The U.S. Military is redirecting tens of millions of {dollars} it has collected from the Primary Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) pay for troopers dwelling in barracks away from meals companies, based on a report.
The cash is meant to assist troopers with meals prices, however a Army.com investigation discovered that of the $225 million collected from enlisted troopers’ BAS pay final 12 months at 11 of the Military’s largest bases, $151 million was directed elsewhere.
Enlisted troopers obtain round $465 {dollars} in BAS every month, based on the U.S. Military’s web site, and the deduction, basically a tax on troops, is taken from that, the outlet reported.
“It’s simply returned to the massive pool of Military funds, and it’s used someplace else,” an official informed the outlet of the redirected BAS pay in an interview that was scheduled by the Military public affairs workplace.
The official, who requested to stay nameless, had direct data of the state of affairs.
The outlet’s investigation discovered that each one however two of the bases they appeared into – Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska and Fort Bliss in Texas – had redirected greater than 50% of the cash away from feeding troopers.
It’s not clear what the redirected cash is being spent on.
Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, stated the information ought to be investigated.
“Stealing meals cash from our troopers just isn’t how we obtain navy readiness,” Tokuda informed Army.com. “The truth that at the very least $151 million was collected from troopers and never spent on meals as required calls for not simply a right away investigation, however swift accountability.”
In 2020, Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio raised the problem with then-Military Secretary Ryan McCarthy at a price range listening to, saying, the Military is both “losing half the meals, or the cash just isn’t being spent on the troopers’ meals and it’s being spent on one thing it’s not appropriated for.”
The query, which got here simply earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic hit, wasn’t adopted up on.
Meals service employee salaries and eating corridor infrastructure funds come from separate supply, the outlet famous.
The Military has struggled to supply meals for troopers lately, the outlet reported, noting that its most intensive base, Fort Cavazos in Texas, solely had two of its 10 eating halls open in the summertime of 2023 and final November, Fort Carson in Colorado was compelled to serve troopers meals of simply lima beans and toast.
Some bases have additionally began serving prepackaged meals from kiosks – that the outlet discovered had been typically excessive in sugar and low in protein – a less expensive various to cooked eating corridor meals.
Spokesperson Maj. Andrea Kelly informed the outlet that the variety of meals was calculated “based mostly on earlier head counts” at base eating halls.
Officers previously have pointed to decrease curiosity in eating corridor meals as troopers often report undercooked meat, a scarcity of recent substances, and unseasoned meals being served there.
Fox Information Digital has reached out to the Military for remark.
Supply hyperlink
