• FORT STEWART, Ga.
Soldiers based here will soon be able to use their meal cards at Subway, Starbucks, Burger King and QDOBA on base, according to Army officials.
According to the Task & Purpose website (https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-meal-card-fast-food/), Capt. Destinee Johnson, a spokesman for the 3rd Infantry Division, said that on Aug. 3, the base will become the first Army installation to implement a new program that the service calls Flexible Eating and Expanded Dining Program (FEED).
Soldiers will be able to use their Common Access Cards (CAC) to buy pre-approved menu items at chain restaurants, Army Materiel Command officials said. The restaurants included in FEED are contracted by the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), which varies depending on the base.
NEW DINING INITIATIVES
FEED is one of the Army’s new dining initiatives that aim to give junior enlisted soldiers living on base more food options.
The Army ran a test pilot in August 2025 with 200 soldiers from the 61st Quartermaster Battalion at Fort Hood, Texas.
Samantha Tyler, a spokesman for Army Materiel Command, told Task & Purpose that the Fort Stewart program will serve as a model for other bases.
Traditionally, Soldiers who live in the barracks are given meal card plans wherein they get three swipes to use at a dining facility for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
But the old school meal plan is changing as the Army overhauls its food options with revamped dining halls, takeout apps, food kiosks and, now, food from chain restaurants, courtesy of a meal card swipe.
At the newest campus-style dining venues, like Bistro 42 at Fort Hood, Soldiers with meal cards get $39 worth of “freedom dollars” to use for the day.
FEED, however, does not use “freedom dollars.” Instead, Soldiers will be able to use their meal cards to buy pre-approved menu items, Tyler said.
Under FEED, breakfast could range from a bacon, egg and gouda breakfast sandwich with a drink of 2-percent milk, almond milk or apple juice, to egg bites with roasted red pepper with 2-percent milk, almond milk or apple juice.
The Army is also allowing Soldiers to redeem missed meals, given the restaurant is still serving it at that time. For example, if a Soldier misses breakfast, they can redeem both breakfast and lunch at that restaurant. Each meal must be redeemed as a separate transaction, Army officials said.
Soldiers will be able to see which menu items qualify for FEED on the restaurant menus and on the My Army Post app, Tyler said.
NAVY PROGRAM
In June, Navy officials announced plans for a similar program, where Sailors can use meal entitlements at chain restaurants on base.
A pilot program is currently being tested at NB Kitsap-Bangor, Wash., where Sailors can swipe their meal cards at Navy-branded food spots like Bombers Fresh Mex.
Source: Task & Purpose (https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-meal-card-fast-food/)
Edited by Larry Lapka
