Students who live on U.S. military bases overseas will be eligible to receive free meals for the rest of the school year, officials with the Army and Air Force Exchange Service said Monday.
The Department of Agriculture, which subsidizes the overseas military dependent meal program, granted a waiver to the Department of Defense to provide the free school meals through June 2021.
The children will be required to have a student identification and a student meal account set up through the military’s exchange system. No action will be required for those students who already have a meal account, officials said.
“This is great news for our military families, especially during these challenging times,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Osby, senior enlisted adviser at AAFES.
The free lunch program will be of great assistance to the enlisted troops, advocates say.
“This is great news for families who may be experiencing financial hardships during this pandemic,” Air Force Tech Sgt. Robert Harris said.
The AAFES has been the school feeding authority for the Army and Air Force since 1955.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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