$151 Million Taken from Paychecks for Food Costs Spent Elsewhere by the Army

[Sanders]

The money is collected in what amounts to a tax on troops -- taken from their Basic Allowance for Subsistence payments, roughly $460 per month that is automatically deducted from the paychecks of service members

In November last year, the publication reported pervasive food shortages at Fort Carson, Colorado. Soldiers were fed meals that were just a slice of toast and lima beans, troops told Military.com.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/investigations-and-features/2025/02/14/over-151-million-taken-soldiers-paychecks-food-costs-spent-elsewhere-army.html

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[44044]

Now ain’t that special

[rto]

I believe that situation is going to change for the better in the near future.

[Retvet]

Grounds for mutiny in my book. An army fights and travels on its stomach and lima beans and toast don't cut it.

[4thIDvet]

Fort Carson 1970 the way food was allocated for us living in the Barracks. We signed our name when we hit the chow line. Food was ordered two weeks ahead according to how many signed the book. So the 1st of the month was pay day. Now lets say their is 200 of us living in the barracks. Well hell every swinging dick was flush with cash and heading off base to eat and party.
So the first two weeks of the month only about 50 of us were signing and eating. So now they ordered food for 50 guys for the last two weeks of the month. Well guess what? Now those rich A holes who didn't sign were broke for the last 2 weeks and hit the base chow line. Their was enough allocated food for the 50 guys who signed but 200 guys showed up trying to eat. Uh oh get their early or you ain't gonna eat.
It was a very stupid system.
But we did not have to give any monies and something is for sure wrong with those troops having to pay? Get on em Pres. Trump sic em..

[Retvet]

I lived in the barracks my first two and a half years in the service. Chow halls were always available and well stocked. We could even hit midnight chow which was available for the night shift crowd. Food was good. I don't recall ever having a bad chow hall meal except for a short exercise I did with the navy. Tech school mess hall food where I went at Chanute AFB was outstanding.

This was all between 79-99. Looks like shit has taken a major plunge these days.

[4thIDvet]

Hot food? 4 companies in our battalion in the mountains way the f#$K out in nowhere. Small fire bases on the top of the mountains one had a Colonel I think he was?? They got hot food flown in most every night and if we did a major move they rotated companies so every few months we got hot food.
Our turn no C rats for a few months frigging heaven. Top of the mountain we had a ridge line trail going right through our perimeter. One day all quiet then I hear this God awful screaming some guy is flipping out. WTF over. What happened?? Some gook AK in hand walked the trail right through our perimeter into the C.O.s bunker and tossed his AK on the floor. Choo Hoi 'surrender'.
Nobody noticed this guy. Holy sheeet scared the dog piss out of the C.O. my God I never heard screaming like that. 🤣So that was it for hot food that C.O. said he would kill any chopper pilot that brought hot food to us. Well hell we not the C.O. laughed like all hell it was worth it.. 😊

[44044]

Hot food? 4 companies in our battalion in the mountains way the f#$K out in nowhere. Small fire bases on the top of the mountains one had a Colonel I think he was?? They got hot food flown in most every night and if we did a major move they rotated companies so every few months we got hot food.
Our turn no C rats for a few months frigging heaven. Top of the mountain we had a ridge line trail going right through our perimeter. One day all quiet then I hear this God awful screaming some guy is flipping out. WTF over. What happened?? Some gook AK in hand walked the trail right through our perimeter into the C.O.s bunker and tossed his AK on the floor. Choo Hoi 'surrender'.
Nobody noticed this guy. Holy sheeet scared the dog piss out of the C.O. my God I never heard screaming like that. 🤣So that was it for hot food that C.O. said he would kill any chopper pilot that brought hot food to us. Well hell we not the C.O. laughed like all hell it was worth it.. 😊

He got tired of rice…

[Johnny]

It's pretty sad. The Dept. of the Army shouldn't need the threat of a DOGE audit to do the right thing. I'm curious to see what they find. My hunch is that DOGE won't like the Department of the Army civilian workforce.

When I was in the Army, they issued us all government credit cards for use in TDY travel, lodging and food. I never used mine; not even once. I heard too many stories of soldiers abusing the cards, getting caught and discharged. I wanted to avoid any sort of question, so opted to pay for everything out of my own pocket and then submit vouchers for compensation. It made repayment very slow, but established a sort of firewall between me and any question of impropriety.

[4thIDvet]

My Black Marine Nam vet roommate during a hospital stay at the Miami V.A.. He got to be a super good buddy he looked and was built like Mike Tyson. He told me stories of the ghetto in his younger days and beating up niqqers his words now.
So small talk on food in our different branches.
'Yup in Nam when we went on patrol the Army cooks made us up a nice box lunch. Roast beef subs with all the fixens fruit sodas chips desert napkins the works. We got back a nice steak or chicken dinner.' Then off to bed for a good 12 hrs of rest.
Holy sheet I almost had him crying he says 'I know I should have joined the damn Army DAMN IT. He really really believed me I had him hooked. To this day I bet he is still sayin 'I should have joined that damn Army.' 😁

[Sanders]

When I was in Germany, I'd go over to Lindsey Air Station on the other side of the river to eat every chance I got. Our chow wasn't bad, but the Air Force had even better food that was served in a "Dining Facility" instead of a mess hall. Plus, they had some dang good looking women who really liked Infantrymen.

[dinkydow]

I was stationed at Ft. Carson in 1970. I recall having a,"chow card"...that was issued to the troops and was required to in hand for inspection prior to being admitted to the mess hall.

[4thIDvet]

I was stationed at Ft. Carson in 1970. I recall having a,"chow card"...that was issued to the troops and was required to in hand for inspection prior to being admitted to the mess hall.

I was their with yah dinky hell we might have been in line in the chow hall together.. 😁