Ministry of National Defense officials on Tuesday said that they have adopted new measures to improve the quality of meals at military bases.
All branches of the armed forces have initiated programs to revamp their kitchens and mess halls and enhance menus in recent years while keeping in line with nutritional requirements for active military personnel, Navy Captain Chang Heng-jung (張恆榮) said.
Chang said that the average meal expenditure is NT$2,862 per month for soldiers at national bases, with adjustments made according to food commodity prices and with extra subsidies depending on the nature and location of the unit deployment.
He also listed details of the guidelines, which showed an additional food subsidy for remote bases in mountainous region, for offshore islands such as Kinmen and Matsu, with the highest expenditure for those stationed on the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) and the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島) in the South China Sea.
“The latest survey showed that the level of satisfaction with food at a majority of military bases is more than 80 percent. The highest was 98 percent at the Reserve Command Headquarters for Central Taiwan Region in Taichung,” Chang said.
Chang and other defense officials provided examples of the new menu, including buffet-style meals and an array of cooked Taiwanese and Western cuisine.
Military units presenting their “model” food programs included the 58th Artillery Command in Taichung, the 99th Marine Brigade in Kaohsiung, the National Defense University in Taoyuan, the 439th Combined Wing of Pingtung Air Force Base and the 204th Military Police Regiment in Kaohsiung, where Japanese, Thai and Italian dishes are to be made available on special occasions.
However, some critics said the ministry has given a biased account, as the presentations came from the higher echelons of the military hierarchy, adding that most soldiers do not enjoy such good quality and selection of food in their daily meals.
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