Mess halls

[Rustyt1953]

With food being a current topic I wanted to give military chow halls a shout out.

From '71 to '75 I frequented a lot mess halls and can't recall having a bad meal. I spent most of my hitch working the flight line on graveyard shift.

After arriving at a new base I would quickly make friends with the folks that ran midnight chow and the Base Ops in-flight kitchen.

Before my shift I would load up at midnight chow (a pared down breakfast menu). Around 0330 I would grab a free box lunch from the in-flight kitchen to keep me company in the truck.

When I got off the mess hall was in full breakfast mode. A massive all you can eat menu.

Can't speak for today but back then Mess Sergeants ruled.

Did you folks eat good on Uncle Sam's dime?

 

[Truckman]

It was always better food than we ever gave it credit...Midnight chow was the best...I also worked the flight line on graveyards......Ben

 

[LoboGunLeather]

I learned the differences between Army mess halls and Navy/Marine Corps mess halls.

The Army mess draws rations based on the "head count sheet", how many people eat each meal. USN/USMC mess draws rations based upon assigned strength.

In Vietnam the typical US Army mess offered dehydrated eggs, dehydrated milk, mystery meat from cans, and similar delights, the spaghetti sauce was indistinguishable from the barbecue beef, and the biscuits were dangerous if dropped onto an exposed foot. USN/USMC mess offered 2 or 3 main courses, potatoes (sometimes two styles), 2 or 3 vegetables, fresh milk, real ice cream, pies, cakes, for breakfast omelettes made to order, fresh coffee, and soft drinks.

My family kept me supplied with canned Danish hams, summer sausage, hard salami, good cheeses. I was a popular guy at meal times, especially in the bush when C-rations were the usual menu item.

May the good lord continue to bless the McIlhenny family, owners of the Tabasco brand. Thousands and thousands of little individual bottles of Tabasco pepper sauce delivered for the troops in Vietnam, capable of disguising the contents of almost any C-ration meal sufficiently to get it down (although nothing worked for me with Ham & Lima Beans).

There were times when anything that kept my navel from contact with my spine was welcome.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Did you folks eat good on Uncle Sam's dime?

Yes!

Not trying to rain on your parade, but I'm pretty sure that as good as your experience was, it didn't match mine. The Air Force facilities that I experienced were classier than the Navy's, but our cooks were a little more adventurous. And if you didn't like one entree, you could always try the other. I happened to be big on cooked vegetables, and there were generally two in addition to the starch, but there was almost always an excellent salad bar. I have many interesting experiences in my history with Navy chow, but probably the most impressive was the USS Forrestal in 1975, with lobster salad for mid-rats.

Probably never had a bad meal in 25 years in the Navy, and I have nothing but good to say about Navy cooks.

P.S. IIRC, the difference noted by Lobo between Navy/MC and the others disappeared in the late sixties or in the seventies. As drastic as that was, the Navy still seemed to hang in there. Probably just not as many commissary officers driving Cadillacs. Which was probably rare, anyway.

 

[SMSgt]

My favorite chow hall was the massive facility at Chanute AFB, IL. Man, could they serve a lot of GIs in a hurry. My school shift was the four to midnight class, and we ate going to class and pigged out on midnight chow afterwards. When I was first stationed at Fairchild AFB, WA, Friday was steak and crab legs day. Long lines on Friday.

My only Army mess hall experience was at the base in El Paso, TX. After that, I hoped I never ate Army chow again.

I spent a couple of months in Diego Garcia back in its early days ('81). On the way there, we received our "DG briefing" in Guam. They went to great lengths to tell us how great Navy chow was. It was better than the Army food, I'll grant it that much.

That being said, the downfall for any mess hall, especially for the single troops having to eat most meals there, is the redundancy. when you know the day of the week by the food on your plate, it gets old no matter how good it is.

 

[SS336]

As I remember I did eat good most of the time.
Was in the Navy, Submarine Navy to be exact. Mid-rats were great. Giant sticky buns and all the black coffee you could drink.
My first boat was a WWII fleet boat, SS336, not much storage at all. Almost everything was in a can after 5 days at sea. Like bacon in a green can marked 1945. needless to say the cooks had to be adaptable.
Ended up on a Boomer SSBN656, was on the commissioning crew, so the boat was brand new. Plenty of storage for 3 month patrols or more. The food was a lot better and living was easy…….mostly.

 

[Sistema1927]

Some of the best chow I have ever eaten was during my 14 months in ROK. Since the unit was about 2/3 KATUSA, there was always a good selection of Korean food in addition to American. Every Friday at lunch, we had steak and lobster tail. It was a good thing that we were running PT five days a week.

 

[Rustyt1953]

My favorite chow hall was the massive facility at Chanute AFB, IL. Man, could they serve a lot of GIs in a hurry. My school shift was the four to midnight class, and we ate going to class and pigged out on midnight chow afterwards.

I went to tech school at Chanute from August to October of '71. Great chow hall.


I remember Chanute as a massive base surrounded by corn and Mayflies.

 

[NMPinNYC]

Mid rats at NKC in Kabul in 2010 was great for meals for a civvie like me. Thanks and honors for those folks who kept us fed over there.

 

[Rustyt1953]

As I remember I did eat good most of the time.
Was in the Navy, Submarine Navy to be exact. Mid-rats were great. Giant sticky buns and all the black coffee you could drink.
My first boat was a WWII fleet boat, SS336, not much storage at all. Almost everything was in a can after 5 days at sea. Like bacon in a green can marked 1945. needless to say the cooks had to be adaptable.
Ended up on a Boomer SSBN656, was on the commissioning crew, so the boat was brand new. Plenty of storage for 3 month patrols or more. The food was a lot better and living was easy…….mostly.

