Photo By Staff Sgt. Egypt Johnson | U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Dopkant, future operations noncommissioned officer assigned to the 311th Signal Command, enjoys lunch at The Outpost food truck at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, Aug. 6, 2026. The Outpost provides Soldiers with fresh, affordable meal options every Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the USO parking lot as part of a 90-day pilot program designed to improve access to nutritious food and support Soldier readiness. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Egypt Johnson) see less
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Fueling Readiness: Soldiers Taking Care of Soldiers Through The Outpost at Fort Shafter
FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii — Steam rises from freshly cooked jasmine rice as culinary specialists portion grilled chicken and vegetables into meal containers. Before most Soldiers begin thinking about lunch, the team behind The Outpost has already spent hours preparing fresh meals from scratch, ready to serve fellow Soldiers across Fort Shafter, Aug. 6, 2026.
Long before the lunch rush begins at Fort Shafter, Army culinary specialists are already at work. By lunchtime, they're serving made-to-order meals that offer fellow Soldiers a healthy alternative to fast food while demonstrating a simple Army principle: Soldiers take care of Soldiers.
The Outpost, operated by culinary specialists from the 25th Infantry Division, was brought to Fort Shafter through a partnership with the 8th Theater Sustainment Command to improve access to nutritious meals for Soldiers receiving Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) while the installation dining facility is closed for modernization.
"I've been on the island for a short period of time, and just like anybody else, just like any other Soldier, I was hungry during lunch," said Command Sgt. Maj. Montrell Kea, senior enlisted leader of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command. "I was trying to find a place to eat, but there really weren't many options outside of the PX."
Recognizing the challenge facing Soldiers across the installation, Kea reached out to leaders from the 25th Infantry Division to bring an existing capability to Fort Shafter.
"We recognized that we don't have a lot of options here," Kea said. "I told them, 'I know this is your capability, but we need some assistance."
The result is more than a food truck. Twice each week, The Outpost provides Soldiers with fresh, affordable meals while giving Army culinary specialists an opportunity to sharpen the expeditionary skills they'll use during field operations.
"This is actually a bridge," Kea said. "Our dining facility building is going to be modernized into a campus-style, but until then, Fort Shafter is recognized as a food desert."
Sgt. Quynh Nguyen, assigned to the 605th Transportation Detachment, discovered The Outpost happened through word of mouth.
"Our major told us there was a food truck every Tuesday and Thursday," Nguyen said. "They said it was really affordable, about seven to ten dollars."
What started as curiosity quickly became a practical solution. Between work requirements and the time, it takes to leave post for lunch, Nguyen said The Outpost saves both time and money.
For Sgt. 1st Class Andrea Cooper, Headquarters and Support Company, Division Troops Support Battalion, 25th Infantry Division, every meal served is part of a much larger mission.
"The battlefield starts way before the battle," Cooper said. "It starts in the garrison when you're training. If you don't eat properly, that affects readiness."
Cooper also wants Soldiers to understand what goes into every meal before the service window opens.
"A lot of people think the food is already pre-done," she said. "What they don't see is these Soldiers getting here early in the morning, cooking the food, preparing everything fresh and making sure it's ready before we ever open."
The meals are intentionally designed to support Soldiers beyond a single lunch break. Customers can purchase multiple vacuum-sealed meals to refrigerate and enjoy throughout the week.
"Soldiers come here and get three, four or even five meals," Cooper said. "They can keep them in the refrigerator and have healthy meals ready for the next day and the day after when we come back."
The Outpost's meal-prep option has become one of its biggest advantages. Soldiers can purchase multiple freshly prepared meals, refrigerate them and reheat them throughout the week.
"Soldiers come here and get three, four or even five meals," Cooper said. "They can keep them in the refrigerator and have healthy meals ready for the next day and the day after when we come back."
Nguyen said that convenience helps Soldiers who don't always have the time or experience to prepare meals themselves.
"Why do it yourself if they do it for you?" Nguyen said. "It's the same amount of money I'd spend, and it saves me time."
For many junior enlisted Soldiers receiving BAS, the program helps eliminate barriers to eating well.
"Imagine being an E-3 who just left home, got stationed in Hawaii and is told to figure out how to cook and eat healthy," Cooper said. "Not everyone has transportation or easy access to groceries. This helps fill that gap."
While Soldiers receive healthy meals, the culinary specialists behind The Outpost gain equally valuable experience.
Operating the mobile kitchen requires far more than cooking. Soldiers' complete driver's training, fire marshal certification and propane safety training before taking the truck on the road. They also develop menus, plan operations, manage inventory, market the program and conduct after-action reviews to improve every event.
"They learn how to plan, execute and then come back and ask, 'What could we have done better?'" Cooper said. "They're learning leadership while still being Soldiers."
Sgt. Samaria Canty, administrative, personnel and rations noncommissioned officer in charge, 569th Quartermaster Company, Division Troops Support Battalion, said working aboard The Outpost mirrors the small-team environment culinary specialists experience during expeditionary operations.
"In a dining facility you might work with 12 to 20 people," Canty said. "On the truck, you might only have three or four. It really connects garrison operations to what we do in the field."
The smaller team also creates a more personal experience.
"You're taking orders, reading tickets and making each meal specifically for that Soldier," Canty said. "It's much more personal."
Canty believes that personal connection is what makes the program so impactful.
"We're coming into what's basically a food desert and giving Soldiers something cheaper and healthier than always going to Subway, pizza or the taco truck," she said. "It's good that we come out here to show Soldiers we're here for them and that they weren't left behind with only fast food as an option."
Nguyen said many junior Soldiers still rely on restaurants because they either don't know how to cook or don't want to spend time preparing meals after work.
"I know my privates don't cook," Nguyen said. "They just go out to eat."
Kea has become one of The Outpost's regular customers.
"I try to come every time, if I'm here," he said.
After recently completing the Army Combat Fitness Test, he celebrated with one of the truck's signature chicken rice bowls.
"The presentation is like something you'd get from a high-end bistro," Kea said. "The chicken portions are big, everything is well prepared and you can tell they take pride in what they're serving."
Although The Outpost currently serves Soldiers on Tuesdays and Thursdays, leaders envision the program continuing until Fort Shafter's campus-style dining facility is complete, with the potential to expand as staffing allows.
As Fort Shafter moves toward a future campus-style dining facility, leaders hope The Outpost continues to grow. Until then, every meal served represents more than lunch, it represents Soldiers taking care of Soldiers.
For Nguyen, the program's value is simple.
"It's convenient," Nguyen said.
Behind that convenience are culinary specialists who arrive before dawn, prepare every meal from scratch and spend the day serving fellow Soldiers, proof that readiness often begins long before training starts.
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