Fort Hood Soldiers Can Use Meals at Exchange Restaurants

The Flexible Eating and Expanded Dining Program lets soldiers spend meal entitlements at participating on-base restaurants.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Dining Out

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of a plain tray with a meal beside a blank card on a clean counter under warm daylight. — Soldiers at Fort Hood can now use their meal entitlements at participating on-base restaurants, including Burger King, through a new flexible dining program. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Soldiers at Fort Hood can now use their meal entitlements at participating Army and Air Force Exchange Service restaurants through the Flexible Eating and Expanded Dining Program. Pfc. Michael L. Harris and Pfc. Foster L. Micah were the first to use the program, with their initial purchases made at Burger King.

Why it matters

The program gives soldiers more flexibility in how and where they eat on base, using military ID cards to buy preselected meals. It expands the dining options available to Killeen-area service members beyond traditional installation dining facilities.

The program was tested in a two-week pilot at Fort Hood in the prior year, and Fort Stewart, Georgia, became the first installation to offer the option at Exchange restaurants in August. The source does not report usage numbers or participation totals.

The players

Compass Group USA

Compass Group USA is a food service company that implemented the payment system for the program and was hired to open the Army's first five privately run dining facilities.

Army and Air Force Exchange Service

The Army and Air Force Exchange Service operates the on-base restaurants where soldiers can use the program and serves military personnel and families worldwide.

The details

Soldiers use military ID cards to buy preselected meals at participating on-base restaurants, including Charleys Cheesesteaks, Starbucks, and Subway. The payment system was implemented by Compass Group USA, which was also hired to open the Army's first five privately run dining facilities.

Prior year: A two-week pilot of the program was tested at Fort Hood.
August: Fort Stewart, Georgia, became the first installation to offer the option at Exchange restaurants.
Tuesday: Pfc. Michael L. Harris and Pfc. Foster L. Micah made the first purchases through the program at Burger King.

Dining Landscape

The Flexible Eating and Expanded Dining Program extends the Army's privatized dining model, following Compass Group USA's role in opening the service's first five privately run dining facilities. The move brings Exchange restaurant chains such as Burger King, Charleys Cheesesteaks, Starbucks and Subway into the meal entitlement system.

Soldiers with military ID cards can use meal entitlements at participating Exchange restaurants, including Burger King, Charleys Cheesesteaks, Starbucks and Subway, rather than only traditional installation dining. The program lets service members choose from preselected meals at on-base restaurants operated by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service.

The takeaway

The program shows how the Army is testing new ways to give soldiers more choice in on-base dining. Service members in the Killeen area and at other installations can watch whether the Exchange restaurant option expands beyond the current pilot sites.