Food Insecurity among U.S. Military Families and Veterans

Research shows that U.S. veterans and military families experience food insecurity at higher rates than the general population. Food insecurity among U.S. veterans and military families is a national security concern: it multiplies stress on active-duty personnel, contributes to malnutrition among servicemembers and their children—who are more likely to serve in the military as adults—and may hinder recruitment for the armed services.

As direct service providers and the U.S. government respond to veterans’ and military families’ short-term needs during the pandemic, there also needs to be a path forward for long-term solutions to food insecurity among U.S. veterans and military families.