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Articles: Food insecurity reached the military – The report of the American base on the crisis in the army.
An American base says that more than 160,000 members of the active forces of the US military are facing problems in providing food for their families.
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Jahan Mashregh Service – a specialized base of the American armed forces [1] in a report written by Haley Britzky, referring to the effect of inflation and the increase in the price of food and gasoline on the soldiers and forces of the American terrorist army, wrote: while the Americans are experiencing the pressure of inflation in all sectors Military families also face challenges unique to a profession with a strict pay structure, they feel. Americans everywhere have seen skyrocketing gas, food, and housing costs in recent months, and military personnel is no exception.
Inability to provide food for families
This American base write: In many ways, inflation follows a worrisome trend where soldiers (especially younger troops) cannot feed their families because their wages have not kept pace with inflation. The inflation has increased by 8.6% so far, the highest 12-month increase since 1981, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “These events come at a time when finding jobs is a real challenge,” said Kathryn Kuzminski, director of the Military, Veterans, and Community Program at the Center for a New American Security. It is a sensitive concern for our readiness. Shouldn’t military members care about the well-being of their families?
A US Air Force personnel shopping for groceries at Ramstein Air Base, Germany
Spouses of serving forces need food support
Lack of food security, especially among the lower ranks, is not a new problem in the military. The Associated Press reported in November that more than 160,000 active-duty military personnel are struggling to provide food for their families. Speaking to the Associated Press, Vince Hall, head of government relations at Feeding America, said: “This is a shocking fact familiar to many charitable food distribution centers across the United States.” Hall said in a conversation with the Associated Press: This situation should cause a deep sense of shame.
2020 Blue Star Military Family Lifestyle Survey found that 14 percent of active-duty military personnel reported low food security. In this survey, more than 10,000 individuals just responded, and an extra 6,767 completed responses with more details. In this survey, about 50 percent of spouses of active-duty service members said they needed food support during their spouse’s deployment but did not know how to access it.
Pentagon officials’ inattention to food insecurity among troops
This report added: Kuzminski recalled that an army official told him the issue was a big problem. The people living in Washington can’t understand why military members have faced food insecurity. But if high-ranking officials or officers working in the Washington area don’t see a problem, that doesn’t mean there isn’t one.
The 386th Financial Management Flight of the United States Air Force Expeditionary Unit on January 10, 2022, is responsible for overseeing the operational finance management and providing financial assistance to airmen at Ali Al Salem Air Force Base, Kuwait.
Army families in need of food support go to charity centers
Kuzminski added that community service centers such as the Armed Forces Christian Young Men’s Club and the Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society are expanding their services considerably. He added that on a recent trip, I went to San Antonio, Texas, where tens of thousands of the San Antonio Joint Base troops serve in this base. At the San Antonio Food Charity Center, an increase in regular families visiting is a fact, but military families needing food support is the other reality observed. The concern is the result of several factors. In the current rising inflation affecting the country, food costs have increased.
CNBC announced in its report that the food prepared at home now costs 10% more than a year ago. According to the Sian BC, the main items cost, like milk and egg, have increased by 13.3 and 11.2 percent, respectively, and the cost of filling a refrigerator is now 10 percent higher than last year. While commissaries located on military bases don’t operate in the same way as civilian grocery chains and are
a more affordable option, that doesn’t mean they don’t have price increases, Kuzminski said.
Needy members of the military with no social services
In the continuation of this report, Major Troy Black, one of the commanders of the Marine Corps, said in a meeting with the congress representatives; inflation has a considerable impact on low-ranking soldiers, and military families have faced extensive challenges. Kuzminski says: Military families in this situation have to move to camps or new houses, while civilian families have different choices if they don’t have financial conditions.
While civilians can find a new job – if the job pay is low with inadequate family welfare – military members are contracted to a fixed salary. For a long time, military-dependent members have been deprived of social services because their financial conditions do not include these government grants,” Kuzminski says. He said: “Many of these families are deprived of food stamps, charity aid, and the like because they earn a lot of money for working in the army, but they don’t have enough money to provide for their families.”
A source of shame for America and the army of this country
The Task and Props base continued: we should note that military members, in most cases, must talk to their command hierarchy to receive financial assistance from their unit. For example, the Army’s Emergency Assistance Program says the fastest and most effective way for soldiers to apply for financial aid is to talk to their commander, despite that two other ways exist. Kuzminski says: “It is a shame that army personnel cannot provide for their families’ well-being.”
There’s more shame if you should go beyond your boss or chain of command to get what you need. In May, House Armed Services Committee eight members called on Austin to take immediate action to help reduce the prices at commissaries. “Today, many of our military families are struggling to make an end meet before the rising prices,” the congressional lawmakers wrote in their letter. While Congress seeks to address this issue by creating the need for relief, you should take action to make an immediate impact on the problem.
Negative consequences on US military readiness
The report concluded: “It is critical that the Department of Defense address these challenges, not only to improve the lives of soldiers and their families but also because they can hinder the military’s mission of recruiting new soldiers.”
Kuzminski believes that many of the issues that families face fall within the social welfare realm, but the reality is that it has implications for America’s military readiness. Expressing concern, he added: These conditions affect the mental image of the army and the ability to recruit military forces. Also, the current situation harms the concentration of army personnel on their training and job.
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