US media exposure: 160,000 active-duty US military families live in hunger The US Department of Defense has turned a blind eye

Source: Overseas Network

Overseas network on November 15, the Associated Press published an article titled "Thousands of American servicemen's families struggle with food shortages" on the 14th, exposing that as many as 160,000 american active-duty servicemen are facing the dilemma of insufficient food and unable to support their families during the new crown epidemic, while the US Department of Defense has turned a blind eye to this problem.

Feed America learned from more than 200 food banks across the country that chronic food shortages have spread to all areas of the country, including the military. Preliminary estimates show that 29 per cent of junior servicemen have faced food shortages over the past year. Activists believe the problem has been around for years, mainly affecting junior active-duty soldiers with children.

James Bohannon, 34, a Navy corporal in San Diego, California, is currently feeding his two daughters with government food aid. Mr. Bohannan told The Associated Press that he had recently gone to a local fast-food distribution center to pick up food, "I don't want to lie, it's really tough." ”

"Those who are low-ranking in the military, if they are married and have one or two children, they live in hunger." Senator Tammy Duckworth, a former Black Hawk pilot, lost both legs in a plane crash in Iraq. He said that if soldiers worry all day long about whether their children have eaten dinner, they cannot concentrate on their mission.

Meredith Knopp, chief executive of a food bank in St. Louis, a veteran, believes the food shortage has involved all parts of the U.S. military. She shared with the U.S. media a personal experience as an officer in Texas: A new recruit with a baby approached her and complained to her that the power agency was ready to cut off the power supply to his home because she could not pay the bills. Nopp sighed, "This shocked me. ”

The Associated Press cited several other similar examples in the article. "This is not just a humanitarian issue, it has a direct impact on national security." Josh Protas, Amazon's vice president of public policy, said, "Members of the armed forces who suffer from food shortages are more likely to be distracted on the battlefield and less likely to re-enlist." This will lead to a brain drain for generations. ”

The U.S. military is responsible for the problem, but the Pentagon has chosen to turn a blind eye. "The Pentagon denies this reality, which is so disappointing." Protas said, "For our leaders, acknowledging this issue would make them feel awkward." ”

Colleen Heflin, a professor of public administration at Syracuse University, said the Pentagon lacked interest in the issue and that there was a serious lack of relevant research or data. "In my experience, it's hard to explain this to Defense officials at this stage," Heflin said, "and they find the issue embarrassing and don't want to admit it at all." ”

Rep. James McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts, called on the Pentagon to seriously study the issue. McGovern said, "At this stage, there is no reason for any of the Pentagon's top brass to say they don't know it's a problem." Someone has to take responsibility and solve the problem. (Overseas Network Yao Kaihong)

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