Soldiers receive quality and healthy meals and can take full advantage of their meal benefit they are entitled to receive.” The base directed the dining staff to make sure soldiers can select any item on the menu during the facilities’ open hours Fort Carson is also “reinvigorating” its dining facility council — a group of brigade-level leaders — “to ensure leader emphasis across our food service facilities.” As DFACs close at Fort Carson, empty food kiosks leave soldiers hungryFort Carson has done away with weekend DFAC service.By As of early December Fort Carson’s dining program was the subject of 39 posts on Hots&Cots significantly more than the installation with the next-highest number of reviews Many installations had received just one review Several posts remarked that soldiers were not getting enough nutrients to fuel their active lifestyles the base houses the 10th Airborne Special Forces Group and the World Class Athlete Program which allows soldier-athletes to compete in the Olympics while serving in the Army “The amount of protein you get is terrible,” one soldier posted in late November Another soldier posted a photo of a to-go container of pasta salad earlier in November and wrote A soldier posted a 5-star review of a dining facility at Fort Carson in Colorado on Dec applauding the installation's Thanksgiving meal (Courtesy of Hots&Cots)A post from Monday shows a plate stacked with turkey collard greens and macaroni and cheese with the message “Warfighter’s Thanksgiving meal was awesome Lines were quick and the food variety/quality were both outstanding The barracks at Fort Carson can house over 8,000 troops More than 4,600 soldiers are meal-card holders and rely on getting meals from on-base dining facilities Some of the soldiers may lack the equipment necessary to prepare their own meals The Government Accountability Office has cited the lack of food preparation areas in Army barracks as a service-wide problem This story was produced in partnership with Military Veterans in Journalism. Please send tips to MVJ-Tips@militarytimes.com Nikki Wentling is a senior editor at Military Times She's reported on veterans and military communities for nearly a decade and has also covered technology Her work has earned multiple honors from the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans the Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors and others FORT CARSON — Complaints about long lines and not-so-great food are some of the concerns we have been looking into "Sometimes there isn't like a lot of food options Private Willem Mohr tells News5 that whether or not you get a quality meal in these dining halls comes down to how quickly you get in line then it is a lot better versus towards the end when it is almost closed," he said Posts on websites like "Hots and Cots," expressed concerns about the availability of nutritious food at Fort Carson have captured the attention of leadership on post Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Gilbert shares her thoughts on the alleged issues on the website "So some of the feedback that we get on Hots and Cots through those informal sources is negative and it's an opportunity for us to identify a shortfall and then rectify it so it doesn't happen again." Fort Carson tells us they are working to balance making enough meals for those on post while not letting food go to waste "Our headcount process dictates the amount of food that we prepare and order So soldiers can choose whether or not to eat at the dining facilities on Fort Carson it creates a headcount trend off which we base ordering and preparing food," says Gilbert Lieutenant Colonel Gilbert said she has a message for concerned soldiers and their families "Soldier feedback is important to the leadership here on the installation and we are constantly working to ensure that they have that." Through the QR code provided at the dining hall soldiers can provide feedback—negative or positive—about the dining services Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5 COLORADO SPRINGS — According to two memos obtained by News5 both Fort Carson and Peterson Space Force Base are cutting services for military childcare due to ongoing impacts from President Trump’s federal hiring freeze A Fort Carson memo dated April 1 said enrollment on its waitlist had to be temporarily paused “due to staffing challenges.” has significantly impacted our ability to hire and onboard qualified personnel,” said the memo “This has resulted in staffing levels that are currently not sufficient to meet the needs of our waitlist.” A separate memo sent to Peterson Space Force Base (SFB) families dated March 24 said the infant room would be closing on April 11 due to “a critical shortage of qualified childcare providers.” The Space Force memo also noted that ongoing staffing challenges were due to “adherence to current administration guidance and recent impacts from the hiring freeze.” Both military installations verified the memos were authentic and Space Base Delta 1 officials at Peterson SFB confirmed their infant room closed over the weekend Military.com