Congressman John Carter (TX-31) sent a letter to Lieutenant General Sean Bernabe investigating the decisions leading up to the reported food access issues at Fort Cavazos. Along with the letter, Representative Carter issued the following statement.

 

"As a representative of Ft. Cavazos, the well-being of the soldiers stationed there is my top priority. Adequate access to food is a basic necessity, and that should never be at risk. With this letter, I hope to get to the bottom of some of the decisions that led to the reported food access issues to ensure this never happens again. While I recognize the challenges that come with leading a military installation as large as Ft. Cavazos, it is imperative that this issue is resolved immediately."

Below is the complete text of the letter:

 

Dear Lieutenant General Bernabe,

 

I am writing to express my concern over recent reports regarding the closure of a majority of dining facilities on Fort Cavazos. While I understand that dining support was constrained due to training rotations and deployments, I am seeking more information as to why only one dining facility was kept open on main post given the geographic and residential size of Fort Cavazos.

 

I am aware that in the past few weeks more dining facilities have begun to reopen as units are returning to Fort Cavazos. Regardless, I am hoping to understand whether the situation that occurred over the summer was anticipated and what actions were or were not taken in preparation for a reduction in dining support.

 

I request a timely review of and response to the following questions:

 

• What was the process for Fort Cavazos informing higher headquarters of the potential impacts on manpower for dining facilities due to upcoming deployments and training rotations?

 

• Was the option to utilize a contracted dining facility a possibility?

• What is the decision point for Fort Cavazos to obtain a contracted dining facility and why have they not done so thus far? If it is due to resourcing, where does the authority for that decision reside?

 

Ensuring that our servicemembers have easy access to food is a fundamental baseline of taking care of our troops. As a member who represents Fort Cavazos and our brave warfighters stationed there, one of my top priorities is to maintain a garrison that promotes troop welfare. I look forward to your response.

 

Sincerely,