Testimony shows scope of meal problems at McCoy

[unhappycamper]

Testimony shows scope of meal problems at McCoy
By Ryan J. Foley - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jan 18, 2009 14:23:05 EST

MADISON, Wis. — Food service was so poor at one of the nation’s largest military training bases in 2005 and 2006 that meals were not available, bugs were mealtime companions and workers didn’t follow basic safety rules, according to testimony recently made public.

The Army blames the state of Wisconsin for mismanaging the multimillion-dollar food service contract at Fort McCoy under a program for blind vendors. A state official who oversaw the contract acknowledged problems but testified that shoddy Army facilities were largely at fault.

“Until the Army builds modern buildings of dining facilities for its soldiers, we will not be back there,” workforce development official Joseph D’Costa testified in an arbitration hearing last year. “The garrison buildings are not able to provide the environment for a pleasant food service experience for our soldiers.”

Fort McCoy spokeswoman Linda Fournier said it was the poor quality of the food, not the outdated buildings, that caused complaints from soldiers in 2005 and 2006. She said food service has improved under the current contractor and the Army has spent $14 million upgrading older dining facilities in the last two years.

“Fort McCoy is working diligently to provide superior dining facilities and dining services for its soldiers,” she said in a statement.


Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/01/ap_mccoy_meals_011809/%2e