was the first to report on the memos Peterson SFB directed its families affected by the infant classroom closure to an off-base licensed and accredited childcare center Located about nine miles from Peterson SFB Carlton Academy said they’ve had a contract with Peterson for over a year and the additional families won’t cause any added stressors since they are fully staffed “We are working through hiring freeze exemptions as quickly as possible,” said a Space Base Delta 1 spokesperson on Friday and training process will take time; however we will work with impacted families to return to the main Child Development Center as quickly as possible.” in response to a News5 request for comment on the memo a Fort Carson spokesperson said “While we had to adjust enrolling new children we are working as quickly as possible to alleviate any impacts while also bringing on new direct-care staff to ensure we are providing the services and support for our Fort Carson Families.” “No vacant civilian position may be filled and no new civilian positions may be created,” Hegseth wrote at the time the damage had apparently already been done on military installations like Peterson and Fort Carson and others across the country Kayla Corbitt is the founder of the nationwide nonprofit, Operation Child Care Project She said it’s the only nonprofit dedicated exclusively to child care access and equity for military and veteran families She’s also a military spouse and mother herself what was already a difficult position to fill is now going to be nearly impossible to fill,” said Corbitt they already struggle to get people to work there Or they predominantly do hire military spouses to fill those positions And we just have very transient lifestyles so it's not something that we usually get to stay in.” She said some installations are working to speed up hiring now but the average onboarding time for these roles is six to eight months due to ongoing uncertainty in the administration these potential childcare workers could end up being hit with another hiring freeze or a reduction-in-force layoff Corbitt said the positions aren’t attractive for job seekers And there will be downstream economic effects for the greater Colorado Springs community As more military families must now seek childcare in the community that will in turn take spots away from other According to data from the Joint Initiatives for Youth + Families El Paso County and Colorado Springs are already considered a childcare desert Home to Colorado’s largest population of children ages 0 to 5 there is an estimated 17,000 spot gap for necessary childcare in the area Corbitt said the military installations cutting childcare services will take more people out of the workforce these are other family members who were filling these positions that are now not going to be able to work because they were not able to get the childcare needed to go into those positions,” Corbitt said A lot of military families go to school while they're here you can't go to school if you don't have childcare,” she said “So we're going to see a trickle down effect into our economy if we aren't able to bolster this situation with some more community options.” FULL STATEMENTS FROM FORT CARSON AND PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE IN RESPONSE TO NEWS5’S QUERIES INTO THE MEMOS ARE COPIED BELOW: “We can confirm the authenticity of this memorandum as it pertains to Fort Carson only We constantly evaluate mission requirements and available resources to maximize efficiency and productivity in the programs and services we provide the Soldiers While we had to adjust enrolling new children a memo was disseminated to Peterson Main Child Development Center (CDC) users requesting eight families to voluntarily transfer their infant childcare services to an off-base licensed and accredited childcare center at no additional cost through the Community Contracted Childcare program one of the infant rooms is closing effective April 11 to maintain appropriate child-to-teacher ratios and ensure the children’s safety and well-being We are working directly with the impacted families to ensure continuity of care for their children.  Peterson SFB launched the innovative Community Contracted Childcare program in 2023 to address the already high demand for childcare This first-of-its-kind initiative offsets costs for families utilizing off-base care initial OSD innovation funding was increased to allow expansion from three to five community childcare centers in order to better meet the needs of our military-affiliated families this program reduced our childcare waitlist by 150 children families are still able to be added to the waitlist and will be placed pending space availability We are working through hiring freeze exemptions as quickly as possible we will work with impacted families to return to the main CDC as quickly as possible Peterson SFB's Family Child Care program continues to provide solutions not only for traditional care but also for nontraditional needs for evenings and weekends high-quality childcare is paramount for supporting military