I know many of you have or are serving in the navy and other armed forces, and a big thank you for your service as well. For some reason I'd really like to hear stories, experiences or information on the galleys or mess halls of ships, their design, how good or bad the food was. Anything is welcome. If you were in another branch of the armed forces and have a good story, information or experience please post as well.

Having never served myself my perception of armed forces food comes from the TV show MASH.

I served from 1981 till 2002. I could tell you this much.......NMCB's chow halls are the best! I remember being on many a deployment........and after laying tons of ashphalt and on water well drilling projects.......it was great to get a good hot meal in your gut after a 12-17 hour workday. I do remember some of the baked goods, pies and the like that they would have set out. Man I would have to run extra at PT to work some of them meals off.

Sam
EO1(SCW/AW)
US Navy Retired

I will just cover the galley and mess decks onboard Scott.

The mess decks had your basic fast food resturant style bench seats with 4 place tables and two attached seats at each. In the middle of the mess decks there were 3 4 place booths.

You entered the mess decks from the passageway on the port side of the ship. THe mess decks were directly over Main Engine Room #2. When you entered there was a low wall to your left and to the right were the milk coolers, coffee machines, bug juice machine, and tea machine. You also picked up your plastic coffee cups on the mess decks.

There was also an ice cream machine and a row of toasters on the mess decks. Mounted on the forward bulkhead there was a 27" TV. Each division sat in its own unofficial area. Oddly enough engineering had the most seats and deck had the fewest. The walls were covered with plaques for the ship and other awards given to the ship.

There was a small room off the mess decks where the E-6's ate. I think like 8 people could fit in there comfortably.

The galley was pretty much your regular small kitchen. There was a big flat grill, 2 or 3 ovens. 4 coolers, a deep sink, 2 deep fryers, 3 large cooking kettles, serving line. 2 cooks and 3 FSA's worked in there for each meal.

You went to past the galley on the port side of the ship. You took your tray and went past the serving window just like in a regular cafeteria. One meat, vegitiables, stratch, bread, and desert. Seconds were allowed, but only after a set time.

Now to the food. Some food was really good, other food wasn't. Every Thursday at noon was slider day, Hamburgers. Every Sunday in the afternoon was ice cream. We had just about anything you can imagine. Pizza, steak, lobster, chicken, rabbitt, ribs, spaghitte(sp), breakfast, cold cuts, etc.... One major meal was steam ship round, a monster roast that took 20+ hours to cook. Steaks were actually common, once a week. Lobster and shrimp were a little more less common.

Fresh fruit was hard to come by after we had been out to sea for a few weeks. Fresh eggs and milk also would eventually be gone unless a supply ships would come up off it. Remember in "Mr Roberts" when they were not allowed to give out fresh fruit, it still happens.

Breakfast was your regular type food. Eggs were to order plus two meats, oatmeal or grits, toast, and cold cereal.

Lunch and dinner had a nice salad bar.

Ummmmm, Oh yeah, Steel Beech picnics.

The cooks had a cook out on the helo deck. Almsot always this was on a Sunday afternoon and lasted from 11-5. All you cared to stuff in your face. Our cooks made these killer hoggie buns. I would eat myself sick when we had these. I would get one bun and put two burgers and two dogs on it, plus cheese and bacon. Yes, I was a major PIG.

I am guessing we could fit may 50 guys on the mess decks at any one time. Eating in rough seas was a real treat. More on that tomorrow.

I should also add to my first post........Seabee chow halls on more established camps are set up more like a cafatera. Out in the field......they could be anything from the back of a 5ton cargo truck to a GP tent.

Man I do remember the best chow hall was on Okinawa at Kadena AFB.

Sam