{"id":72566,"date":"2025-05-06T16:37:06","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T16:37:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2025\/05\/06\/dod-working-on-recipe-to-improve-food-on-military-bases\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T16:48:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:48:05","slug":"dod-working-on-recipe-to-improve-food-on-military-bases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/mil-money\/2025\/05\/06\/dod-working-on-recipe-to-improve-food-on-military-bases\/","title":{"rendered":"DOD working on recipe to improve food on military bases"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As healthy food gets more attention in national discussions, defense officials are looking at a coordinated attack on the problem of a lack of tasty, nutritious food on military installations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defense officials are in the beginning stages of putting together a DOD-wide plan to meet the nutritional needs of service members and their families, Glenn Garrison, the Defense Department\u2019s director of Morale, Welfare, and Recreation and Resale Policy, said during a recent military food service webinar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now, the plan involves a DOD regulation providing consistent standards<\/a> and a single office for oversight of policy and advocacy for food on installations, Garrison said. But the goal is to also develop a comprehensive \u201cstrategic food master plan\u201d for each installation, he said, and to identify gaps in the food services available at installations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Troops may not have ready access to food at their dining facility because of a variety of factors, such as long lines, distance from their unit and barracks, or the food is simply not tasty. Hours of operation are a common factor, as they don\u2019t always accommodate training and work schedules. At 2 a.m., the only option for food at an installation may be a vending machine or delivery from off-base. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The usage rate of the dining facilities ranges from 20% to 50%, depending on the service branch, Garrison said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not the intent of dining facilities. We want to make sure we get food to our military service members, and it\u2019s got to be healthy and tasty,\u201d he said during the webinar, organized by the American Logistics Association. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, money for meal benefits is being deducted from service members\u2019 paychecks even when they\u2019re not using the dining facilities<\/a>, but buying food elsewhere. In effect, they\u2019re paying twice for food, Garrison said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have to increase the meal card utilization rate,\u201d said Chuck Milam, a former DOD official who has worked on improving food on military bases for nearly two decades. \u201cWe can\u2019t continue down the path of having 100 meal card holders at a dining facility that costs a couple million or three million dollars to operate.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\t