families We achieve this with a multi-pronged approach through our base childcare programs The Department of the Air Force employs strategies to recruit and retain childcare staff to provide various childcare options and career development opportunities are key to attracting and retaining talented professionals Our Child Development Program staff also receive substantial childcare discounts Space Base Delta 1 is sensitive to the challenges with moving to an off-base childcare facility While the number of available classrooms and infants cared for fluctuates with the changing population at Peterson SFB the installation looks forward to reopening the infant childcare room." Email Senior Reporter Brett Forrest at brett.forrest@koaa.com. Follow @brettforrestTVon X and Brett Forrest News on Facebook Contact Brett to communicate via encrypted apps like Signal Due to the sensitive nature of ongoing reporting from federal actions he is willing to take steps to protect identities Two Army units from Fort Carson in Colorado Springs have deployed to the U.S southern border as part of the Trump Administration’s efforts to stop immigrants from coming over the border About 150 soldiers from the 569th Combat Engineer Company-Armored and the 759th Military Police Battalion are providing “an immediate augmentation of military active-duty forces” at the border The Colorado soldiers are part of a deployment of 1,500 active duty troops sent out following border plans laid out in a list of executive orders President Donald Trump signed shortly after taking office The troops come from 13 Army units in total as well as from two California-based Marine Corps battalions National Guard and Reserve forces already working at the border to support Customs and Border Protection Northern Command says the number of deployed troops “will fluctuate as units rotate personnel and as additional forces are tasked to deploy once planning efforts are finalized.” “These military forces will support enhanced detection and monitoring efforts and repair and emplace physical barriers (at the border),” the release said The 1,500 troops deployed for the border mission are separate from Air Force crews which have been activated to pilot “deportation flights” of detained migrants Troops at Fort Carson say the base’s dining facilities often serve meals that lack nutritional value — and are sometimes unsafe to eat Officials at the base said they are aiming to do better Posts on Hots & Cots an anonymous Yelp-like app created by former Army Reserves and National Guard sergeant Robert Evans and poor food quality at Fort Carson facilities dating back to March CPR News has not independently verified the photos but Evans and his team said they evaluate each photo to ensure legitimacy.  Evans started the app in 2023 after reading a scathing report from the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) which found that poor living conditions undermine quality of life and readiness in military barracks “There [are] people that join the military because they have food insecurity prior to joining and so part of the deal of coming into [it] is the military will provide you with your place to reside [and] your food,” Evans said “So when we're not giving soldiers and service members the proper nutrition The poor food quality reported at Fort Carson is not a stand-alone issue The GAO report from 2023 recorded service members saying that because of food challenges at various military installations they “generally rely on microwaveable meals or fast food leading to health problems.” The Hots & Cots app has reviews from 330 military dining facilities with an overall rating of 3.5 on a 1-5 scale by troops using the app.  Fort Carson is home to the 4th Infantry Division the 10th Airborne Special Forces Group and the World Class Athlete Program which aims to help soldiers compete in the Olympics while maintaining their service Most new recruits are required to spend their first two to three years in service living in the barracks with up to 8,000 housed there at any given time A Fort Carson official said 4,633 of them are meal card holders who rely on dining facilities Not all can have a hot plate in their barracks so they have to eat in these facilities and we're facing food insecurity in these facilities,” Evans said.  The Army has nutrition standards for the number of calories enlisted members should be able to get at dining facilities based on their level of activity But images of meals posted to Hots & Cots between March and November show meals lacking substance 28 shows a thermometer at a sushi station reading 50 degrees Fahrenheit Food safety guidelines show raw fish should be kept at 41 degrees or lower 19 shows a pile of dry lima beans and a piece of garlic toast served as dinner at one of the dining halls The poster said that was all that was left by the time they arrived at 5:38 p.m “The amount of protein you get is terrible,” said one poster on Nov “The food is: small corn barely bigger than my pinkie Terrible vegetable spread but don’t worry they have chopped olives and jalapeños.”  