A report surfaced this week claiming Secretary of War Pete Hegseth spent billions on lobster and fruit baskets, sparking confusion among those unfamiliar with military customs.
The story referenced a fabricated photograph showing Hegseth surrounded by plastic lobsters. However, such meals are not an extravagance but a longstanding tradition within the U.S. military.
For decades, service members have enjoyed “surf and turf Fridays,” a weekly meal that includes steak and seafood. Retired FBI special agent James Gagliano, a 1987 West Point graduate who deployed to Afghanistan in 2002-03, recalled: “I enjoyed ‘steak night’ in Mess Hall every Thursday as a West Point cadet between ’83 and ’87. Highlight of the week.” During his deployment in Afghanistan, he noted: “I enjoyed steak and crab legs once a week when available in Mess Hall on Bagram Air Base.”
The practice dates back to military operations in Afghanistan under former Defense Secretary Robert Gates. In 2009, an embedded reporter documented that “the lobsters and crab legs are shipped from the United States and driven down on a refrigerated truck from Bagram… On seafood night, the crew serves up 400 of the tasty tails, 130 pounds of Alaskan King crab legs, and 135 pounds each of shrimp and scallops.”
Recent financial data further confirms this routine. A 2024 report showed that the military spent $103.7 million on meat, fish, and poultry, including $16.6 million on ribeye steak and 147 orders of lobster tail for $6.1 million.
The confusion highlights a gap in public understanding of military life. Even with less than half of 1 percent of Americans currently serving, the connection between civilians and service members remains tenuous.
This misunderstanding is not isolated. A recent incident involving Secretary of War Pete Hegseth did not salute an enlisted sailor. While standard protocol dictates that such salutes are not required when the person is not wearing a hat or cover, the situation became widely discussed online.
Even worse, Rep. Debbie Dingell, a former House Committee on the Budget member, stated: “Trump and Republicans took food assistance away from hungry children, working parents, and veterans while enjoying $93 billion of things like lobster and steak.”
As journalists, we have a responsibility to understand military customs and report accurately.
