{"id":11601,"date":"2025-08-27T18:50:27","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T18:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/?p=11601"},"modified":"2025-08-27T18:50:56","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T18:50:56","slug":"army-air-force-exchange-service-plays-key-role-in-army-test-of-campus-style-dining-at-fort-hood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2025\/08\/27\/army-air-force-exchange-service-plays-key-role-in-army-test-of-campus-style-dining-at-fort-hood\/","title":{"rendered":"Army & Air Force Exchange Service Plays Key Role in Army Test of Campus-Style Dining at Fort Hood"},"content":{"rendered":"

FORT HOOD \u2013 <\/strong>For two weeks in August, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service at Fort Hood offered breakfast, lunch and dinner to 200 selected service members as part of their meal entitlement during a test of a groundbreaking Army feeding initiative<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Limited User Assessment Test (LUAT) for the Army\u2019s Flexible Eating & Expanded Dining (FEED) program is the next step in strengthening nutritional readiness with a focus on convenience and accessibility.<\/p>\n

The test\u2014in which service members used their Common Access Cards (CAC) for select meals at Burger King, Freshens and Qdoba at Fort Hood\u2019s T.J. Mills Food Court; Subway in the Clear Creek Food Court; and Starbucks in both locations\u2014was designed to confirm that Army entitlement and Exchange point-of-sale platforms could communicate effectively in real time.<\/p>\n

All Exchange platforms worked as planned, the result of a collaborative effort among several Exchange directorates that stemmed from discussions that began nearly a decade ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a significant opportunity to further enhance our Warfighters\u2019 readiness, resilience, retention and lethality,\u201d Director\/CEO Tom Shull said during the test at Fort Hood. \u201cAfter nearly a decade of planning and collaboration, the Exchange\u2019s IT, accounting, policy and food service teams are fully nested with Army leadership and leaning forward as a partner in this critical effort to deliver a true campus-style dining experience to the communities the Exchange is honored to serve.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Fort Hood, Shull met and discussed the FEED program with Army Materiel Command (AMC) Acting Commander Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan and Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral, commanding general, III Corps & Fort Hood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe program ensures nutrition for Soldiers is the priority,\u201d Shull said. \u201cMilitary dietitians reviewed our menus and made selections, determining which items met nutritional qualifications and could be options for Soldiers. They were responsible for selecting the brands that would participate in the LUAT as well as approving menu options.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two Fort Hood units, the 61st<\/sup> Quartermaster Battalion and the 49th<\/sup> Transportation Battalion, participated in the test. The 200 Soldiers, who all live in barracks, were asked to dine at as many of the Exchange restaurants as possible during the test. Troops were asked to evaluate the process and the systems involved, and to report any problems with CAC card-swipes or other issues.<\/p>\n

Once the feedback and test results have been reviewed, \u00a0the Army will initiate discussions on the next phase of the pilot, potentially expanding to Forts Bragg, Carson, Drum and Stewart. In the future, FEED programs could be implemented at more than 300 Exchange facilities on Army installations around the world.<\/p>\n

Chief Master Sgt. Rich Martinez, the Exchange\u2019s senior enlisted advisor, underscored the importance of the pilot program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe food that we provide Warfighters is the catalyst for human performance, enabling them to do their jobs effectively,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cThe Exchange\u2019s participation allows the services to leave that focus to us and move it to a higher level. When people talk about the relevancy of the Exchange, this is just another facet of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Social-media-friendly version: <\/strong>Soldiers at Fort Hood took part in an expanded meal entitlement test, using their CAC for select meals at Exchange restaurants. Learn more: https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Q7PG-317<\/a><\/p>\n

— 30 —<\/p>\n

Since 1895, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange) has gone where Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians and their families go to improve the quality of their lives by providing valued goods and services at exclusive military pricing. The Exchange is the 51st<\/sup>-largest retailer in the United States. 100% of Exchange earnings support military communities. In the last 10 years, the Exchange benefit has provided $15 billion in value to the military community, including through contributions to critical military Quality-of-Life programs. The Exchange is a non-appropriated fund entity of the Department of Defense and is directed by a Board of Directors. The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize the service, valor and sacrifice of Vietnam Veterans and their families in conjunction with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our website at http:\/\/www.shopmyexchange.com<\/a> or follow us on X at https:\/\/x.com\/ExchangePAO<\/a>.<\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n

Media Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact Travis Day at 214-312-3534 or daytra@aafes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Follow the Exchange:<\/p>\n

Facebook: www.facebook.com\/shopmyexchange<\/a><\/p>\n

X:\u00a0https:\/\/twitter.com\/shopmyexchange<\/a><\/p>\n

Instagram: @shopmyexchange<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FORT HOOD \u2013 For two weeks in August, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service at Fort Hood offered breakfast, lunch and dinner to 200 selected service members as part of their meal entitlement during a test of a groundbreaking Army feeding initiative. The Limited User Assessment Test (LUAT) for the Army\u2019s Flexible Eating & […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":11603,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[25],"tags":[160,174,107],"class_list":["post-11601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press_releases","tag-aafes","tag-army-air-force-exchange-service","tag-exchange"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"http:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2025\/08\/27\/army-air-force-exchange-service-plays-key-role-in-army-test-of-campus-style-dining-at-fort-hood\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Army & Air Force Exchange Service Plays Key Role in Army Test of Campus-Style Dining at Fort Hood","url":"http:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2025\/08\/27\/army-air-force-exchange-service-plays-key-role-in-army-test-of-campus-style-dining-at-fort-hood\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2025\/08\/27\/army-air-force-exchange-service-plays-key-role-in-army-test-of-campus-style-dining-at-fort-hood\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/FEED.webp?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/FEED.webp"},"articleSection":"Press Releases","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Travis Day"}],"creator":["Travis Day"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Exchange Newsroom","logo":""},"keywords":["aafes","army & air force exchange service","exchange"],"dateCreated":"2025-08-27T18:50:27Z","datePublished":"2025-08-27T18:50:27Z","dateModified":"2025-08-27T18:50:56Z"},"rendered":"