other posts show completely empty kiosks that were implemented in February to help ease the workload for Army kitchen staff.  “I know there are leaders [at Fort Carson] that are trying to make things better,” Evans said “I don't know where things are getting held up or where the bottleneck is I would hope that those within our congressional and Senate positions would look into this to see where these things are kind of falling apart.” “[w]e recognize that we’ve had some challenges with consistency in the quality of our Soldiers’ dining experiences at our warrior restaurants and kiosks ... We’re also reinvigorating our dining facility council which brings together brigade-level leadership to ensure leader emphasis across our food service facilities We’re committed to ensuring our Soldiers receive quality and healthy meals and can take full advantage of their meal benefit they are entitled to receive.” Posts in late November on Hots & Cots show the facilities at Fort Carson had made improvements for the Thanksgiving holiday meal but Evans said it's a matter of consistency across branches and facilities especially at a time of general peace for the nation’s military.  “Are we going to continue the consistency of providing these high-quality meals to our service members who are essentially forced to eat in these dining facilities I think we owe it to them to make sure that they're getting the proper nutrition,” Evans said.  FORT CARSON — The soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team are scheduled to begin nightly artillery training beginning on Tuesday It is a required training to "validate field artillery crews and is a regular part of the 2SBCT's training cycle." The same combat team conducted a live-fire artillery training from January 21 through January 27 The training is expected to make noise in the surrounding neighborhoods, but any noise complaints can be directed to the Fort Carson Public Affairs Office at (719)526-9849 FORT CARSON — According to a release from U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), approximately 2,400 soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) from Fort Carson are being deployed to the southern border This is to assist the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection's "efforts to maintain security" at the Mexico/United States border as part of the Trump Administration's immigration policies and executive orders According to Colorado Springs-based USNORTHCOM these soldiers will provide support in the following areas; they will help with detection and monitoring The release specifically notes these soldiers will not be assisting in any deportation operations USNORTHCOM says that this will be the first time since Stryker's supported efforts at the southern border since 2012 Approximately 500 soldiers from Fort Stewart (Georgia) along with the 19th Public Affairs Detachment from Fort Riley (Kansas) are also being deployed An official with USNORTHCOM told News5 that the 2nd SBCT will also be sending an array of military vehicles as well This is the second deployment of Fort Carson-based units to the southern border since President Trump took office "these units will bring the number of Title 10 forces along the southern border to approximately 9,000." DENVER — A soldier present at an after-hours nightclub where more than 100 immigrants suspected of being in the U.S illegally were taken into custody appeared in court Thursday to face charges that he distributed cocaine an Army post near the illegal club in Colorado Springs He allegedly sold cocaine to an undercover agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration days before the raid and is accused of working with others to distribute the drug since around September Orona-Rodriguez — a member of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team in the 4th Infantry Division — was dressed in camouflage pants and a khaki T-shirt and held court documents in his handcuffed hands during his brief court hearing He listened as the magistrate judge explained his rights and agreed to appoint a public defender to represent him Orona-Rodriguez will continue to be held until a hearing to discuss his detention on Tuesday did not address the allegations against him during the hearing and declined to comment after the hearing citing the public defenders’ policy against speaking to the media More than 300 law enforcement officers and officials from multiple agencies participated in Sunday’s operation at the nightclub which had been under investigation for months special agent in charge of the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division Pullen said at a news conference in Colorado Springs whose leaders have declared that it is not a “sanctuary city” for migrants Orona-Rodriguez was one of about 17 active-duty U.S He appears to have held a leadership role in a business that provides armed security at nightclubs it did not say whether he was working security there at the time of the raid It notes that he had been warned by his commanding officer this spring that he could not work for the security company police