Help save a Fort Carson soldier from starving this holiday season
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Army officials have launched a new campaign to combat food insecurity at Fort Carson with Sally Struthers as a celebrity spokeswoman.
Dubbed “Operation Star-Spangled Sustenance,” the initiative aims to feed hungry soldiers for just $1.23 a day — less than the cost of a cup of coffee or a single chicken nugget combo meal.
“These brave young men and women volunteered to defend our freedom,” Struthers says in a new infomercial launched this week, clutching a half-empty ketchup bottle, one of the few condiments still available on post.
“But today, many are fighting a new battle to survive on base dining options that would make an MRE seem like fine dining. Won’t you help?”
The campaign comes on the heels of a damning report about Fort Carson dining facilities being plagued by shortages and closures, forcing soldiers to venture off-base or survive on ramen, protein bars, and sheer determination. According to the report, some dining halls have hours so erratic that they could only be described as “operational when the planets align.”
Meanwhile, Amazon has offered to airdrop non-perishable snack boxes to soldiers stuck in training exercises far from the nearest vending machine. Each box will include energy drinks, expired fruit snacks, and a QR code to earn Prime member points. According to Lt. Col. Sara Gilbert, 4th Infantry Division G-4, the airdropping of supplies from Army assets failed “due to the E-4 Mafia acquiring the supplies before it was secured by the military police.
The irony of soldiers going hungry amid a $900 billion defense budget hasn’t been lost on the public. Advocates for the program have called out the Department of Defense’s priorities, questioning why the Pentagon can fund DEI programs but can’t keep dining facilities stocked with grilled cheese sandwiches.
Adding insult to injury, Fort Carson soldiers’ basic allowance for subsistence contributions outstrip its food budget by over four times. With the $22 million in soldier deductions and a food budget this year of just $5 million, the base could theoretically stock dining facilities with filet mignon. Instead, the budget for food services barely covers frozen chicken patties, instant mashed potatoes, and lukewarm coffee that has been described as “a caffeine-free war crime.”
“It’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul,” said Sgt. 1st Class Adam Mitchell. “Except Peter is starving, and Paul’s off somewhere funding a new training program on emotional intelligence or unconscious bias training.”
The campaign’s tagline, “Adopt a Soldier Today,” has also drawn comparisons to similar fundraising efforts for endangered animals. For their contribution of $1.23 a day, donors will receive a monthly photo of the soldier they’re supporting, along with updates such as, “Private First Class Jenkins successfully found a hot meal this week,” or “Corporal Andrews reports a new dining hall has opened, but only serves breakfast between 5:15 and 5:17 a.m.”
Those interested in donating should visit armyemergencyrelief.org.
Meanwhile, operators are standing by. For those who can’t donate, the campaign also accepts leftover Thanksgiving turkey, powdered milk, and unopened condiment packets.