March 19, 2022
Military Food Insecurity- What is Going On?
Last November, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke at a press conference highlighting Pentagon actions to alleviate financial pressures on military service members and their families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He spoke about the hardships faced by military families, including food insecurity. The concept of service members and their families struggling to afford necessities such as groceries surprised many Americans. When the Associated Press reported research that over 150,000 troops couldn’t feed their families, the public reactions ranged from shock to outrage to kindness. While the American public may be shocked and surprised by service members struggling to afford food for their families, food insecurity among military families is not a new problem, nor is it unique to the economic challenges during the pandemic. The financial realities faced by service members, specifically those in the junior ranks with dependents, are much more challenging than annual funding levels across the Department of Defense might suggest.
The rising cost of living and high rates of military spouse unemployment create a circumstance in which service members must survive on one income—when nearly 70 percent of American households are dual-income.
Estimates by Feeding America put the number of service members facing food insecurity at approximately 160,000. As there are more military dependents than service members and food insecurity among the troops is chronically underreported, the number of affected individuals is likely higher. Some of the resources available to service members struggling with food insecurity require the intervention of their commanding officers—making an experience that is often already regarded as shameful even more difficult to address.
While military service has traditionally been viewed as a vehicle to economic prosperity and post-service stability, societal changes have drastically altered the relationship to financial security, especially for the junior ranks of the armed forces. Benefits such as the G.I. Bill for education benefits, the VA Home Loan for homeownership, and the Department of Veterans Affairs for healthcare-related expenses developed the popular perception that the military is a path to a middle-class lifestyle. However, the rising cost of living and high rates of military spouse unemployment create a circumstance in which service members must survive on one income—when nearly 70 percent of American households are dual-income.
Read the full article from Real Clear Defense.
More from CNAS
-
How DOD missed its opportunity to counter extremism in the ranks
Commentary
It is clear that extremism in the ranks still poses a challenge, and we are in desperate need of an administrative nerve center capable of addressing it....
By Samantha Olson
-
Jack Teixeira pleads guilty to leaking military documents
Video
Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira pleaded guilty Monday to leaking highly classified military documents containing national security secrets. Scott MacFarl...
By Katherine L. Kuzminski
-
The Ukraine war and the myth of a permanent all-volunteer force
Commentary
When Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, many heralded a new era of warfare. Short wars waged by small professional forces seemed to be the way of the future. Authoritarian actors,...
By Andrew Spafford
-
Countering Domestic Violent Extremism in the Ranks: Barriers to Recruitment Screening
Commentary
Lawful interaction with the technology sector, including social media platforms, is essential to effectively address national security threats, foreign and domestic....
By Carrie Cordero & Katherine L. Kuzminski