received 911 calls related to the club “citing a wide variety of alleged crimes Two people wanted in connection with criminal misdemeanor cases were also arrested during the raid a political independent and Nigerian immigrant which he said was the “result of clear evidence of serious criminal conduct.” “Our residents deserve to live in a city where the rule of law is upheld and where illegal behavior is met with firm and decisive action,” he said in a statement President Donald Trump posted a link to the DEA video of the raid on his social media site “A big Raid last night on some of the worst people illegally in our Country — Drug Dealers of all shapes and sizes,” the president wrote Rodriguez received more than a dozen Army awards during his almost nine years in service including an Army Commendation Medal with combat device which is earned during a deployment where the soldier was “performing meritoriously under the most arduous combat conditions,” according to Army descriptions of the award Of the 17 soldiers who were at the venue at the time of the raid 16 were patrons and one was working there in a security role official said on the condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public Sixteen of the soldiers there were assigned to Fort Carson the official did not know where the seventeenth was assigned Investigators suspect Orona-Rodriguez was getting cocaine from an unidentified Mexican citizen who is “unlawfully present in the United States without admission,” according to the affidavit Orona-Rodriguez was charged with two drug-related counts including conspiracy to distribute cocaine Associated Press writer Tara Copp in Washington contributed to this report Strykers are loaded onto train cars in the railyard at Fort Carson Tuesday 4th Infantry Division sends two trains loaded with equipment to Arizona as part of the Joint Task Force — Southern Border to protect the United States’ southern border The combat team will have 105 Strykers at the border when the operation begins A soldier closes the hatch of his Stryker in the railyard at Fort Carson Tuesday 4th Infantry Division prepares to send two trains loaded with equipment to Arizona as part of the Joint Task Force — Southern Border to protect the United States’ southern border Strykers are loaded onto train cars in the railyard at Fort Carson on Tuesday Soldiers chain a Stryker to a train car in the railyard at Fort Carson Tuesday A soldier waits to drive his Stryker onto a train car in the railyard at Fort Carson Tuesday Fort Carson soldiers loaded strykers onto railcars Tuesday morning for their trip to the southern border Fort Carson soldiers eased roughly 20-ton Strykers onto flat rail cars for their trip to the U.S.-Mexico border to help with illegal immigration enforcement The slow roll of the eight-wheeled Strykers was followed by the clanking of chains as soldiers tied down the vehicles Other 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team equipment waited in rows alongside the Strykers for loading crews expected to load two trains with vehicles While Strykers can travel by truck or convoy The brigade plans to send 105 Strykers with advanced intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance systems to help border patrol agents Soldiers have also been cleared to patrol on foot or in their vehicles along the border creates a more proactive and adaptable posture compared to static posts," said Army Maj "The dynamic approach of patrolling allows service members to cover a larger area of the border affording them dynamic observation across multiple angles and distances." Military service members cannot directly enforce immigration law but they are allowed to help detect illegal crossings and conduct arial reconnaissance among other tasks The large shipment of vehicles will join about 2,400 soldiers with the brigade to be headquartered at Fort Huachuca in Arizona Smaller portions of the battalion will be stationed from Yuma They are joining an effort led by the 10th Mountain Division with troops also deployed to Miramar Calif.; Fort Bliss The 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade from Fort Stewart Georgia will also be headquartered in Fort Huachuca and bring Black Hawks and Chinooks to the security effort Northern Command expects 9,000 troops to participate in border security assistance Active duty troops helped with illegal immigration deterrence in 2018 and primarily focused on installing barriers and providing surveillance a spokesman with the Joint Task Force-Southern Border they also transported Border Patrol agents using military assets like helicopters to enhance mobility and situational awareness in remote areas Redmond could not say how long the Fort Carson brigade would be deployed Contact the writer at mary.shinn@gazette.com or 719-429-9264 an essential first stop for veterans skiing in adaptive equipment at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic is the Sea… As Americans gather for Thanksgiving feasts, soldiers at Fort Carson are contending with a far less festive reality -- months of insufficient meals and limited