DFAC Meal Card?

[CrossedRifles]

I'm in Ft. Knox processing in right now and I've been hearing some word from the PNN ( Pvt. News Network ) that we pay for our own food? The word is that $348 is deducted out of our pay for a meal card and we have to eat at the DFAC. Is this true?


I realize most of the time the PNN has false rumors, but a friend of mine asked his team leader and sergeants and they all told him yes. I asked my own team leader and he said $348 is added onto the pay I already have, and $348 is deducted, as if nothing had happened to my pay. I figured I asked the people who've been in here longer. It kind of has me angry since I already make so little and that the Army does not bother to tell any of us this information. I realize being infantry means more work and same pay, but this is ridiculous.. Thanks for your help.

[laabstract]

Usually they do meal deductions if you live in the barracks. You can have it stopped but you will have to pay to eat in the defac, but it's a pain in the rear to get done.

[tacksman]

Talk to your COC.

[whatpain]

no no no. they deduct it but if you live in the barracks they pay you it back. i used to make like 5 extra dollars or something. its very confusing. you wont have to pay for your own food till you move out of the barracks but you will be getting bas. i used to make almost 400 a month for food when i moved out. and it was just me

[whatpain]

and yes you have to eat at the dfac till you pretty much get out of a.i.t. trust me it saves you money anyway bro

[Snoopy47]

[tanksoldier]

Take anything you hear from a PVT and stuff it. There are about ten million people with NCO stripes on their collars you can ask. The internet isn't the place to be asking your questions.

It works out that you get a reduced BAH because you live in barracks and you get no BAS because you eat in the DFAC. The Army does some funky book keeping but that's how it works out.

Military compensation is divided into pay and allowances.

Pay is more or less the same based on grade and length of service. Allowances are based on circumstances. You are most likely single with no dependents.

You may be serving with Soldiers who have dependents who couldn't accompany them to training. The Army defines them as involuntarily separated geographical bachelors. They will get BAS and BAH for their dependents' place of residence just as if they were on an unaccompanied tour to Korea or something.

[jmsenk]

LOL, thats funny. But yes, PVT Chang, what you are hearing is correct. They give you a BAS (Basic Allowance for Subsistance) and then they take it away from you. They won't let you get on seperate rations unless you have a good reason (usually a family) Try out the DFAC for a few months - it's not bad, and its free food, but if you can, somehow, get seperate rats (like, say, you have a food allergy, or you're worried about taping over and want to buy more salads) then keeping that BAS would be a pretty good extra bit of cash. Yes, you'd have to pay for your DFAC meals, but typically you only eat there once, maybe twice a day... at the most, and you buy the rest of your meals anyway. It all depends on how much you eat out, or if you go grocery shopping, etc.

But yes, you have been told correctly. They give you money for food, and then they take it away from you. It will (should) all be annotated on your first LES.

[evidens83]

Kinda off topic but am I allowed to get seconds at the DFAC? Because I swear some of the servers can be stingy!! lol

[CrossedRifles]

Thank you for the information. Feel relieved now that my pay won't be reduced by 1/4.

Kinda off topic but am I allowed to get seconds at the DFAC? Because I swear some of the servers can be stingy!! lol

My friends usually go for seconds at the salad bar, drinks, deserts, and etc. The only thing I wouldn't suggest to get seconds of would be the main entrees or meals, cause they'll remember your face.

[TAK]

Army bases are ****ing ridiculous about food. At MC/Navy bases you can eat as much as you want and many times a day and they don't care at Army bases they would only give you one main meal and were strict about ****ing everything. I have never been to AF base I'm pretty sure they have surf and turf buffets at all their chow hall though, and they pay you to eat.

Just to clarify though. I am an e3 and I get paid 348 extra for food and they take out 306.

[TAK]

Army bases are ****ing ridiculous about food. At MC/Navy bases you can eat as much as you want and many times a day and they don't care at Army bases they would only give you one main meal and were strict about ****ing everything. I have never been to AF base I'm pretty sure they have surf and turf buffets at all their chow hall though, and they pay you to eat.

Just to clarify though. I am an e3 and I get paid 348 extra for food and they take out 306.

[tanksoldier]

at Army bases they would only give you one main meal

Don't know what post you were on but Army DFACs generally serve 3 meals per day. There's a few at small installations or activities that only serve lunch but that's rare.

Naval chow facilities are generally run to work with the watch system, four meals per day and snacks in between. Army doesn't use that so we do 3 meals... and we're supposed to be working in between, often remote from the DFAC, so we can't just run down 3 decks for a snack.

[TAK]

I was referring to every meal. So when you would go in and say get a piece of chicken, if you went back to try to get another piece they wouldn't let you go back through the line.

[zacksahi]

you can usually go to the main line and if your hungry still head over to short order as theyll think its your first time, or vise-versa did it for the longest before i got married