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F1O9_RVik_Q[/ame]

 

[yaktamer]

GI grits and GI gravy,
Gee I wish I'd joined the Navy.

Army chow was AWFUL. When I was stationed at Ft. Meade I liked working graveyard shift because we could eat at "The Four Hats," the interservice chow hall run by the Air Force for the folks working at NSA. I wouldn't give my dog the food from our own mess hall.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

#1 son; US Army 1998-2005. #2 son USMC; 1999-2003. I checked with them constantly on their chow. They honestly never had any complaints! They loved their mama's cooking, but they were never to fussy of eaters so they got along fine with what was available.

#2 son was a base computer repair team member at Quantico for 3 years. There was one Marine in his unit, that somehow was on the other side of the river at lunchtime as often as possible. Of course he could eat at the Air Force Base, just present his ID like a credit card and his unit is billed for the meal! The USMC units had company funds for the men's meals at a little over $6 per man per meal. When the accounts go balanced, there were 3 months of over 15 meals a month this one man ate with the Air Force, at a little more than $11 per meal. The first sergeant had him report to him every day at lunch time after that. 45 x $5 had to come from company funds somewhere.

It also became a big reward for a job well done, when you were told you could eat with the Air Force any day next week you want!

In 99 or 00 #1 was in Haiti, for 3 months, on a humanitarian mission. I never heard a single word about food. I did hear a lot about Rum, all the time!

Ivan

 

[sigp220.45]

No chow halls in today’s Air Force - they are Dining Facilities!

The MAC terminal on Guam had great food - fried rice, pancit, lumpia, chicken adobo. Man, I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

Honestly, I didn’t even mind MREs.

 

[steelslaver]

There was always good food at every USMC or Navy mess hall I ever ate at. USMC on Nov 10 was always top shelf.

Never ate at an Army or Air Force chow hall.

 

[SMSgt]

I went to tech school at Chanute from August to October of '71. Great chow hall.


I remember Chanute as a massive base surrounded by corn and Mayflies.

I was there from March to Oct '71 in avionics class. 70th squadron. Sadly almost everything you remember is gone, starting with the chow hall and the big academic building. I'm still fond of SOS.

 

[375hh1973]

Lookin back, the food wasn't bad at all.

Even on the destroyer I was on.

The XO made the mess specialists have salad bar and baked potatoes available every lunch and dinner. That way if you wanted something other than what was offered, it was there.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I was there from March to Oct '71 in avionics class. 70th squadron. Sadly almost everything you remember is gone, starting with the chow hall and the big academic building. I'm still fond of SOS.

Unless I am mistaken I think our buddy Sigp220.45 was at Chanute.

 

[vt_shooter]

The best shrimp creole I ever ate was in an Air Force chow hall. I've since made it many times, usually with very good results, but I've yet to make it as good as some cook in the AF made it. Breakfast was always superb in the chow hall, and that was back when getting fat wasn't a concern for me. Made to order omelets, delicious SOS, pretty much anything a normal guy could want. And of course midnight chow was a favorite. You had to be in uniform to eat at midnight chow, so people would get back from drinking and attempting to chase girls in town, then put on their uniform and hit midnight chow. I'd love to eat in one again for old time's sake, but I suspect it's different now, with healthier options. No salad bars when I was in.

 

[MTC(SS)Ret]

As I remember I did eat good most of the time.
Was in the Navy, Submarine Navy to be exact. Mid-rats were great. Giant sticky buns and all the black coffee you could drink.
My first boat was a WWII fleet boat, SS336, not much storage at all. Almost everything was in a can after 5 days at sea. Like bacon in a green can marked 1945. needless to say the cooks had to be adaptable.
Ended up on a Boomer SSBN656, was on the commissioning crew, so the boat was brand new. Plenty of storage for 3 month patrols or more. The food was a lot better and living was easy…….mostly.

Spent my 20 year Navy career in submarines, SSBN's as well. The only bad chow I remember coming from the galley was tuna noodle casserole.. To this day, almost 30 years later, I can't stand the smell of tuna.

 

[max]

One of the reasons you got all of those little bottles was because the company was located in the district of a very powerful congressman who was on the military appropriations committee.

I learned the differences between Army mess halls and Navy/Marine Corps mess halls.

The Army mess draws rations based on the "head count sheet", how many people eat each meal. USN/USMC mess draws rations based upon assigned strength.

In Vietnam the typical US Army mess offered dehydrated eggs, dehydrated milk, mystery meat from cans, and similar delights, the spaghetti sauce was indistinguishable from the barbecue beef, and the biscuits were dangerous if dropped onto an exposed foot. USN/USMC mess offered 2 or 3 main courses, potatoes (sometimes two styles), 2 or 3 vegetables, fresh milk, real ice cream, pies, cakes, for breakfast omelettes made to order, fresh coffee, and soft drinks.

My family kept me supplied with canned Danish hams, summer sausage, hard salami, good cheeses. I was a popular guy at meal times, especially in the bush when C-rations were the usual menu item.

May the good lord continue to bless the McIlhenny family, owners of the Tabasco brand. Thousands and thousands of little individual bottles of Tabasco pepper sauce delivered for the troops in Vietnam, capable of disguising the contents of almost any C-ration meal sufficiently to get it down (although nothing worked for me with Ham & Lima Beans).

There were times when anything that kept my navel from contact with my spine was welcome.