food options at the base's dining facilities that have ignited widespread frustration among the rank and file Dining facilities -- critical for sustaining the health and readiness of troops -- are reportedly offering fewer options with some meals falling short of basic nutritional standards the issue was exemplified by a meal in which soldiers were served a single piece of toast and a handful of lima beans for dinner according to one soldier stationed there who shared imagery of the meal Even getting access to those limited rations can be hard given confusing dining hall schedules and seemingly random closures that make it difficult for many to access hot meals Military.com's interviews with eight soldiers and review of photos from Fort Carson facilities found recurring problems and portions often fall short of the macronutrient requirements needed to sustain soldiers' demanding physical regimens likely running afoul of service regulations on feeding requirements for troops Some soldiers reported and shared photos of food that was undercooked or stored at dangerous temperatures Read Next: Trump Reportedly Weighs Immediate Discharge of All Transgender Troops. Here's What That Would Mean. "This has been a division-wide issue with the [dining facilities] on workdays and kiosks on the weekend," said one soldier stationed at the base who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press "The people who deal with it the worst are the soldiers who live in the barracks and don't have a car." Troops reported being served food that was either improperly prepared or unavailable by the time they reached the end of the line intended to replace dining facilities in some circumstances with grab-and-go options particularly during peak times when soldiers finish their shifts sugary snacks and other items that soldiers say fall short of the nutritional standards required to maintain physical fitness as demanded by their jobs Frustration over food issues has prompted some unit leaders to instruct troops to document the issue capturing photos of the low-quality food or barren shelves to escalate concerns to higher-level leadership though it's unclear what official complaints have been filed "We recognize that we've had some challenges with consistency in the quality of our soldiers' dining experiences at our warrior restaurants and kiosks," Lt "We're committed to ensuring our soldiers receive quality and healthy meals and can take full advantage of their meal benefit they are entitled to receive." Payton added that the issue has been brought to brigade-level leadership which is investigating methods to boost the quality of food options for soldiers mostly junior enlisted soldiers who would normally rely on the dining facilities for meals and soldiers are generally forbidden to have kitchen tools such as hot plates are mostly less healthy fast food restaurants such as Pizza Hut the base served food to 591 soldiers on average each day That number also includes meals purchased and consumed by non-meal card holding troops -- meaning the raw percentage of junior soldiers living on base who use the dining facilities may be in the single digits some days Some Army officials have pointed to soldiers using dining facilities less and less in recent years as driving decisions to cut spending It has produced something of a self-fulfilling prophecy with less investment in quality food and infrastructure pushing even fewer soldiers to see those food options as viable -- despite automatically paying for that food out of their paychecks Soldiers have reported waiting in line for up to 30 minutes at Fort Carson dining facilities only to be served small portions that fall far short of a full meal a soldier recounted being handed just a small bowl of soup and an apple a Yelp-style platform where soldiers review barracks and dining options complaints about food quality and availability at Fort Carson are significantly higher than at other installations However, the issue is not isolated to Fort Carson. Last year, Military.com reported on similar struggles at Fort Cavazos Texas -- in which junior enlisted soldiers had few options for food as the garrison struggled to juggle a severe shortage of food service workers Soldiers also frequently report issues with undercooked food or inconsistent dining facility schedules on Reddit and other social media Senior officials have often pointed to difficult logistics in mapping out how much food to supply soldiers and getting them quality nutrition it's unclear why those challenges have persisted in the force for years said when asked about food issues at Fort Carson in October at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in Washington Related: Army Pumping Millions into Food Kiosks, But They May Soon Be Obsolete This work, R2E streamlines excess equipment turn-in at Fort Carson, by Brea DuBose, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInFORT CARSON (KKTV) - A spokesperson for Fort Carson said increased noise can be expected through the end of March due to a live-fire training exercise Fort Carson said increased noise