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.”
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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.”
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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.”
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Your “Socialist Democrat Party State”
will look after you and give you everything you need.………NOT!!!
Socialism always rots the nation from within. After they get control no one gives a rat’s ***. Quality and compassion are the first to go when there is no where else too go.
AND of course they’re DISSING on the military.
STILL TOO many white conservatives in its ranks for their liking.
And the democrats’ contempt for our armed forces continues on. The left cheer leaded for the communists during the cold war, spit on our vets, burned recruiting stations, bombed federal buildings and burned their draft cards. Since the draft ended, the all volunteer military has predominately been dominated by conservatives. Not content to let others sacrifice and die to preserve their underserved freedoms and rights, democrats have further defecated on the military by infecting it with homosexuals and put women in areas that were not meant to be watered down. Hillary’s husband, the then commander in chief lied to the draft board and boasted that he “loathed” the military. It’s been a long time since 9-11 and the admiration and respect that formerly was viewed as trendy by liberals has all but evaporated.
IMO its high bloody time the so-called LEADERS Of our military, pulled their heads out of the DEMONRATS keisters, and started standing UP FOR THEIR TROOPS…
Yep serve our Nations Heroes with bread with fungus on it, no protein for breakfast, bacteria infested meals that make the troops sick. Just remember the Government is here to help. Yes, the communists are here to help, right Democrat communists?
Let’s demand Congress eat these meals before it is given to our military, and they need to lick those plates clean.
Congress would probably LAUGH at anyone even suggesting that, as THERE IS NO WAY for us to enforce it.
Are the people that fed them this rotten food now considered Domestic Terrorist? If not, they should be.
We’ll never find out WHO WAS responsible.
W T F. These guys deserve more and who the heck is supplying this food? Out the SOB’s so that this doesn’t happen again. Why are these people still in DC anyway? Get them home and let them live with their family. The only reason I even see them there is because the Dem’s and Lib’s are causing so much problems that they are afraid they will be attacked.
If it weren’t for Democrat Party we wouldn’t have any problems.
You would think these politicians would treat their protection way better than this instead of pissing on them and telling them it is raining. Why can’t they just roll in a food kitchen tent like they do at Daytona International Speedway as one example?? They can feed hundreds of people plus provide tables and chairs out of the weather, either heated or cooled, and somewhat comfortable – maybe not the Senate Dining Room but a decent place to eat for our deserving troops who happen to be fellow citizens. I think the Democrats even treat the illegal aliens better than this, for God’s sake!
Because the democrats don’t care about the military.
They don’t care about anything except bossing everyone around lining their pockets with pork.
IMO they never have, and never will.
NOTE EVERY “Draw down” in # of troops, has happened UNDER A DEMOCRAT administration…
Here we go! It’s the Carter/Clinton military, all over again. I feel bad for the men and women currently in uniform. The only time this excuse for a President and his administration will pay any attention to them is when they need them for another “wokeness” exercise. When I arrived at my first unit, a lot of the married enlisted guys were on food stamps because they pay was so bad. Drug use was rampant, and morale was rock bottom. Sadly, I think we’ll be seeing a return to this!
I can see retention of the good troops, being MAJORLY DOWN, cause of crud like this.
I was ready to separate from the Navy during the Carter administration , especially when Jimmih’s secretary of defense, Harold Brown insulted us with “if the troops don’t like what they are getting paid and conditions, let them vote with their feet.” Ronald Reagan arrived in the nick of time to save the United States and its military.
Make no mistake, this was intentional. No ifs ands or buts about it.
Intentionally stupid and incompetent like all intrenched bureaucrats.
Contractor prepared meals? Does the military out-source every thing including the guns, bullets and clothes? What do they have, low bid, low wage Chinese cooks? I can remember when the NG and the Army cooked and served their own chow. This country is already doomed. Deep State bureaucrats and professional politicians have sold this country and their souls to lowest bidder.
If I was armed with an M16, I would be eating wherever and whatever I wanted. These soldiers should be dining free of charge at the best restaurants in town.
I doubt they were issued ammo…