“It’s a shocking truth that’s known to many food banks across the United States,” said Vince Hall, Feeding America’s government relations officer. “This should be the cause of deep embarrassment.”
In addition to modest pay for junior enlisted ranks, the frequent moves inherent to military life make it difficult for military spouses to find steady work. Also, the internal military culture of self-sufficiency leaves many reluctant to speak about their difficulties, for fear they will be regarded as irresponsible.
“They were getting ready to turn off his electricity because he couldn't pay his bills,” she said. “It was shocking to me.” Their savings quickly disappeared and the small income she earns from dog-sitting didn't come close to covering the shortfall. For a while, the couple considered sleeping in their car on the base grounds until the next paycheck.
Kelly Klor, who works on food insecurity issues for Blue Star Families, recalls a period of financial hardship 13 years ago as a young mother in Texas whose husband had just enlisted. The family pinched pennies at every opportunity, never eating out and relying on the local public library for entertainment. But they still depended on WIC — a similar program to food stamps that serves mothers and children — in order to afford expensive baby formula for her infant daughter.
One of the strangest aspects of the problem is a mysterious Agriculture Department regulation that prevents thousands of needy military families from receiving food stamps. Families living outside the base grounds receive a Basic Allowance for Housing to help cover most of their costs. A spokesman for the USDA said in an email reply that the department is “taking a fresh look at our authorities with respect to this policy.”
Colleen Heflin, a professor of public administration at Syracuse University, said the lack of Pentagon interest has led to a critical shortage of proper study or data. “In my experiences, it's hard to explain this to Department of Defense officials," she said."They find it embarrassing and something they would not like to acknowledge.
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