and dust could be expected from March 28 through March 31 south of the main post throughout the daytime and nighttime Fort Carson said these exercises would be conducted by Marines from the 5th Battalion in the 14th Marine Regiment They said the training is focused on validating field artillery crews and is a regular part of their training cycle Fort Carson said they work to balance training requirements with respect for the neighboring communities and plan to continue working through any noise issues that might arise If you have complaints about noise regarding upcoming training exercises contact the Fort Carson Public Affairs Office at (719) 526-9849 — Two units based out of Fort Carson in Colorado Springs have been activated to the U.S southern border for immigration efforts following Executive Orders signed by President Trump this week Fort Carson released the following statement on Friday: Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) made the announcement Friday serves as the Department of Defense’s operational lead for U.S forces carrying out Trump’s Executive Orders on the border The initial deployment of about 1,500 active-duty Army and Marine personnel is expected to be on the ground by the end of the week USNORTHCOM said they will help augment the approximately 2,500 service members already deployed to support Customs and Border Protection at the southern border The soldiers will help with detection and monitoring efforts as well as repairing and placing physical barriers Trump pledged throughout his campaign that he would crack down on immigration “I will declare a national emergency at our southern border All illegal entry will immediately be halted And we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came,” Trump said in his Monday inauguration address “We will reinstate my remain in Mexico policy I will end the practice of catch and release And I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.” Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship has already been halted by a Reagan-appointed judge as multiple states filed lawsuits The Washington judge called the Executive Order “blatantly unconstitutional.” His order halted the policy for several weeks as the legal challenges continued The units involved in the initial southern border deployment come from military installations across the country: Northern Command is aggressively bolstering security at the southern border Soldiers and Marines are immediately deploying to seamlessly integrate with forces already along the border and working together with the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection we will have nearly doubled the number of forces along the border effectively implementing the President’s intent while planning and posturing for expanded efforts to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the United States,” said Gen Northern Command.It's important to note federal troops cannot take on the duties of a police officer That could change if violence breaks out at the border that is deemed a threat to national security USNORTHCOM said the exact number of troops at the border will fluctuate and rotate as planning efforts are finalized FORT CARSON — Soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team in the 4th Infantry Division will conduct field artillery training on Fort Carson from Tuesday until March 7 The Mountain Post says an increase in noise and dust are expected south of the main post They say the training is required to validate field artillery crews and is a part of their training cycle If you have a noise complaint, you can call the Fort Carson Public Affairs Office at (719)526-9849 a fire burning within Fort Carson's training area has grown to 776 acres and is now 90% contained The Fort Carson Fire Department is currently fighting the fire They say smoke will continue to be visible as crews work to contain the fire News5 will continue to update this web story as we learn more FORT CARSON — The Purple Heart recognizes soldiers who have been wounded in combat one soldier at Fort Carson received the honor after suffering a traumatic brain injury in Afghanistan in 2012 Captain James McDaniel was serving as military police when insurgents launched an attack on his unit Captain McDaniel was caught in an explosion but got back up and helped his fellow soldiers fight off the insurgents He suffered a traumatic brain injury from the fight that began to affect him a year later Following treatment and with encouragement from fellow soldiers Captain McDaniel decided to be recognized with the Purple Heart Captain McDaniel says he is grateful to the Army for recognizing what he and his fellow soldiers endured during the battle in 2012 "I join a very time honored corps of individuals who have served before me who have either been wounded or are given the ultimate sacrifice," said Captain McDaniel It's almost bewildering at the same time.. There's no way to really prepare for receiving this award but I'm just grateful that I've been recognized." Captain McDaniel credits his former commanders for encouraging him to pursue