The Army’s first automated dining facility has arrived with the opening of Market 19, a pilot food service program in South Korea, according to an Army news release.

Launched Nov. 12 within the Camp Walker dining facility, the six-month pilot will use robotic technology to explore how automation can improve food service operations, combining food preparation, cooking and serving with soldier oversight.

"This pilot helps us evaluate how automated cooking systems can make Army dining operations more consistent, efficient and resilient," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 River Mitchell, food adviser with the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, which originated and is conducting the pilot.

Mitchell noted that the effort is not about replacing people but about strengthening the ability to feed soldiers "anytime, anywhere,” he said in the release. "Human oversight remains critical. Our culinary specialists still handle food safety, ingredient prep and quality control."  

In the automated system, soldiers and civilians select menu items on a touchscreen interface, and the system automatically portions, cooks and plates each meal. All ingredients come from the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support supply chain and the Army food catalog, ensuring the same nutrition and safety standards as traditional facilities, according to the release.

Each meal display includes clear nutritional information, and menu options are performance-oriented and include Korean dishes such as bibimbap, kimchi fried rice and budae jjigae. 

Market 19 was formally approved under the Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capability program in coordination with U.S. Army Pacific.

The pilot operates with soldiers and contracted staff jointly evaluating performance of the autonomous kitchen, which uses robotic cooking modules programmed to prepare meals from fresh ingredients following standard Army recipes, Mitchell said in the release. 

 Culinary specialist soldiers manage quality assurance and nutrition education and supplement meals with additional food options. The culinary specialists who prepare the meal recipes and ingredients for the machine have been trained by both Army and local national chefs, the release says. 
 
Integrating robotic technology into dining operations allows the Army to stay ready under any conditions, from garrison to field environments, while preserving the expertise of its culinary specialists. The pilot also supports the Army's ongoing modernization efforts and aligns with the Holistic Health and Fitness program, the release says. 

"The data we collect here will guide decisions about future locations and applications," Mitchell said in the release. "We want to see how this can support sustainment both in the Pacific and eventually in the continental United States."