#You've activated my trap card
I'd like to address this and some of the misconceptions here. For instance, the current top comment by u/AgisDidNothingWrong says
> Last I heard, the army agreed to stop doing that.
EDIT: To be clear, not a knock on u/AgisDidNothingWrong. He probably heard some shit or someone said something. Just want to make clear, I have watched all their congressional testimony, and I am constantly annoying journalists about Army Food.
They did **absolutely nothing of the sort**. The Army maintains all money is spent properly according to law. I *disagree* with that and the underlying intent by the original public law for BAS. It is intended for food and DFAC Operations.
The acting AMC CG, LTG Moran, was before the House Armed Services Committee to talk about the food program. I detailed this, with full videos, [in this thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/army/comments/1jvvuln/hasc_testimony_amcs_ltg_mohan_responsible_for/), which I encourage you all to read, and watch the videos. The thread title was **'\[HASC Testimony\] AMC's LTG Mohan, responsible for DFAC Quality and Operations, tells Congress the last time he ate in a DFAC was "4 months ago" (\~SEP '24)'**. I spent time cutting up the HASC testimony so you can jump straight to his Q/A on these topics!
>He says that this money is not spent '**elsewhere**'. He explains BAS [the way I have been saying for several months it probably is](https://www.reddit.com/r/army/comments/1iphf5d/comment/mcs3kl4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) \- They balance X dollars needed for everyone's BAS against the Meal Deductions they 'bring in', and then ask congress for the rest. So. When he says the money isn't being used "elsewhere", he's literally admitting here that the meal deduction money is going towards BAS. See this isn't 'elsewhere' because it's in the same appropriations section!
>This would mean that when we don't spend that Soldiers' money, people with 'full BAS', like your SNCOs and Officers, are getting their BAS, in part, paid for by Soldier's 'left over' BAS funds. Because it is not all being used for DFAC/Food at that Soldier's location. **The Army looks at it like one big pot of money**, and no one made them, they have chosen to look at it this way. When Stewart or Carson run out of food and Soldiers don't eat, the money the Army saved goes to pay the CG's monthly BAS. Wild.
>When he says [we spend](https://i.imgur.com/lTDcupX.png) about 1.9 billion to enlisted Soldiers for BAS - to be clear, he's talking about those authorized to mess separately. It's then offset by the 400 million paid back to the Army by meal card holders. So when we're not using at least 400 million on the food and operations of those ESM (Meal Card Holding) Soldiers, the excess is going to help defray the cost of every SNCO and enlsited person *not* on meal card. SNCOs, Married folk, who automatically get BAS? It's being defrayed by the money *from* meal card holders, when we don't spend their dollars on the DFAC. This is in opposition to the previous Army statement where they said these dollars are collected [for the ESM Program](https://www.army.mil/article/283532/the_facts_about_soldiers_meal_card_plans_and_basic_allowance_for_subsistence_bas) \- how can it go to the 'ESM Program', for DFAC operation and food, if it's *actually* used to offset full BAS cost.
#TLDR - The Army takes the meal deductions and puts it in the same 'pot' as BAS. They -separately- fund the DFAC, ignoring the meal deductions coming in.
Why does this make sense?
If everyone ate 100% of their meals at the dfac and your one solo dfac cost the Army 100 million, they would pay it. I believe that over time (since \~2000 with the new dfac model), their doctrine of constantly making cuts and reducing services has hit a tipping point. Once upon a time, we probably paid way more than meal deductions took in - now we're 'below' that. Now DFACs are below that. Now Fort Stewart, Fort Drum, they are **positive**. We make a profit off of those DFACs, which probably helps offset the overall food budget.
So see - they don't care when numbers decline. Numbers declining at a DFAC means less expenditure, and we're still taking the meal deductions regardless. Fort Carson had 40% of its meals in some months out of the KIOSKS this last year. Imagine how much money they saved the Army.
**This is why everyone should be concerned about Campus Style Dining. Campus Style Dining, in its objective, states it is a REVENUE generating operation. I'm** [**serious**](https://i.imgur.com/9FaggOC.png)**. It has no increase in nutritional standards. I am worried this will simply allow contractors to milk Barracks Soldiers for all their worth.**
The Army owes official responses on some stuff at the end of this month. I anticipate we will see a follow-up from u/Sw0llenEyeBall after those responses reach congress.