The Army, and Fort Jackson, came one step closer to revolutionizing the way its feeds its Soldiers with the grand opening of Victory Fresh.

“We can have all the planes, trains and tanks and guns that we want,” said celebrity chef Robert Irvine. “But if we don’t have the soldiers behind them, it doesn’t make any sense.”

The Army partnered with the Robert Irvine Foundation to provide a way to improve the nutrition of Soldiers while decreasing the amount of time necessary to eat healthy meals. The partnership has created a facility in the Pentagon and plans are in the works for others across the Army.

While trainees will still go through the lines of old school dining facilities their drill sergeants don’t always get a chance to eat a good meal. This changes that.

“This affords our cadre, who have unusual work schedules, to still have healthy meal options on their schedule to be able to eat meals within that time,” said Post Command Sgt. Maj. Erick Ochs.

“Our teammates are surely busy, and this provides them an opportunity throughout their day to stop and get a grab and go and get right back into it,” added Command Sgt. Maj. Ricky Jackson, commandant of the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy. Victory Fresh is located inside the academy’s dining facility.

Victory Fresh is open Monday through Friday with grab ‘n go open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and other offerings are available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. All meals include a beverage and dessert.

The warrior restaurant is just a part of the “global expansion and modernization of food service.”

The establishment originally opened with grab ‘n go meals and a build-your-own power bowl but has now expanded to include pizza and a barbecue station with a rotation selection of proteins.

Most people think pizza is unhealthy, but that isn’t necessarily the case, Irvine said.

“Well, it is (healthy),” he said. “Why? Because we use whole-wheat, whole-wheat flour. We use low fat cheese, fresh tomatoes … I can cook a pizza in 90 seconds … Everything in there is fresh, from the vegetables, from the salads … the chick is roasted daily.”

Victory Fresh has been well received since its soft opening, but the grand opening has been highly anticipated.

“I have about 4,000 Soldiers here on the installation that are permanent party,” and thousands of civilians, Ochs said. “We’re looking for healthy meal options. As we focus on our Soldier health and wellness, we also want to focus on our civilian employees.”

Victory Fresh fits a major part of the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness efforts.

The facility “is by design exactly the tool that is so important to fitness preparation, training and education,” Ochs said. It will provide healthy options as an alternative to fast foods where they will have “a healthier meal option, even when they don’t have time for a proper sit-down meal.”
Jackson said it would also be the top place to eat on post.

“We believe we train physically fit, disciplined Soldiers that are ready to go out to our force and this just enables them,” said Jackson, who heads up an academy that trains all the Army’s drill sergeants. “Holistically, I would say that across the installation this is the place to be.”