A bipartisan pair of senators hope to steer service members away from ultra-processed food and fast food through a measure that would give them coupons to shop at on-base grocery stores.
Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) rolled out the Commissary Healthy Options and servicemember Wellness (CHOW) Act to launch a pilot program for the coupon system that they hope will slash soaring obesity rates and make America’s fighting forces healthier.
“Healthy troops are ready troops, and when we talk about military readiness, nutrition is way more important than vaccines and a whole lot of other things we focus on,” Marshall, an Army veteran who practiced medicine for more than 25 years, told The Post.
Under the CHOW Act, the War Department would launch a pilot program at two military installations that would give personnel a monthly coupon that they can cash in at on-base food depots.
Service members would be encouraged to purchase groceries and ready-to-eat meals for use when dining facilities on base aren’t open.
While military cafeterias use recipes that are intended to meet critical nutritional standards, some reports have found that service members consider many of those options deeply unappetizing.
The unsavory meals, coupled with limited hours of operation, have steered many troops living in barracks away from dining facilities and toward fast food options and Uber Eats.
“As you look at the big picture of the military readiness right now, 20% of our troops are obese. 70% are overweight. One of the main reasons for separation from the military is obesity, and they can’t pass their PT [physical training] test,” explained Marshall, who comes from a family in which at least one member of every generation has served since the Civil War.
“I’ve been really impressed, as I’ve been through several commissaries over the past year, here and overseas. They definitely have healthy choices,” the Kansan added.
The CHOW Act stipulates that service members can’t use the coupons on alcohol or tobacco and would direct the Department of War to issue a report on how the initiative impacts service members’ access to healthy food.
Marshall and Warnock are expecting the CHOW Act to be tucked into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual bill that Congress passes each year to authorize spending on the military and critical defense programs.
“This is a critical next step in addressing food access and quality for our military; if this program proves effective in boosting food security and improving our military readiness, Congress should move to expand this program nationwide,” Warnock said in a statement.
Marshall, who chairs the Senate MAHA Caucus and whose son served in the Army, including in Poland, believes that there is more work to be done in instilling healthy habits in the military.
“Just as much as we come in and teach people how to shoot a rifle, I hope that we’re focused on coaching them up for healthy nutrition choices,” he said.
“Of course, you know, I think that we need to pay a little bit more attention to the physical activity, not just that first year when you’re in the military, but continuing some type of physical activity for our troops, so that they’re able to pass the physical test each year.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has vowed to crack down on obesity in the military and promote high fitness standards.
Warnock raised concerns about food quality for service members earlier this year following a Miltary.com report that the Army used $151 million collected from soldiers’ paychecks intended for food and redirected it toward other uses.
“For too long, servicemembers have lacked reliable access to quality, nutritious food options on base,” Warnock said of the CHOW Act. “This bipartisan legislation will launch a program to provide commissary credits to help soldiers put healthy, tasty, and quality meals on the table, so they can stay focused on the hard work of keeping our country safe.”
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