Air Force Academy cadets ordered to stay on base this month to improve cleanliness suffered a meat shortage while stuck on post.
The Air Force Academy sent out a memo on Aug. 7 restricting cadets from leaving the base so that they could square away their rooms and equipment, as well as their physical appearance, according to a report Monday by The Colorado Springs Gazette, which features the memo from academy leadership.
But the influx of mouths to feed led to a meat shortage at the dining hall that ruffled some feathers.
“We are aware of cadet concerns related to dining options and food availability, specifically at Mitchell Hall, and are conducting a thorough review of the situation,” an Air Force Academy spokesperson told Military Times in an emailed statement.
The academy said that the restriction, ordered by U.S. Air Force Academy Commandant of Cadets Brig. Gen. Gavin Marks, was a tool used to address military standards and accountability.
Upperclassmen cadets typically go off campus for food so the dining hall was unprepared for the uptick in diners, cadets told The Colorado Springs Gazette.
The dining hall ran out of steak, but chicken and fish were still up for grabs, the academy confirmed.
The academy said cadets still had access to “nutritionally balanced meals,” as well as other dining options, including on-site establishments and choices for off-base delivery.
The Gazette article cited low morale and a flurry of social media complaints related to the restriction and ensuing beef shortage.
Once the memo was issued, sign-out logs were removed, prohibiting cadets from leaving the premises, though passes would be issued on a case-by-case basis, the memo said.
Cadets were required to wear their uniform at all times during the steak famine and were banned from wearing civilian attire unless signed out with one of the passes.
The Academy would lift restrictions, the memo said, when rooms were cleaned and organized, equipment and benches moved, and all trash discarded.
Outdoor cooking equipment would also be inspected for “serviceability,” with anything “unserviceable” ordered to be discarded as well, the memo said.
Personal appearance inspections would be given to each cadet, with squadrons required to ace the test with at least a 95% score while wearing their service dress, blues, operational camouflage pattern, and flight suits.
Cadet rooms needed to be cleaned as well.
The academy said conditions would need to be met by Aug. 16, The Colorado Springs Gazette reported, and restrictions were finally lifted Friday after the cadets sufficiently addressed the conditions of their release.
Riley Ceder is an editorial fellow at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice and human interest stories. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the ongoing Abused by the Badge investigation.
