The Pentagon is recommending U.S. soldiers struggling with soaring food prices apply for welfare, in a move that underscores both low military pay and the economic headwinds facing the nation as a whole.

The recommendation came last month from Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston, and directs Army soldiers and their families to apply for food stamps through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known by the acronym SNAP.

"With inflation affecting everything from gas prices to groceries to rent, some Soldiers and their families are finding it harder to get by on the budgets they've set and used before," the written guidance from Grinston reads. "SNAP is a U.S. government program that provides benefits to eligible low-income individuals and families via an electronic benefits transfer card that can be used like a debit card to purchase eligible food in authorized retail food stores. Service members and their families may be eligible."