I am in the Active Army Stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
I am an E-2.
I am with 258 MP Co.
My First Sergeant and Company Commander have decided to force all single soldiers living in the Billets(Barracks) to be on a Meal Card.
Our DFAC closes at 1800 and we usually don't get off until 1700. I always exercise before I eat and even then, always eat something healthy afterwards.
This makes it impossible to fit into my lifestyle because I can never get my exercise complete and make it to the DFAC in time to eat the crappy greasy food anyway, therefore I'm never able to eat.
My question is:
Is there somewhere I can go(IG{Inspector General}, BOSS{Better Opportunity For Single Soldiers}) or someone I can talk to about getting on Seperate Rations since the Meal Card program doesn't fit into my healthy lifestyle?
Note: Save the answers saying "You're in the Army so they own you". You have more right's in the Army than you think.
Thanks for all the help,
PV2 Price
2007-09-30 04:32:42 · 15 answers · asked by fraggedprincess 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Unfortunatly this is very common. Everytime my husband has lived in the barracks (basic, AIT, Germany while waiting on command sponsership, Iraq) he had to be assigned a meal card. I think that is just the common practice. Unfortunatly I think if it is a command decision it is hard for you to do anything about it. Have you talked to finance yet. I have found they know a way around alot of stuff for you to get extra money. If others units on your base are not following this "standard" you might try working your way up the chain. I would hold off on an IG complaint. 1st of all I'm not 100% they can actually help you, espically if all the units on your base are doing the smae thing. It doesn't seem that you have been "wronged" or denided anything that will get them involved. 2nd once you get IG involved it has been my experience that you are not well liked in your unit and problems will follow. I know that theoretically this isn't suppose to happen, but I have seen it. You might talk to other guys in the barracks. If everyone is missing meals because of DFAC hours they might help change your situation. Also, I don't know what the area around Ft. Polk is like, but you might look into off base housing. YOu may save money if you find an apartment that pays your water bill and garbage and stuff like that. Normally single BAH is in the 700 range, plus you would get your meal allowance back. Good luck to you!!
2007-09-30 06:16:20 · answer #1 · answered by Heather D 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What I would have to tell you is stick it out till you make E-5 and then move out of the barrics. BOSS program might give you some insight on understanding the meal time adventure in the Army.
The Department of the Army BOSS program is a Morale Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) program headed by the DA BOSS Program Manager, Assistant Program, and Representative (a single Soldier) at Family and MWR Command, located in Alexandria VA. The BOSS team extends throughout the Installation Management Command (IMCOM) Regions via the MWR BOSS Region Program Managers, and at some locations BOSS Region representatives (single Soldiers). At Army installations, the BOSS program is headed by 3 key personnel, known as the BOSS Triad, they are the BOSS President, MWR Advisor, and the Garrison Command Sergeant Major (CSM).
SSG Schramm
US Army 15 years
OIF 2003
2007-09-30 04:48:35 · answer #2 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually no you don;t have more rights then you think because you only have the rights outlined in the UCMJ and many of those are suspended during war. You will just have to adjust your schedule and work out at a different time; you were not given a right to eat only when and where you want or even what you want. As for your rights stop listening to barracks lawyers-rights are few and far between in the service, they will try to accommodate and make people happy but that is not a right. You do not even have a right to three meals a day or even two. They can't give you a right and not be able to maintain it and in the field in combat you usually won't get three meals a day to enjoy.
2007-09-30 04:55:22 · answer #3 · answered by GunnyC 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
No because your a single soldier living in the barracks. Your chain of command is giving you the chance to get to the DFAC to eat. The fact that you choose not to go to the messs hall is not on your chain of command. IG is not going to help you with such a trivial matter espicially one you bring on yourself, and the Army is not going to spend the money to put you on seperate rats to please you. Have you thought about maybe getting a to go plate and putting it in your fridge.
That said Here is what I would do. Talk to your first line leader. Just ask if there is anyway you can maybe be released a little early so you can improve your PT score if nothing is going on. I mean usually around 1600 from my experience nothing is going on anyway. Chances are unless your on some detail or mission you might be allowed to go PT and then go get some chow. If I were your team leader I would having soldiers who do well on their PT test looks good on me, themselves and the unit. Hope that helps.
2007-09-30 06:59:28 · answer #4 · answered by satcomgrunt 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Talk to your chain-of-command first. There are a lot of units that will put Soldiers on Separate Rats for schedules that will not allow them to eat at the DFAC. Be ready to support your case though. Commanders and 1SGs have policies like this because they know, from experience, that Soldiers like the extra money, but spend it and have nothing left to eat on at the end of the month. This way, when they've blown their paycheck, they can at least have a room to sleep in and a meal card to eat on.
The best advice I can give you is.... do not go to the IG on this. You are not being treated unfairly or against policy. You will lose and there will be hell to pay for it. Do not jump your chain of command.
2007-09-30 05:00:33 · answer #5 · answered by Smoker06 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Gee, Private, I'm real sorry the Army doesn't change their schedule to fit your lifestyle. Sounds like you should have stayed under mommy's roof so she could fix your dinner when you fit it in your schedule. You have an hour to eat after you get off work, either adjust to the Army's schedule or miss chow. If you don't like the crappy greasy food take your butt somewhere off base and eat.
In other words, stop whining. My Army infantry son is sitting in Ramadi, getting about 4 hours of sleep a day, eating mostly MREs and having people he doesn't know shooting at him for no good reason. He's lost 7 of his buds. The last one's brains ended up all over him when the guy in front of him got shot in the head. Suck it up. It could be worse.
2007-09-30 21:31:36 · answer #6 · answered by Chris L 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Lifestyle? Pvt you are in the ARMY. THAT is your lifestyle. You are off duty at 1700. Mess closes at 1800. You have plenty of time to eat. Sep rats is approved for single soldiers that do not have access to mess facilities because of work schedule, duty location, or they have been approved to live off base.
You can go to the IG, but be prepared to hear that laughter as you walk out of the building..........
2007-09-30 05:36:31 · answer #7 · answered by tallerfella 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
In the AF and I believe for the Army as well, Everyone living in barracks in required to have a meal card. That's just the way it is. They even take money out of your check for it anyway. If you want to eat off-base, go for it. It's your dime.
i don't know why you think the food is just "greasy" crap. The chow hall here has some great low-fat healthy options.
2007-09-30 04:45:32 · answer #8 · answered by mustangsally76 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
In the AF, if you are on meal card status while home station and you miss a meal due to the mission, there is a form you can file called a missed meal report. It gives you per diem for that day to cover BAS . You do have to get your boss to sign it tho. If they work you past mess hours without giving you time to go it's considered a missed meal.
Another thing you could do is to get the food to-go, take it home, go work out, then eat it later...
When I was E1-E3 I was on meal card and I agree, it sucked. My squadron was however always good about getting our meal card guys out in time to make the chow hall. Even on twelves...And it wasn't always greasy food.
good luck to ya
2007-09-30 04:53:52 · answer #9 · answered by Jimmy Petrucco 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No you can't. Rather you can go and complain but you won't win. You'll be told to change YOUR lifestyle, not the lifestyles of all the officers, NCO's and enlisted that make up the dining facility. Sucks to be the guy trying to be in shape sometimes. In the end you can either change your work out time or pay out of pocket for food.
2007-09-30 05:43:29 · answer #10 · answered by dee dee dee (mencia) 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