While military families have many of their basic needs (such as housing and health insurance) met as part of their service benefits, many still struggle with other necessities and resources, such as being able to secure enough food.

Food insecurity occurs when people do not have enough to eat, and they do not know where their next meal may be coming from.

In the United States, there are 47 million people (including 14 million children) who experience food insecurity each year.

For military families, rates of food insecurity are higher; one in four active duty military families experience food insecurity, while rates for non-military families in the United States are one in every eight families.

Rates are increasing over time.

Over time, food insecurity rates among military families have increased; in 2017, 15 percent of military families experienced food insecurity, while in 2023, that number increased to 20 percent.

There is no doubt that food insecurity is an issue for military families, but there is support available to ensure service members and their families can access the healthy food they need to thrive!

Basic Needs Allowance

The Basic Needs Allowance is paid monthly to service members who are on active duty (with dependents) whose household income is below 150% of the Federal poverty guidelines.

This amount depends both on the service member’s location, as well as the number of dependents they have.

The goal of this allowance is to ensure service members and their families have economic security, and are able to afford basic necessities such as nutritious food.

Service members are automatically screened for eligibility based on their pay, but they do have to apply. More information on the program as well as how to apply can be found here. 

Commissary Resources

The commissary is a great place to help save money on food, as well as to learn healthy recipes.

Commissary shoppers can utilize a Commissary Rewards card, purchase Commissary store brands, and can also purchase dietician-approved snacks and meals at select locations.  

Assistance for those serving OCONUS

The Family Supplemental Subsistence Allowance (FSSA) can help supplement the Basic Allowance for Subsistence for service members to help provide healthy food for themselves and their families.

FSSA is offered by the Department of Defense, and is one of several programs designed to help service members with lower incomes and their families access healthy foods.

FSSA was introduced at part of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act of 2001.

It requires the Department of Defense to provide low-income service members a food allowance to make sure that these families do not have to rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to be able to afford healthy food.

Eligibility for FSSA depends on both household size as well as household income level.

Additionally, only service members serving outside the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U. S. Virgin Islands.

Additional Federal Programs

Military families who fall within a certain income range are eligible for multiple Federal programs, including:

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): SNAP helps families afford groceries at grocery stores and some farmer’s markets.

A map of places where SNAP is accepted across the country can be found here. 

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): WIC helps low income women, infants, and children up to the age of 5 access nutritious food, as well as education on healthy eating and referrals to other health care providers. More information about WIC can be found here. 

Conclusion

If you are a military family who needs assistance with having enough nutritious food for your family, you are not alone!

There are many resources available to you, and you can also reach out to Military OneSource for help finding services.

*For more from Heather Maxey, check out her MM Author Page.