Wikimedia Commons / Pfc. Shaylon Wright
Soldiers stand in line at the Grab and Go section of the Cannon and Castle Grill Dining Facility at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Only two of the installation's 10 major dining options were open every day for much of the summer, the news site reports, noting that three others were only operating under limited hours. The closures have left personnel scrambling to find food during the day.
“For months, one [dining facility] was open and was a more than 30-minute drive for my soldiers,” one noncommissioned officer told Military.com “All the soldiers were going to that one. It's unmanageable during the workday.”
The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to talk to the press, according to the report.
The closure of the dining facilities likely stems from the base not having enough Army cooks to run them, Military.com reports. A rotation of personnel to California’s Fort Irwin and Fort Knox in Kentucky took many cooks off base, the story notes.
Adding to the frustration, base officials haven't consistently updated dining schedules on social media, the story also reveals. For instance, two of the base's dining halls were reopened in the past week — which could have improved access for personnel — but base social media outlets didn't share the news.
In other situations, when the base did post about schedules, the information was conflicting or confusing, according to Military.com. One facility had a sign on the door stating that it was “closed for dinner" but didn't note which specific days or provide a new schedule.
The problems come as Army officials eye a program piloted at Fort Drum, New York that allows soldiers to use meal cards at non-military restaurants on base, such as Panera and Qdoba, Military.com reports. Arm officials also have discussed staffing military dining facilities with civilians.
So far, there’s been no word on whether Fort Cavazos will adopt either initiative, according to the report.
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