$225 million was taken from junior enlisted soldiers through the basic allowance for subsistence program, yet only $74 million went toward providing food. The money for the program is essentially collected as a tax on troops, deducted from their basic Allowance for subsistence (BAS) payment of $460 per month. This amount is automatically taken from the paychecks of service members living in barracks and is intended to help enlisted personnel cover food costs. In 2024, $151 million of the $225 million collected from soldiers was not used for food, according to Military.com. This means 87% of the funds designated for food were redirected to other projects. The revelation comes at a time when soldiers are already struggling with commissary shortages. The actual amount may be even higher, as the Army operates 104 garrisons, all using the same program. The report also notes that all but two of the bases reviewed spent less than half of the money on food. “Stealing food money from our soldiers is not how we achieve military readiness,” Rep. Jul Tokuda (D-Hawaii) said.
