Ex-Air Force Colonel's Wife Details Chronic Illnesses From Base Housing Mold

Deborah Oliver, the wife of a now-retired Air Force colonel, says two years in on-base housing at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, from 2017 to 2019 left her with lasting health problems. She describes recurring mold, water
running down the walls, and rats in the home, and says housing staff refused to give her the maintenance records. She has since been diagnosed with COPD and mixed connective tissue disease, an autoimmune condition, and has developed heart problems including atrial fibrillation. She was hospitalized three times in the past year for pericarditis. The family moved off base, and her husband retired.

In 2019, Oliver joined a lawsuit against privatized housing company Hunt Military Communities; the case is now on hold. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the federal enclave doctrine, which means state and local tenant protections passed after the military acquired the land don't apply to on-base homes like hers. A JBSA spokesperson said the base can't comment on individual health information, that housing oversight has been strengthened since 2019, and that residents should report leaks, mold, and pests through housing maintenance and contact the Military Housing Office for help.