Out of $225 million collected by the United States Army for a food program for soldiers last year, only $74 million actually went toward food, according to a report.
An investigative report from Military.com found that $151 million of the funds collected from the Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) program for junior enlisted soldiers did not end up on their plates.
“It’s just returned to the big pool of army funds, and it’s used someplace else,” an official told the outlet.
The money collected is basically a “tax on troops” and is taken from their BAS payments, which are approximately $460 per month, according to the report. That money is automatically deducted from service members’ paychecks who live in barracks and is supposed to help cover food costs. The report notes that for junior enlisted troops who earn roughly $30,000 annually, “the cost can be consequential.”
The investigative report analyzes records from the 11 largest military bases in 2024, which revealed the disparity between money collected for food versus what was actually spent on food for soldiers.
“Given that the Army operates 104 garrisons, the true amount of unspent funds is likely far higher,” the report states.
For example, Fort Stewart, Georgia, obtained $17 million from soldiers but only spent $2.1 million on food, meaning 87 percent of food funds were redirected to other projects. In another case, Schofield Barracks in Hawaii collected $14.5 million but used only $5.3 million, meaning 63 percent of the money was funneled elsewhere.
The report found that only two of the 11 bases left more than half of the money for food unspent, including Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and Fort Bliss, Texas.
“Stealing food money from our soldiers is not how we achieve military readiness,” Rep. Jul Tokuda (D-HI) told the outlet. “The fact that at least $151 million was collected from soldiers and not spent on food as required demands not just an immediate investigation, but swift accountability.”
The investigative report comes after another report of food shortages at Fort Carson, Colorado, where some soldiers said they had to eat a dinner consisting of lima beans and toast.
Service members told the outlet they have frequently been served unhealthy, unseasoned meals and undercooked meat, in addition to a lack of fresh, quality ingredients. The substandard food has led to fewer soldiers eating at the facilities, which subsequently has led to less money being spent on meals, according to the report.
