More than $151M collected from US Army soldiers for food ended up spent elsewhere

Millions of dollars collected by the United States Army for a food program were spent elsewhere — with less than half of the funds actually finding their way to soldiers’ plates, according to a report.

An investigative report from Military.com found that of the $225 million snatched up from junior enlisted soldiers as part of the Basic Allowance for Subsistence program, just $74 million went towards food.

“It’s just returned to the big pool of army funds, and it’s used someplace else,” an official told the outlet.

The money is collected in what amounts to a tax on troops — taken from their BAS payment of $460 per month and automatically deducted from paychecks of service members who live in barracks. The program is intended to help enlisted men and women to cover food costs.