As a dietary vegan in the USAF, I'm curious as to what accommodations I can request..?

Question

First, please do not try to convince me that being a vegan is wrong, in return I will not bother you with facts and reasons why anyone should give up what they enjoy eating.

What I'd really like to know is whether or not exceptions can be made for airmen in the dorms that are vegan. For example, $320 is taken out of my paycheck and given to the chow hall every month but the chow hall has too few vegan options for me to actually survive on. Is my dietary choice enough of a reason to get my BAS back into my paycheck without moving off base?

Also, while I am getting nutrients and taking supplements I'd really like to talk to a dietician, will the Air Force pay for that?

While some decisions are up to the actual people involved, any insight or even advice would be helpful.

Answer 1

1. Your the only type of vegan I like, so I will help you! :p jk, but seriously I can help with some of these questions.



2. Getting your BAS back will be up to your commander. To be honest, you have no room to stand on, BUT, the Air Force is the best bet in this. I was just talking to a chief yesterday about things of this nature, and though it's up to each individual chief, First shirt, and commander (ultimatly commander's descision), The Air Force invest the most into quality of life, and it's people as individuals and might listen to your request.



3. No about the dietician, though most bases' have one in their staff/clinic/hospital, which then it would be free. But they will not pay for you to goto one outside of the base, unless you were refered to it by a doctor for some reason.



4. Most of the descisions for if you can get away/what accomodations will be made for you are up to your chief, first shirt, and commander. Again with commander being the final desicion. Also if you were deployed or ever in a training enviroment where you had to eat MRE's (rations) They have vegitarian as well as kosher versions of those that can be provided for you if you request it. Again As you know being vegan is your choice, even if it was a "religious one" and since you are in the Air Force, the Air Force "needs" come first. A term I am sure you have heard. Because of this, the Air Force is not obligated in any way to help you. Even if one commander or person does, someone else can veto it.

Answer 2

It sounds like Aden did a pretty good job answering your question. Your dietary choice is your own, so any special requirements that stem from it will fall on you. BAS is up to your commander, so your First Sergeant would be the one to ask.



Pretty much all bases have a Health and Wellness Center (HAWC), and their staff includes certified dieticians. Unless you have a true medical need for a referral to an off base dietary specialist requested by your Primary Care Manager, the USAF won't pay. The same applies for your supplements. Not to sound mean, but most bases also have a GNC store in the BX.



One suggestion for the chow hall: use the suggestion process to request more vegetarian choices on the menu. With the high emphasis on physical fitness these days you might get a favorable response. I doubt that a request for vegan fare would go very far, because there probably aren't many vegans on your base.

Answer 3

The lack of choices or decent food could be said for anyone. Your food preference is to eat vegan. Great! It's a hard choice, but I admire it. However, that being said.... the dining halls and the flight kitchens all offer salad bars and fruit options. If you don't like the options you are given, that's not their fault. You have the option of spending your own funds and eating elsewhere, just like everyone else does. But that doesn't mean that the AF needs to give you BAS. They just have to offer healthy and nutritious food options, which they do.

As someone else said, use the suggestion box to request vegetarian or vegan hot options, and also to have the salad bar open for the dinner hour. Find it hard to believe they don't have something. If nothing else, prepared salads that they can give you. And you can also fill out comment cards concerning the quality of fruit and veg. And remember.... you get further with honey than with salt!

Approach the Airman's council and see if it is something they want to pursue. There is also the Base advisory council that you can take things to.

As for the quality, a lot varies from area to area. In USAFE, those stationed at Ramstein get great produce. Everywhere else get the leftovers. And by the time it made it to the UK... food was already on the verge. Stateside... we're up in the northern tier and we run into the same issues. By the time we get it... it only has a day or two of freshness left.



As for you comment about demanding things from your shirt.... yeah, that's not going to fly. You don't get anywhere demanding anything from anyone!

Answer 4

I have yet to go to a DFAC that doesn't have a salad bar, most have vegan options, and all have 3-4 vegetable options on the hot bar. One I was just in offered veggie burgers and dogs...on the fast food line.

Answer 5

1 None at all.



2. the chow hall serves at least 5 different veggies or fruits at each meal.

Answer 6

There's unfortunately nothing you can do about that but our defac at tech school had veggie burgers and stuff. Have you asked? If they made an exception for you, everyone would be asking for it cause come on. Who really eats much at the dfac? That's your personal choice.

Answer 7

Essentially no accommodation. Your dietary choice is just an arbitrary rule you've constructed for yourself. It would make as much sense for the military to accommodate your self-imposed restrictions as it would for them to accommodate someone who will only eat naturally blue food, or food that originated in the southern hemisphere. That is not the Air Force mission.

Answer 8

First off the military doesnt take "requests" my family is made of military and that requesting will get you no where. You going to have to eat meat eventually in the air force because if they send you overseas and you get put in a combat situation all you are going to get is an MRE

Answer 9

your food choices are like your car/religion/clothing(civies)/etc...not the military's problem. No they will not pay for 'supplements', that is also your problem.

Unless you have a specific health problem that NEEDS a dietitian, no they won't pay for one.

Most bases/posts don't have a lot of military Dr's anymore...if you need off base medical, they may or may not pay for it...and some meds are not given at military pharmacies anymore and you have to pay for off base meds. (true it IS cheaper, but you still pay.)

Answer 10

No special accomedations.

Just shut up and eat the veggies.

Answer 11

Vegan good

Military wrong

Answer 12

None, WYSIWYG