Following a report that funds deducted from junior enlisted soldiers’ paychecks for food has been diverted for other purposes, U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and 19 other Congressional colleagues from both sides of the aisle are calling on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to explain. 

Basic Allowance for Subsistence payments, roughly $460 per month, are deducted from the paychecks of service members who live in barracks to cover food costs. Military.com analyzed Army financial records from 11 of the Army’s largest bases and found that “more than $151 million of $225 million collected from soldiers was not spent on food.”

The total amount of unspent or diverted funds is likely much higher given the Army operated 104 garrisons.

The article noted that Schofield Barracks on Oahu collected $14.5 million but used only $5.3 million to feed soldiers, with the remaining 63% of the money used elsewhere.

“Congress provides servicemembers with BAS to help them afford meals,” the bicameral, bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote in a letter to Hegseth. “If BAS is taken from servicemembers for meals the government gives them, then that funding should be used to cover the costs and investments needed to serve those meals. Additionally, for Congress to effectively conduct its oversight responsibilities, it must be fully apprised of how the funding provided is appropriated and must ensure open transparency on behalf of the services.”

The lawmakers raised concern over the quality of food being provided to service members, noting that the Military.com analysis found that “a lack of nutrient-dense food, shortages, and inconsistent adherence to the Army’s nutrition policy negatively affects junior enlisted servicemembers specifically because they often live in unaccompanied housing on installations.”

The letter included a set of questions the lawmakers requested Hegseth answer by April 30, including:

• What elements of DOD funding are used to provide meals to servicemembers? How do the military services program through the Future Years Defense Program fund food service operations?
• How do the military services make decisions regarding investments in their on-post food service operations? How do you consider including nutritious options on their menus?
• Are there barriers to the military services providing healthy and nutritious meals to servicemembers living in unaccompanied housing on military installations? If so, what are they? Does the department or the military services require additional resources or authorities to provide healthy and affordable food options to these servicemembers? If so, what are they?
• How do you plan to improve the quality and nutrition of food at dining facilities and other food service providers across the Joint Force to meet the needs of the modern warfighter? 

“Our service members are the best among us and expect fair compensation from their government,” the lawmakers stated. “If a service member is losing money from their paycheck because they are being given a meal, it is reasonable for them to expect that funding will be used only to cover the costs of providing it and to ensure it is of the highest possible quality."

In addition to Sens. Hirono and Warnock, the letter is also signed by U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga.; Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo.

In the House, the letter was signed by U.S. Reps. Jen Kiggans, R-Va.; Jimmy Panetta, D-Ca.; Rob Wittman, R-Va.; Don Bacon, R-Neb.; Derrick Van Orden, R-Wisc.; Sanford Bishop, D-Ga.; Seth Moulton, D-Mass.; Abraham Hamadeh, R-Ariz.; John McGuire, R-Va.; Lance Gooden, R-Tex.; Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J.; Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.; Don Davis D-N.C.; and Salud Carbajal, D-Calif.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.