Braxton Taylor
Space Force Guardians at Schriever Space Force Base in Colorado will soon no longer have takeout boxes provided to them at the dining hall, meaning troops will have to bring their own containers from home if they want to take meals to go.
Complaints about the upcoming change quickly took over the Space Force’s page on the social media platform Reddit last week. A spokesperson for Space Base Delta 1 confirmed to Military.com Wednesday that the change would take place at the on-base dining facility, or DFAC, on Oct. 15.
“As of 15 October 2024, the Schriever SFB DFAC will no longer provide takeout containers for patrons,” the spokesman said. “This initiative is part of our ongoing efforts to reduce waste and minimize our environmental impact. Individuals who wish to take their food to go are welcome to bring their own reusable containers.”
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Schriever Space Force Base near Colorado Springs is home to numerous around-the-clock missions ranging from GPS operations, missile detection and warning, satellite communications and high-level surveillance missions.
As a result of those daunting and time-consuming missions, many of the 8,000 Guardians, airmen and civilian employees on base are often in a hurry and take their meals or leftovers from the DFAC — fittingly called the Satellite Dish Dining Facility — to go.
The news was not well-received on the Space Force subreddit.
“So, if you’re on crew at Schriever, or are simply one of those people who doesn’t have time for a real lunch break and prefers (like me) to take a meal back to your desk and do working lunches, consider this your heads up to go buy a bunch of food containers,” one commenter wrote.
“I’m always impressed about how the negative-morale field around Schriever is able to warp reality into ever more depressing states, but this one takes the cake,” the commenter added.
The Space Base Delta 1 spokesperson said Guardians can bring their own from home or can also buy their own takeout containers from the on-base coffee shop — also fittingly named the “Bean Me Up Cafe.”
Additionally, Guardians can choose to sit and eat their meal entirely at the dining hall.
While the initiative is aimed at reducing waste on base, the spokesperson added that they hope it will give troops on base the opportunity “to take a break and enjoy a meal together.”
The spokesperson added that the takeout container change is so far only happening at Schriever and has not been rolled out at other Space Force bases.
It appears other bases have tried similar measures in the past. A 2014 Army news release said there was a temporary pilot program allowing soldiers to bring their own takeout containers to the DFAC at Camp Humphreys in South Korea.
David Duffie, who at the time was identified as working for the Camp Humphreys food management program office, said the “program has been used at other installations and has saved, depending on usage, up to $60,000 a year.”
The policy change at Schriever comes as military dining halls struggle to offer more convenient and healthy options for troops.
A report this summer from the Government Accountability Office — Congress’ watchdog agency — detailed that many service members have come to rely on fast-food locations on or near base instead of the dining halls because of a lack of quick options that are open late.
“For example, one large installation had 47 nonappropriated fund food [fast-food] venues offering service from 5:00 a.m. to midnight, in comparison to 14 dining facilities, most of which closed by 6:00 p.m.,” the report said.
While some bases have installed takeout windows or drive-throughs at their DFACs to offer more convenient options, GAO investigators found that many of them did not follow proper nutrition standards.
Related: Military Dining Halls, Pentagon Failing on Efforts to Offer Nutritious Meals at Bases, Watchdog Says
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