Army Enhancing Soldier Experience Through Improved Dining Options

Food is an essential part of everyday life, and that is no different for warfighters. Fueling soldiers to fight and win our nation's wars is a top priority, and the Army has several initiatives underway to ensure consistent access to healthy, affordable food.

"The Army is focused on creating a positive seismic shift in food service operations," said Army Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, Army Materiel Command commanding general.

The Army listened to soldier feedback and, in 2023, stood up an Army Food Program board of directors who quickly took action to improve dining options on installations by expanding the use of food trucks, bistros, meal prep programs and 24-hour self-service kiosks.

"It's about getting the right types of food at the right locations. We need to build a comprehensive Army food strategy that looks at the entire food ecosystem and all the potential options to feed soldiers," Mohan said.

As part of its continuous transformation the Army has implemented four additional initiatives - campus-style dining venues, Dining Excellence program, Victory Fresh and flexible eating and expanded dining - in various stages of execution that have the potential to change the food landscape across installations.

These initiatives, along with traditional dining facilities, are designed to ease the burden on the Army's culinary specialists and meet soldier preferences.

"Not every installation is the same, so the Army needs an approach featuring tailorable, scalable options," Mohan said. "We have to meet soldiers where they are."

Campus-Style Dining Venue Pilot

The CSDV pilot transforms the way the Army fuels its soldiers by leveraging industry experts' experience to operate restaurants on installations that offer more food options, better service, ambiance and hours. The Army awarded a concession contract Aug. 28, 2025, to create a unique campus-style dining venue at Fort Hood, Fort Carson, Fort Bragg, Fort Drum and Fort Stewart.

The Army's vision for the CSDV pilot includes multiple food stations, flexible seating and social spaces, technology integration, extended hours and service options. Under the CSDV model, contractors will manage the venue and provide food as a restaurant would. The primary intent of the pilot is to provide a venue where soldiers on essential station messing - or a meal card - want to dine, so they can maximize their meal entitlements rather than paying out of pocket for food elsewhere.

At the CSDV, they will swipe their common access card for their meals, just as they do in traditional dining facilities. The contractor will be paid only for the meals served to soldiers on essential station messing.

"When soldiers pass up their benefits and entitlements, we are failing them," Mohan said.

While the focus is on meal card holders, the restaurants will offer a range of a la carte options for other customers, including soldiers, families and Army civilians.

The first CSDV pilot locations are scheduled to open in the spring.

Dining Excellence Program

Through the DINEX program, the Army is seeking innovative, flexible contracting solutions to run dining facilities on training installations and improve existing food service models. DINEX will support dining facilities that serve soldiers who are subsisted-in-kind, in training and eat at high-volume, high-flow rates.

The Army wants to introduce innovative procedures, practices or methods not currently used in support of food service operations to ensure optimal nutrition and sustainment for the next generation of soldiers. The Army issued a commercial solutions opening on SAM.gov in December 2025. It will begin evaluating proposals and work with industry in the coming months.

Victory Fresh

Developed in collaboration with Chef Robert Irvine, Victory Fresh is an innovative restaurant concept that offers a variety of fresh, nutritious meals in a grab-and-go format tailored for soldiers in a training environment.

Focused on training installations, Victory Fresh offers grab-and-go wraps and salads, as well as build-your-own power bowls, available to soldiers, Army civilians and their guests, provided by a staff trained by Irvine and his team.

Victory Fresh helps soldiers fuel their bodies in a healthy way, even when they don't have time for a sit-down meal.

"Let's give them what they deserve, on the plate, so they can do what we need them to do," Irvine said about the program.

The first Victory Fresh location opened at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in October 2023. A second location will open this month at Fort Lee, Virginia.

Flexible Eating and Expanded Dining

The FEED initiative allows soldiers to use their meal entitlements at restaurants outside traditional dining facilities and to choose from a menu of items approved by nutritionists and dietitians, offering them a wider variety of healthy options.

FEED compliments existing dining options, linking the entire food ecosystem rather than replacing a portion of it, to better serve soldiers' diverse schedules and needs.

AMC conducted a 14-day limited user assessment test with 200 soldiers assigned to 61st Quartermaster Battalion at Fort Hood, Texas, in August 2025. The assessment found that almost 80% of participating soldiers chose healthier options.

The Army is evaluating the feasibility of FEED and the next steps for the pilot.

These comprehensive and complementary initiatives are designed to provide soldiers with healthy, accessible and convenient food options that fit the demands of modern military life.

"Food brings us all together. Food is the fuel for our warrior-athletes," Mohan said. "We have to ensure our soldiers remain the best-sustained, best-fed and fittest fighting force in the world."