A quality-of-life issue often cited by rank-and-file soldiers in the barracks is not being able to use on-base dining facilities, which they technically cover the cost of by having a portion of their monthly pay deducted to pay for meals. During a recent town hall in Hawaii, a soldier said that the chow hall at Schofield Barracks, known as Warrior Inn, is often closed, and he asked if soldiers could be allowed to use their meal cards at restaurants off base.
“Warrior Inn has been closed for the fifth time within a year,” the soldier, a specialist, said during Tuesday’s town hall held by U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. “I don’t like seeing my Joes eating from Uber Eats every day.”
The soldier also asked if Army officials could stop deducting a portion of enlisted soldiers’ pay that is meant to cover the cost of eating at dining facilities.
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“A couple of these guys that I know in my unit, they don’t eat at the DFAC [dining facility], they get small portions,” the soldier said.
Regarding the frustrations that the soldier voiced during the town hall, the “Warrior Inn” at Schofield Barracks is closed this month because the soldiers who operate it are in the field until the end of January, said U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii spokesman Nathan Wilkes.
At the moment, soldiers at Schofield can get hot food at two other chow halls on the base, Wilkes told Task & Purpose.
“Soldiers have raised concerns about the availability of dining facilities, and we recognize the impact that facility access has on meal options, Wilkes said, adding that the garrison is working to ensure that soldiers have access to reliable food options.
U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii provides installation support, including oversight of barracks, for Fort Shafter, Schofield Barracks, Tripler Army Medical Center, and Wheeler Army Airfield.
But units in Hawaii have no control over how much money the Army budgets for on-base dining facilities, which is determined by how many soldiers use the chow halls on a daily basis, Garrison Commander Col. Rachel Sullivan said during Tuesday’s town hall.
When fewer soldiers use their meal cards in dining facilities, the bases in Hawaii receive less money to run the chow halls, Sullivan said.
“This has been an ongoing problem across Schofield Barracks and Wheeler and is the reason that the AFSBN [Army Field Support Battalion] was required to close the dining facility on Wheeler approximately 20 months ago — because the head count did not exist to be able to sustain the facility with the money that was coming in to run it,” Sullivan said.
Although the lack of access to dining facilities is a recurring issue for junior enlisted soldiers, younger service members may also decide not to eat in chow halls to avoid possibly getting chewed out by their enlisted leaders over minor infractions.
The garrison has asked that the Army convert one of its chow halls into a campus-style dining venue, meaning it would be run by contractors and open 24 hours a day, said 25th Infantry Division Command Sgt. Maj. Shaun Curry.
Prior to the 2025 government shutdown, the garrison expected the move to take place within a year, but “things have slowed down a little bit,” Curry said.
The professional military training for local culinary specialists is being revised “to ensure what you get is the best possible quality that we have,” he added.
“What I won’t do is I won’t restrict Uber Eats from coming on the installation, because some folks — that’s all they eat,” said Curry, who recalled once seeing Uber Eats go to a soldier’s barracks room that was near a dining facility.
