The Always Ready Dining Facility at Fort Hood, Texas reopened Nov. 17 to serve
expanded dining options to Soldiers, Department of War civilians, and contractors
working on the west side of the installation.
Always Ready serves breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1
p.m. Monday through Friday. Meal card holders present their common access card, and
other diners can try out the new options for $4.40 at breakfast and $7.10 for lunch.
The dining facility was renovated to give more variety and options for Soldiers through
adding newly remodeled action stations to the main line’s menu. Daily food options now
include a pizza and pasta bar, a readymade sandwich bar, a burger station, a Mongolian
grill, and a “Tex-Mex” station featuring tacos, burritos, and rice bowls.
“The other DFACs on the installation already have this implemented, so this is new for
this side of West Fort Hood for the Soldiers,” said Sgt. 1st Class Brian Morrow, dining
facility manager with 553rd Field Feeding Company, 61st Quartermaster Battalion, 13th
Armored Corps Sustainment Command. “Since they’re so far from regular post, it gives
them that same opportunity to get those quality meals and the same opportunities
instead of going off post or just getting the DFACs regular menu item for the week.”
Previously, the only dining options for Soldiers on West Fort Hood were the Always
Ready Kiosk, food trucks, and a convenience store. Diners at the opening enjoyed the
new multitude of options available at the newly renovated facility.
“I would say [there’s] more nutritional value now than a bunch of prepacked microwaved
foods or cold subs,” said Spc. David Rivas, a signals intelligence analyst with 303rd
Military Intelligence Battalion, 504th Military Intelligence Brigade. “Here you actually
have a multitude of different options, whether that’s protein, veggies, carbs, or fruits.”
The Always Ready DFAC reopening addresses Soldiers’ need for more options said
Chief Warrant 2 Julius Powell, company food service technician with 553rd FFC, 61st
QM, 13th ACSC.
“Soldiers need to be fed nutritionally so they can meet their job requirements, and they
need their energy to be able to do that,” Powell said. “The number one source for
energy is food, so this is ensuring that soldiers have adequate nutrition with hot food so
they can do their job.”
Always Ready also saves Soldiers time and hassle when grabbing breakfast and during
their lunchbreak, Rivas said. Other options had single-serve lines, and some were not
open during breakfast hours.
“It’s easier to relax and enjoy our meal and not have to rush to get back to work,” Rivas
said.
The dining facility was closed in July and originally was scheduled to reopen in early
2026\. Construction was completed on Nov\. 5\, and culinary specialists and contractors
quickly worked to get Always Ready open to give West Fort Hood Soldiers an essential
dining option.
“It’s something that the Army is supposed to provide, and what we do is provide a
quality meal, make sure they can get through their day and recovering from their
workout properly,” Morrow said, “So it’s very important to have these dining facilities out
here so they can take those correct actions for their everyday lives.”
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