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An anonymous staff sergeant in the Michigan National Guard set off a firestorm yesterday by blowing the whistle on nonedible food being served to troops deployed in Washington, D.C. Speaking to WXYZ-TV in Detroit, he said that Sunday’s meals included raw meat, metal shavings, and other issues, causing soldiers to get sick.
The issue has been known about for most of the month of February. Several members of Michigan’s congressional delegation, along with Governor Gretchen Whitmer and her senior administration, have made repeated inquiries to the Secretary of the Army and other high-level officials at the national level. Complaints about food had died down for weeks until Sunday’s problems.
Keweenaw Report has confirmed that Michigan’s roughly 980 member contingent includes members from Houghton and Baraga Counties, as well as across the Upper Peninsula as a whole.
United States Senator Gary Peters is demanding an immediate cancellation of the food contract that has been entered into with a private company. Peters wants a switch to a per diem arrangement that would be retroactive to the beginning of the deployment in January. That would allow soldiers to procure meals from area restaurants until they return home mid-March, and compensate them for having to resort to paying out of pocket in the past.
A copy of his letter is below.
Republican Congressman Jack Bergman has also weighed in on the issue. His full letter to the Secretary of the Army is below.
Dear General Hokanson:
Hundreds of Michigan National Guard troops have been deployed in our Nation’s Capital since mid-January to assist with security for the Inauguration and in the days following. They have proudly answered the call, served our country, and continue to make our state proud. These are our neighbors, and many are my constituents. On Thursday, 25 February, I had the opportunity to meet with dozens of our Guardsmen to thank them for their service and hear more about their mission.
In recent weeks there have been reports of soldiers being served undercooked and contaminated food. This was an issue of concern to me, and one that I brought up while visiting the troops last week. My understanding at the time of my visit was that this issue had been remedied. However, since that day we have received multiple new reports of soldiers being served raw chicken and other food containing metal shavings. This is unacceptable and an embarrassment to the D.C. leadership accountable for this mission.
Having commanded Marine Forces Reserve during, and following, Hurricane Katrina I fully understand that the breadth and scope of a mission this size can pose some unique circumstances and logistical issues. Yet, this is no excuse for the continued poor treatment of our National Guard, who deserve to be fed meals that are safe to consume.
I ask that you take immediate action to remedy this situation for the remainder of the time our troops remain in D.C. and provide full accountability for this failure.
Respectfully,
Jack Bergman
Member of Congress
