Does the Army and/or DoD have a responsibility to provide special food/menus for dietary restrictions or preferences?

Chief, I am assuming you are asking not to hear the AR repeated that you probably know like the back of your hand, but philosophically...should the Army be catering to "special" diets that are fads or lifestyle choices (as severe allergies to common food items tend to be disqualifying).

No, I do not think that the military should have a responsibility to provide gluten-free, lactose-free, "cruelty"-free, carb-free, sugar-free, etc meal options. I include demanding that your food be cooked separately in this same category.

As a vegetarian Jew, it was always up to me to figure it out, even though technically, by regs, my meals should have been provided (I personally felt that the reg covered the issues as independent - I disagree it can be extrapolated to mean I should be provided vegetarian Kosher meals). I ate grilled cheese sandwiches made on the same grill as hamburgers. I ate plain (flavorless) egg noodles as my entire meal many, many times. I took the duty of unloading MRE boxes so that I could be sure to get a vegetarian meal (and not that inedible veggie burger), which by the way are some of the most popular meals...maybe there's a lesson learned there: people would rather have no meat, than disgusting meat.

I recognize that my lifestyle choice of being vegetarian is a first-world problem where we can choose to turn our noses up at food. When you make a choice like that, it's up to you to maintain it. Don't expect the world to bend to your needs just because you recently discovered Buddha, Dr. Oz, or P-90X.

Chief,
I do not believe the Army should cater to people for their own choices, i have however had soldiers put on special diets by their doctors, the commander submitted a memo to the chow hall and they provided him special meals for they duration of the diet.
For temporary medical reasons i think the Army should help if possible, for personal reasons the Army should not.

preferences do not matter- that is a like, not a restriction nor religious thing. And I have seen meals to include MRE's that meet religious concerns.