WASHINGTON — Soldiers with the Michigan National Guard are complaining about bad food they’ve been served while providing security at the U.S. Capitol, ranging from undercooked meat to poor food quality.

The complaints reached members of the Michigan delegation and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, whose office said she called Acting Secretary of the Army John E. Whitley about the problem on Feb. 17 — nearly two weeks ago — as soon as the first reports of the food were received.

She was assured the problem would be corrected, and guard officials last week told lawmakers the issue had been resolved. That was followed by another round of complaints over the weekend — again of poorly prepared and undercooked food, Whitmer’s office said.

“It’s not only a Michigan guard problem. I stop and talk to all the guard out there, and they said it’s improved, but still far from perfect,” said U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Dearborn Democrat who has been visiting the soldiers every couple of days.

“Ultimately, it’s the National Guard that hired the contractor — not those of us on the Hill.”

——————–

GOPUSA Editor’s Note: Is this the answer to the question, “Why are they still there?”
Capitol Police increase security amid ‘possible’ militia group plot to breach Capitol
——————–

In one message to a lawmaker, a soldier last month reported that meat served with lunch and dinner was almost always undercooked and sat in its packaging for hours before reaching the troops.

“Multiple soldiers have been getting sick and vomiting after eating, and most of the food is being thrown away,” according to the message. “Morale is very bad; many have served overseas and cannot believe the quality of food they are being fed here.”

Related StoryRaw chicken, moldy bread and METAL SHAVINGS: The disgusting meals which have hospitalized Michigan National Guard troops in DC

Other complaints included lunch arriving many hours late, a lack of options for vegetarians, and breakfasts consisting of a piece of fruit and a hard roll without any protein.

“What I was told is, if they had 10 meals, they were throwing four or five of them away — they couldn’t even eat them,” said U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, a Holland Republican who joined the troops for lunch outside the Capitol on Thursday.

Huizenga and other Michigan lawmakers said they started making calls when the complaints started. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Southfield, said she plans to have dinner with Michigan soldiers this week to see if the situation has improved.

“We’ve had some challenges with the food,” she said.

About 1,000 soldiers from the Michigan National Guard are helping to provide security at the Capitol after the violent attack on the building that left five people dead on Jan. 6. Michigan troops make up about 20% of the National Guard presence at the Capitol. Their deployment is set to end March 12.

A spokeswoman for the Michigan guard said the reports of bad food provided to service members in Washington were “very concerning.”

“The firsthand accounts and pictures of undercooked food being served clearly shows that what is being given to Michigan’s service members is unacceptable,” the spokeswoman said.

She stressed that senior Michigan leaders had contacted the federal government to express their displeasure. “Every assurance was given that the issue would be addressed and corrected,” she said.

The Michigan guard noted the food contract was awarded and is monitored by the National Guard Bureau at the Pentagon, and that Michigan’s Adjutant General, Major Gen. Paul Rogers, has communicated all concerns directly to Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, chief of the National Guard.

“Senior leaders of the Michigan National Guard will remain personally engaged with this issue and will continue to push for accountability and a solution to the ill-prepared meals being served,” the Michigan guard spokeswoman said.

The National Guard Bureau did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Monday.

Whitmer’s office said she had conditioned the extended deployment of the Michigan guard to Washington on their having proper housing and food.

The soldiers are staying in local hotels. But instead of a per diem to cover meals, the National Guard Bureau hired a catering service to feed them. That appears to be where the trouble started, lawmakers said.

Whitmer sent Rogers to Washington to meet and dine with the guard after the first reports of the bad food, according to her office. The governor also reached out to bring the matter to the attention of Dingell, who got House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office involved, she said.

After Dingell contacted Pelosi a second time, the troops started getting protein in their breakfast Thursday in the form of hard-boiled eggs, she said.

“She said she would do what she could to help the situation because it was unacceptable,” Dingell said.

“She, too, has been very clear that we need to treat these men and women with respect and integrity and make sure they are being taken care of while they are protecting us.”

___

(c)2021 The Detroit News

Visit The Detroit News at www.detnews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

—-

This content is published through a licensing agreement with Acquire Media using its NewsEdge technology.

Rating: 3.1/5. From 13 votes.
Please wait...