Earlier this week, I reported on the sorry state of affairs at the U.S. Capitol — no, not the corrupted and inept Republican congressional minority or the corrupt and misguided Democratic congressional majority, but the pathetic meals being given to the National Guard troops stationed there.
They were getting an apple and a gross muffin or other toddler-appropriate meals. Many had to venture off campus to buy themselves a meal, which is not how it’s supposed to work for troops on duty.
Well, there’s good news. Since my piece published, the food has improved. And I’ve mostly figured out why it got so bad in the first place. While I’ve gotten conflicting answers from various National Guard officials, here’s the story as I understand it.
Beginning when the new Congress arrived in early January, the D.C. National Guard had some troops at the Capitol, and they contracted with an established caterer, Sardi’s Catering, for a few hundred meals. Then Jan. 6 happened, and other states (such as Maryland) sent in their National Guard for support.
In the five days after the Capitol riots, Sardi’s food order went from fewer than 500 to more than 10,000. The D.C. National Guard was still placing the orders and was feeding the out-of-town troops. By Jan. 17, three days before the inauguration, the food order increased to 17,000 breakfasts, 17,000 lunches, and 17,000 dinners. And this food was just fine, my sources all tell me. But then, on Jan. 18, things fell off a cliff.
That day, it seems, the National Guard Bureau took over the food contracting from the D.C. National Guard. The NGB asked for 75,000 meals. Sardi’s said they could only fulfill part of that. The NGB went to another contractor — I haven’t gotten the name yet — who dropped the ball. That NGB contract with the unknown contractor is what delivered the terrible meals.
On Jan. 26, though, the D.C. National Guard took over again — and hired Sardi’s again. At this point, nearly a week after the inauguration, the contract was back down below 9,000 meals. And at this point, the food was good again.
Pictures are below.
So the bottom line is this: Sardi’s catering was feeding our troops well under a D.C. National Guard contract; when the Pentagon’s National Guard Bureau took over just before the inauguration, the food went to crap; D.C.’s National Guard and Sardi’s took over again six days after the inauguration, and the food was good again!
