More service members may soon be able to use their meal entitlements at locations outside of standard dining facilities.
Lawmakers want to expand an Army pilot program to all service branches, allowing troops to use meal benefits on base at more locations, according to a provision in the 2026 defense policy bill.
Army officials were authorized to conduct the pilot program in last year’s defense bill, testing the idea of soldiers using their Common Access Card, or CAC, at eateries outside of the traditional DFACs.
The fiscal 2026 version of the National Defense Authorization Act has been approved by the House and is awaiting consideration by the Senate this week.
The military services run more than 400 dining facilities around the world, most of which belong to the Army. But troops have long complained about the lack of healthy dining options on base, from limited operating hours to stingy portions. Defense and service officials have been working to address some of the root problems affecting the availability of healthy food.
The Army pilot program, called the Flexible Eating and Expanded Dining Initiative, or FEED, hasn’t yet been rolled out across the entire service, according Army Materiel Command spokeswoman Samantha Tyler.
That command’s Food Innovation and Transformation team is currently working through the final approval process with Army officials, she said. They’ve also been working with the Army and Air Force Exchange Service to make sure the initiative delivers the most nutritious and accessible meal options possible, she added.
The Army conducted a two-week limited test at Fort Hood, Texas, in August. During that time, results showed that, when given the opportunity, soldiers used their meal entitlement with AAFES vendors for about 15% of their meals. The soldiers also effectively used the flexibility offered through the program, choosing mealtimes that met operational needs. For example, about 161 lunch entitlements and 30 breakfast entitlements were redeemed after 3 p.m.
During the test at Fort Hood, soldiers could choose from special menus at Freshens, Qdoba, Burger King and Starbucks at the T.J. Mills Food Court, as well as Subway and Starbucks at the Clear Creek Exchange.
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Under the FEED initiative, soldiers were allowed to purchase multiple meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner — in a single visit, using separate transactions for each, Tyler said. CAC cards could be swiped once per meal type.
“While these initial findings are promising, a longer testing period [is] recommended to capture more comprehensive data and fully assess usage trends across the force,” Tyler said.
“One of the key lessons learned is that the FEED initiative works best as a complement to existing dining options, linking together the entire food ecosystem rather than replacing a portion of it,” she said. “FEED is designed to enhance the campus style dining venues, while ensuring soldiers continue to benefit from dining facilities, kiosks and food trucks.”
Soldiers can currently use their CACs at kiosks and Army food trucks.
Under the Army’s initiative, the number of vendors authorized for CAC use will vary by location. The goal isn’t a fixed number of locations, Tyler noted, but “the right mix of options to close gaps in food access.”
Soldiers will be able to choose from special menus — with items approved by food service experts — that are put together based on affordability within the set meal entitlement ranges, she said.
While the provision in 2025 allowed the pilot program to continue for five years, the 2026 provision authorizes other military services to start their own pilot programs.
It also requires a progress report from each of the services to Congress each year. At the end of the pilot program, the services are to submit a report to Congress on lessons learned and recommendations for improvements.
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book “A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families.” She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.
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