U.S. News: Hunger Hits Troops, Veterans Hard

"HINES, Ill. -- Every Thursday, Bob McMahon -- often in his trademark Marine Corps sweatshirt and ball cap -- volunteers in a food pantry at the Hines VA Hospital in suburban Chicago that helps veterans, active-duty troops and hospital employees.

Mr. McMahon, a 63-year-old who served in the Marines just after the Vietnam War and left the service as a Private First Class, was homeless when he first came to the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital program in 2013, which he credits with saving his life. The pantry serves more than 100 veterans a week, said Kerry Thomas, a licensed clinical social worker.

Hunger, a pervasive problem in the U.S., is worse in the military than it is among the population at large. Nearly a quarter of active-duty troops report some level of food insecurity, according to a 2022 Defense Department report, compared with about 10% of the general population, according to the Agriculture Department. The USDA defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food to live an active, healthy life.

Food insecurity among active military has complicated causes. It isn't solely a matter of income; troops' earnings outpace that of peers in the civilian sector, according to Beth Asch, a senior economist at think tank Rand Corp.

In many civilian households, both spouses work. But military spouses often have difficulty maintaining careers because service members move frequently, and spouses can be unemployed for stretches at a time. Some 40% of military families with unemployed spouses faced food insecurity of some kind, according to the Defense Department.

Military members also often have to pay out-of-pocket for expensive cross-country moves and rent and utility deposits, then wait months for reimbursement, Dr. Asch said.

The Defense Department started the Basic Needs Allowance in January, a safety net for military families designed to bring their income up to 130% of federal poverty guidelines, or about $29,940 a year for a three-person family.

The rollout has been slow. Each service is required to determine which members are eligible and tell them how to apply for the extra money, but few have been signed up.

In March, Democratic Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Elizabeth Warren called on the Defense Department to accelerate the program to bring eligible families' income to 150% of federal poverty guidelines.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during an exchange with Sen. Gillibrand during a Senate committee hearing that the increase would be made in July, earlier than originally scheduled.

"DoD is pleased with its successful implementation of the Basic Needs Allowance program," said spokeswoman Jade Fulce. "Upon transition to the 150% of the federal poverty guideline threshold, the department expects to see an increase in the number of service members who are eligible for the Basic Needs Allowance."

The Defense Department has other initiatives to boost financial stability for military families, said spokeswoman Cmdr. Nicole Schwegman, including a congressionally mandated 4.6% pay raise for service members and an 11% increase in food allowance this year.

The VA created a food security office in 2022 to address hunger among veterans, according to Anne Utech, director of nutrition and food services at the VA. But the VA lacks comprehensive information about the scope of the problem. According to VA data, 2% of veterans face food insecurity, a statistic Dr. Utech said is hard to believe. USDA data indicate about 11% of working-age veterans experience food insecurity.

Some of Mr. McMahon's issues began when he was on active duty stationed in Twentynine Palms, Calif., where he worked with tanks. Today he struggles with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other ailments he said comes from exposure to concentrated diesel fumes.

He lost his home to foreclosure more than a decade ago and was homeless for 3 1/2 years, living in a tent on the Chicago River, bathing and shaving every day at the city's Union Station.

He said that when he left the service, he didn't get robust transition services. The VA had few outreach services at that time, he said, but now provides much more. He got housing through a joint VA/HUD program and food and other services at the Hines VA program, where he started volunteering.

"Now, there's no excuse why you can't get taken care of," Mr. McMahon said." [1]

1. U.S. News: Hunger Hits Troops, Veterans Hard
Kesling, Ben.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 22 Apr 2023: A.3.