{"id":115459,"date":"2022-06-01T15:02:31","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T15:02:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/06\/01\/are-dining-facilities-wasting-money-because-troops-dont-eat-there\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T13:39:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T13:39:43","slug":"are-dining-facilities-wasting-money-because-troops-dont-eat-there","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/management\/pay-benefits\/2022\/06\/01\/are-dining-facilities-wasting-money-because-troops-dont-eat-there\/","title":{"rendered":"Are dining facilities wasting money because troops don\u2019t eat there?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How often are service members passing up their meal entitlement <\/a>and choosing to pay out of their own pockets and eat elsewhere, rather than eat at their dining facility?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the most part, defense and service officials don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which means they don\u2019t have enough information to know how effective they are at their primary mission: feeding the troops, according to a report by government auditors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the exception of the Air Force, the military services aren\u2019t tracking how much service members are using their meal entitlement benefit in their dining facilities, and other locations such as food trucks and kiosks where they can use the entitlement, according to a recent report by the Government Accountability Office. The services collect head count information, but don\u2019t use it to track the use of the meal entitlements, although DoD guidance requires using head count data for periodic tests on the use of the entitlements. There\u2019s also inconsistent and incomplete tracking of the taxpayer costs<\/a> of these programs \u2014 including the cost per plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tracking the use of meal entitlements would help food service program officials monitor their programs, and decide if they need to take steps to entice service members to eat in the dining facilities more often. Food allowance money is being withheld from service members\u2019 pay to provide them with three meals a day, but some are choosing to spend extra money out of their own pocket to eat elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Spc. Mary Calkin, of the Washington National Guard, takes a plate of food at the Freedom Inn Dining Facility at Fort Meade, Md. The Army will transition from the old paper meal card system to an automated meal entitlement code system by Oct. 1, 2018. (Joe Lacdan\/Army)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

GAO recommends that DoD track the use of meal entitlements; identify and report standard data on food program costs; and coordinate with other entities within DoD, other federal agencies, and industry as it develops a formal process for revising food ingredients. DoD menu standards are an integral part of the food program, auditors said, and DoD needs to be more transparent when making changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of the military services\u2019 food service programs consider junior enlisted service members living in barracks or dormitories to be their primary customers, and providing their meals is their primary mission. The Army calls their dining facilities \u201cwarrior restaurants;\u201d the Navy calls them \u201cgalleys;\u201d and the Marine Corps calls them \u201cmess halls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generally, all service members who are entitled to basic pay are also entitled to Basic Allowance for Subsistence, except in certain circumstances such as basic training. Enlisted members in grades E-1 through E-6 who are permanently assigned to live in single government quarters ashore may also be assigned to essential station messing. They\u2019re charged for all the meals the government makes available to them, through a direct deduction from their pay, whether or not they choose to eat every meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the services have been exploring other options, started before the pandemic hit, such as the Air Force\u2019s Food 2.0 program, which allows airmen living in the dorms to eat at additional designated facilities, such as bowling centers, clubs and golf course snack bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\t