Petty Officer 1st Class Travis Nardine, a culinary specialist with Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Miss., prepares vegan meals for sailors at Colmer Dining Facility, May 29, 2026. (Brittney Kinsey/U.S. Navy)
Sailors who skip the base galley aren’t just passing up a meal, they’re leaving money on the table, and the Navy wants to change that, according to Navy Installations Command.
The command on May 27 announced the Navy Food Service Transformation initiative, aiming to improve the daily lives of sailors and maximize the service’s ability to field a battle-ready force, according to a news release that day.
The initiative starts with pilot programs created to motivate sailors to eat more often at galleys at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Wash., and Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Miss.
“By providing our Sailors with high-quality, nutritious food and top-tier wellness resources, we are directly investing in their physical and mental resilience,” Vice Adm. Scott Gray, head of Navy Installations Command, said in the release. “A well-supported, healthy, and focused Sailor is a more lethal warfighter, and these pilot programs are a critical step toward ensuring our force is always ready to meet any challenge.”
At Kitsap, the program aims to increase sailors’ use of their meal entitlement from 30% to 50% within the pilot’s 16-month run, base spokesman Christopher Stanis said by email Thursday
The program officially launched on June 3 with a ceremony attended by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle and will run until September 2027.
During that time, Kitsap sailors may use their meal entitlements at the Warrior Eatery and other Morale, Welfare and Recreation-branded restaurants on base.
Early results have already surpassed expectations, Stanis said.
Petty Officer 1st Class Travis Nardine, a culinary specialist with Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Miss., prepares vegan meals for sailors at Colmer Dining Facility, May 29, 2026. (Brittney Kinsey/U.S. Navy)
Foot traffic and sales have increased daily since the soft opening, with the Warrior Eatery’s cook-to-order stations, specifically Better Burgers and Uptown Pizzas and Calzones, emerging as the clear favorites, he said.
Demand has been so high that just one week into the soft opening, the installation identified an immediate need to double staffing levels to keep up, Stanis said.
Sailor feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, according to Kitsap base officials. Many sailors said they are making a point to try something different every day.
“The Food Service Transformation pilot at Naval Base Kitsap marks a shift in how the Navy delivers quality-of-life services on our installations,” Kitsap base commander Capt. Alexander Baerg said in Stanis’ email. “The soft opening exceeded expectations, as foot traffic and enthusiasm outpaced projections.”
At Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, the approach is to improve sailors’ experience at the galley, according to the release.
Gulfport is home to the Navy Shore Enterprise’s newest galley, designed to accommodate rotating food stations offering diverse cuisines and made-to-order fare, Destiny Sibert, spokeswoman for Naval Installations Command, told Stars and Stripes by email Thursday.
In March, Gulfport sailors sampled potential menu items and provided feedback through surveys and comment cards, directly shaping the final menu, according to a May 29 post on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System.
The Navy plans to evaluate the pilots’ performance based on increased use of sailor meal entitlements and overall satisfaction ratings.
“The Navy is evaluating both pilots as complementary approaches rather than competing ones. Because installations vary in size, mission, and infrastructure, the Navy may deploy one, both, or a hybrid model depending on specific local needs,” Sibert said.
