As far as military housing goes, Fort Lewis soldiers could do far worse than the barracks of the 62nd Medical Brigade.

Residents type a code into a keypad to gain access to each suite's shared space, which boasts a kitchen, bathroom and sometimes a washer and dryer. Each bedroom measures 151 square feet and has a walk-in closet.

Matt Barnes, the Fort Lewis garrison command sergeant major, said if he had to live in any barracks on post, this year-old building would be it.

"We've come a long way since 1942, when a whole platoon bunked in one barracks," he said last week during a News Tribune tour of the post's residences for unmarried enlisted soldiers. "This is really state of the art."

The on-post death of Leah King, a 16-year-old Lakes High School sophomore, on Feb. 15 has brought recent attention to soldiers' living arrangements and how increased privacy is a trust that may occasionally be abused.

King died from a lethal dose of drugs she helped a Fort Lewis soldier obtain, according to charging statements. She was found unresponsive in the barracks, along with another 16-year-old girl who was released from a hospital after treatment.

Pvt. Timothy E. Bennitt, a 19-year-old Indiana resident, is facing involuntary manslaughter and other charges.

With an eye toward independence and privacy, Fort Lewis is in the midst of replacing most of its barracks buildings, many of which date back decades. It's part of a Department of Defense-wide move for better on-post living quarters.

By 2017, almost three-fourths of Fort Lewis' 11,491 barracks beds will be in the "1+1"-style, meaning two single bedrooms share a common kitchen and bathroom. Most of the remainder will be in older buildings converted to the 1+1 style.

King was found in a 1+1 unit in the barracks of the 864th Engineer Battalion.

Barnes said the idea is to provide soldiers with a place that feels like home.

"It's a quality-of-life issue for the soldiers," Barnes said. "They need a place to go that's their own."

The barracks construction boom is part of the overall Fort Lewis master plan, which emphasizes a cluster of communities where soldiers can walk from their barracks to unit headquarters, dining facilities and other work-related areas. The post's urban planners estimate construction of the new barracks will cost about $1 billion.

Commanders at Fort Lewis say their troops should live better at home than they do while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

"We want to give soldiers a social life. We want that for them. They've earned that," said Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby in a March meeting with News Tribune editors, before he deployed to Iraq with I Corps. "On the other hand, I have the responsibility to make sure it's a safe, secure environment."

All residents are required to abide by visitation rules; they must check inall guests at a desk manned 24 hours a day by a charge of quarters, otherwise known as a "CQ." Visitors must show photo ID, cannot be under 18 and must leave by midnight (or 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday).

"Under no circumstance can a minor be in the barracks. Escorted or unescorted. Period," Jacoby said.

Still, the increased privacy means a greater chance rules will be broken.

"The people living in the barracks are adults," Barnes said. "And we treat them like adults."

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Fort Lewis units are going to be blasting C-4 today and tomorrow, both day and night. Any questions? Call the public affairs office at 253-967-0852.

Pvt. Timothy E. Bennitt, the Fort Lewis soldier charged with the overdose death of a Lakewood teenager, will appear at an Article 32 hearing tomorrow.

Bennitt, 19, is charged with involuntary manslaughter, wrongful use and distribution of controlled substances and conspiracy to use controlled substances. He faces up to 82 years in prison, reduction in rank to private (E-1), forfeiture of all pay and a dishonorable discharge.

An Article 32 hearing is the military’s equivalent of a grand jury hearing. An investigating officer has been appointed to look into the charges and will review the evidence presented by the defense and prosecution attorneys. After the review, he or she will make a recommendation regarding the charges and appropriate level of court-martial.

Bennitt, from Rolling prairie, Ind., is a heavy construction equipment operator assigned to the 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade at Fort Lewis. He joined the military in June 2007 and arrived at Fort Lewis in December 2007.

Leah King, a 16-year-old Lakes High School sophomore, died Feb. 15 from a lethal dose of drugs she helped Bennitt obtain, according to charging statements. She was found in the barracks, a dormitory-style area where soldiers reside in individual rooms.

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