INSIDE DOD’S FOOD SECURITY PILOTS: BASE SELECTION AND NEXT STEPS

The DoD's food security pilots are expanding in a coordinated, readiness-driven way. New data highlights where military families struggle most and which bases need action first. If your base wasn’t picked, you still have options for seeking help and driving change.

Across installations, grocery budgets are strained, food prices are rising, DFAC hours often clash with duty cycles, and young families feel the impact. This is well documented.

MFAN’s most recent survey found that one in five military families face food insecurity, particularly amongst junior enlisted personnel, those with children under six years of age, and off-base households.

Blue Star Families’ 2023 Military Family Lifestyle Survey adds another layer of detail.

• 42% of enlisted families qualify food costs as a top financial stressor.
• Nearly 20% report that they experienced low food security.

The DoD’s own Strategy & Roadmap confirms the severity: 24% of active-duty service members report food insecurity, with USDA reporting their comparative analysis concluding that military families experience food insecurity at 2.5 times the rate of similar civilian households.

This isn’t just a financial issue anymore. The DoD now describes food insecurity as a readiness issue, with documented impacts on health, performance, family stability, and retention.

For these reasons, the Department is expanding food security pilots at selected early-adopter bases, strategically chosen for risk, readiness, and potential to scale quickly.

Where Did These Pilots Begin?

The first generation began in 2022–2023, including:

• The dietitian-led food-access pilot at Joint Base Lewis-McChord
• Marine Corps nutrition pilots at Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton
• NEXCOM micro markets in barracks, shipyards, and 24/7 watch posts
• Air Force campus dining expansions
• DeCA grocery delivery tests

The latest development in 2025 is the shift from experimentation to strategic expansion. This is due in part thanks to:

• New MFAN + BSF data highlighting high-risk installations
• RAND modeling has identified the highest concentrations of BNA-eligible troops
• Congressional support and direction encouraging replication of effective models
• Readiness indicators tied directly to nutrition and health
• Installations prioritized based on junior enlisted density and existing infrastructure

This year marks a shift: the DoD’s food-security pilots are now being treated as an early-adopter strategy, rather than a patchwork of small experiments.

Why These Bases Were Chosen First

1. High concentrations of junior enlisted families

Data from MFAN, BSF, and the DoD all point to the same conclusion: E-1 to E-4 families face the greatest risk of food insecurity. Where those families cluster, pilots follow.

2. Elevated food-insecurity indicators

Using USDA-standard questions across SOFS-A surveys, the DoD has identified specific installations with above-average levels of food insecurity. RAND’s Basic Needs Allowance (BNA) modeling found the highest concentrations of at-risk families at large Army posts in Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, California, and Virginia.

Those states consistently surface in affordability, housing, and food-access data.

3. Clear readiness impact signals

The JBLM pilot began when dietitians documented nutrition-linked readiness degradation among soldiers. Congress later cited JBLM as a replicable national model and a strong signal to other installations.

4. Commissary and dining infrastructure ready to support rapid testing

The DoD selects bases where new initiatives can launch without building a new food ecosystem.

Those bases already have:

• Robust commissaries
• DFACs engaged in performance nutrition
• Exchange footprints with micro markets
• Barracks clusters with demonstrated access challenges
• Working relationships between DeCA, galleys, and family programs

Infrastructure readiness matters.

What These Pilots Look Like Today

1. Nutrition-forward support + on-base pantry models

JBLM’s dietitian-led food pantry remains the clearest example of a fully synced support-and-readiness model.

2. Regional working groups

Pearl Harbor–Hickam’s Food Insecurity Working Group coordinates monthly food drops, SNAP/WIC referrals, financial counseling, and school-lunch support.

3. Modernized dining concepts

Marine Corps Fueled to Fight expansion, Air Force campus dining systems, and autonomous kiosks at Laughlin AFB offer 24/7 access to nutritious grab-and-go meals.

4. Commissary and exchange innovation:

DeCA’s delivery tests, fueling stations, nutrition labeling, and the expansion of NEXCOM micro markets are reshaping access for families and single service members.

What to Do if You’re Facing Food Insecurity and Your Base Wasn’t Selected Yet

1. Get screened for the Basic Needs Allowance (BNA).

Many families who qualify don’t even realize they’re eligible. Screening is required, but you can request it proactively.

2. Leverage Military OneSource and CHAMP tools.

These resources are installation-agnostic and provide:

• Food budgeting tools
• Local referral networks
• Emergency support contacts
• Nutrition and meal-planning guidance
• USDA access pathways

Military OneSource data shows that families who receive coordinated guidance experience a dramatic reduction in food insecurity within 6 months.

3. Push for local replication of proven models.

Commands can request:

• JBLM-style dietitian panel support
• Regional working-group models
• Micro markets in barracks/work centers
• Expanded DFAC hours aligned with shift schedules
• DeCA delivery adoption
• Fueled to Fight labeling adoption
• Performance-nutrition support for units under high tempo

These aren’t hypothetical: they’re already in use across several installations.

Could Future Billets Include Food Security Officers?

While not official policy yet, the direction shown by congressional language, DoD readiness framing, and RAND’s identification of structural gaps makes it realistic to expect designated officer oversight roles for food security in the coming years.

Here’s why:

1. Emerging precedent: The JBLM pilot already relies on embedded medical professionals. Formalizing a billet to coordinate across medical, installation command, DeCA, and family programs is a natural next step.

2. Congressional interest: In 2024 and 2025 reports, Congress urged DoD to expand and standardize food security efforts across installations, a signal that leadership oversight will be needed.

3. RAND’s findings: RAND notes that food insecurity touches pay, housing, childcare, nutrition, and unit culture, all areas that exceed the capacity of any single program office. Oversight roles are often created when challenges span multiple mission areas.

4. Readiness impact: The DoD’s own framing of food insecurity as a readiness and national security issue makes it increasingly likely the Department will formalize oversight.

The future officer role may resemble a:

• Food Security Officer (FSO) within installation leadership
• Placement in the G-1/S-1 or Quality of Life portfolio
• Role aligned to Medical Command or Family Readiness
• Liaison coordinating DeCA, DFAC, childcare, and family programs

Service members should never be hungry while serving our country.

If you are experiencing food insecurity and uncomfortable seeking support, remember that it takes greater strength to ask for and accept help than to suffer in silence and hunger. Every servicemember is critically important to the military’s collective overall readiness.

Reach out and ask for the support you need. Use proven resources, and urge your leadership to adopt effective models. Your engagement matters in shaping policy and providing for your family.

The Real Story: Why This Moment Matters

Food insecurity has been present for years, but for the first time, the DoD is treating it as a readiness, retention, and force-strength issue.

The pilots may not be new, but their purpose, visibility, and momentum are.

• Data is sharper.
• Targeting is deliberate.
• Congressional eyes are on it.
• RAND is mapping the risks.
• MFAN and BSF are elevating lived experience.
• Military OneSource is strengthening support pipelines.
• Early-adopter bases are proving what works.
• Formal oversight roles are increasingly likely.

Families deserve stability. Service members deserve access to nutritious food that matches the demands of their mission. Speak up to your leaders, use available supports, and advocate for improved food security at your base. Showing you need support also plays a crucial role in ensuring food security for all service members and families.

Suggested reads:

• Yes, They Can Recall You: Why Senator Mark Kelly’s UCMJ Case Matters to Active Duty Families
• Inside the Coast Guard's Policy War On Words Over Hate Symbols
• Gratitude Across the Globe: How Service Members Are Celebrating Thanksgiving