the Purple Heart and he gave thanks to his wife for her support KRDO13 Investigates got complaints from soldiers about food quality on post at Fort Carson one anonymous soldier saying it was all they could get at a DFAC Other photos surfaced of small bowls of pasta with a Gatorade being offered for dinner More of those complaints were well documented on an app called Hots & Cots the app provides a platform for soldiers from any military branch to report bad food or poor living conditions on posts around the globe "Fort Carson has struggled a lot in the past couple of months and that's within the dining facility and in the kiosks Complaints logged on the app are then verified and followed up on in Fort Carson Evans says he's worked directly with leadership at Fort Carson to solve the problems reported "I've been able to work closely with their leadership over there to get these issues addressed Those affected by low-quality food at DFACs who get about $400 a month taken out of their Basic Allowance for Subsistence It's a part of their compensation as military members Those of a certain rank are also paid the least out of other military members which means many can't afford a car to get groceries or are forced to get a ride from a friend to eat out instead While some barracks on Fort Carson do have kitchens and soldiers are left to fend for themselves and find a way to cook something in their barracks or eat out One high-ranking Fort Carson official spoke to KRDO13 Investigates on a condition of anonymity to protect their position at Fort Carson "It feels like we broke the promise to them like they took an oath of enlistment to serve the country," They said "There's an unwritten rule that you're going to get taken care of for giving your body KRDO13 Investigates asked Fort Carson officials about the budget They declined an interview but told us that in total the posts' soldiers pay out roughly $22 million a year to eat on post while Fort Carson gets $5 million back from the Pentagon to feed soldiers KRDO13 investigates asked the Army branch of the Pentagon where that extra $17 million a year goes We did not get an answer before our deadline Fort Carson officials say their food budget is based on the utilization of post-dining facilities Based on the number of Fort Carson officials that gave 13 Investigates we calculated that if every soldier who paid to eat on post did Fort Carson would serve around 13,000 meals a day across three meals Fort Carson says that they serve an average of 591 meals a day across three meals and numerous cafeterias Fort Carson also says they are taking steps to improve including sending higher-ranking officials to eat at cafeterias and conducting surveys The improvements are showing on Hots and Cots as well with more positive reviews rolling in over the holidays for eating on post folks who are close to the situation aren't so easily convinced that the change will be sustained "I've been able to work closely with the leadership over there to get these issues addressed things will look better and will kind of fall apart again." Emily is a Reporter for KRDO. Learn more about her here. var cachebuster = Math.round(new Date().getTime() / 1000); var player = new Playerjs({id:"player_kyma" file:"https://vz-2fa908a2-aec.b-cdn.net/d04577d2-2154-43dc-8fa2-fd7ca88c5f78/playlist.m3u8" poster:"https://vz-2fa908a2-aec.b-cdn.net/d04577d2-2154-43dc-8fa2-fd7ca88c5f78/thumbnail_71536207.jpg" label:"Soldier who was charged for cocaine distribution worked as security at busted underground club" vast_replace:{"[wpcategory]":"spanish","[wprand]":""+cachebuster+""}}); (KRDO) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Denver office says a soldier at Fort Carson is now facing federal charges related to distributing cocaine a group that provides armed security at “nightclubs,” the U.S “DEA agents with whom I have spoken believe employees of Immortal Security areinvolved in drug distribution and that employees of Immortal Security are carrying firearms whileproviding security at Warike and similar establishments,” wrote an FBI special agent in the complaint Court documents contain text messages allegedly sent between Orona-Rodriguez’s phone and another unnamed suspect Unnamed suspect: That’s why i always try to give you like in rock but my bad bro ima have a talk with them see wat they say Unnamed suspect: Watt really bro whenever it’s like that I can always give it back bro hell nah that’s like a big NO your like the first person to tell me this Unnamed suspect: Yea I got you no worry’s and Simon I should have it by like one,two the latest The FBI also found texts sent allegedly between Orona-Rodriguez’s phone and an unnamed customer The agency’s criminal complaint alleges that Orona-Rodriguez texted videos of guns for sale to customers “We are aware the Federal Bureau of Investigation took a Fort Carson Soldier into custody,” a Fort Carson official said in a statement to KRDO13 Thursday morning “We will continue to cooperate with all agencies involved.” Army Commendation Medal with Combat Device Click here to follow the original article.