Michigan National Guard Members Complain Of “Undercooked, Contaminated” Meals While In D.C.
Members of Michigan’s National Guard have come forward to reveal another detail of the alleged “mistreatment” and “poor living conditions” reportedly experienced by troops who have been deployed in Washington D.C. ahead of the inauguration of President Joe Biden in January.
The troops from Michigan said they were provided “undercooked meals” or “food containing metal shavings” during their stay at the nation’s capital — where they were deployed to protect Capitol Hill before and after the January 6 riot.
The incident was first reported by several local news outlets in Michigan.
“Soldiers with the Michigan National Guard are complaining about bad food they’ve been served while providing security in the US Capitol, ranging from undercooked meat to contaminated food,” The Detroit News said.
Thousands of National Guardsmen were forced to vacate congressional grounds today and are now taking their rest breaks outside and in nearby parking garages, after two weeks of sleepless nights protecting the nation’s capitalhttps://t.co/tQK9R6AJMd
— POLITICO (@politico) January 22, 2021
Michigan lawmakers and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were said to have been informed of the food issues in mid-February — and problems have been resolved — but new complaints have emerged over the weekend.
“We understand that the decision was made to provide contracted meals to support the entire federal response stationed at the Capitol. However, it is clear that these contracted meals are poorly prepared, oftentimes inedible, and highly inadequate to support our soldiers,” the entire Michigan delegation in the House of Representatives said in a letter sent to the National Guard on Tuesday.
“It is completely unacceptable that our men and women serving in Washington D.C. are being hospitalized due to the food they are being provided,” the letter added.
🚨NEW >> Michigan House members say troops guarding the Capitol have been **HOSPITALIZED** because their food has had metal shavings, moldy, or utterly undercooked…
Our troops deserve better.
Story to come.#Breaking @WUSA9 @CBSNews pic.twitter.com/Jy2QPOvK3C— Mike Valerio (@MikevWUSA) March 2, 2021
The letter asks that the National Guard sever its contract with its current food provider and either find a new provider or give the National Guards — “per diem” for the remainder of their time at the deployment US Capitol.
“Since January 6, there have been no National Guard members hospitalized because of illness from food. Out of the 26,000 who were deployed and the 5,200 who remain, approximately 50 have been treated for gastrointestinal complaints,” said Lt. Col. Carver said.
“Six of them were treated as outpatients at military treatment facilities; others were handled at aid stations set up as part of the Task Force. The National Guard continues to closely monitor the quality and safety of meals provided to its personnel,” he added.
Michigan calls out National Guard
Michigan lawmakers slammed the “mistreatment” of the National Guards saying the “service members, who often stand outdoors for shifts of up to 12 hours, are increasingly spending their own money to eat because they don’t trust the food from the contractor.”
The letter to the National Guard was signed by Representatives Bill Huizenga, Debbie Dingell, Tim Walberg, Brenda Lawrence, Jack Bergman, Haley Stevens, Fred Upton, Elissa Slotkin, John Moolenaar, Dan Kildee, Peter Meijer, Andy Levin, Lisa McClain and Rashida Tlaib.
Meanwhile, following the reports in Michigan — Fox News said “it’s unclear if the meal problems affected Guard members from states other than Michigan.”
Previous reports of the alleged “poor living conditions’” of National Guard’s staying in Capitol Hill also drew flak earlier after images of the conditions — which it showed them sleeping in parking garages at near-freezing temperatures emerged online.
Over 25,000 National Guards from numerous states were called to the US Capitol that time to maintain law and order in the US Capitol.
