Topic: Living Quarters and Free Time

[Old Sweat]

I was attached to two different NATO artillery units deployed on exercise in 1973. The first was the Norwegian Field Artillery Battalion Brigade North based in Saetermoen. The food was pretty basic at best, with dry bread, cheese and cold cuts much in evidence. The unpiece de resistance was the whale hamburger that challenged my palate at one meal, followed close behind on the low end of the gourmet scale by fish sticks that tasted much more like sticks than fish.

The other was the Italian First Mountain Artillery Regiment, an Alpini unit, on exercise in the Val d'Aosta near the French border. The food was plain, plentiful, well prepared and recognizable. A typical meal in the field included pasta, a cutlet and some fresh fruit. A life experience worth the trip was to be issued one's ration of red wine from a jerry can. If one was so inclined, the travails of life in the Alps could be handled by emptying a small plastic packet (think a fast food Ketchup-sized serving) of grappa into a mug of coffee.

[EpicBeardedMan]

If you are such a fussy eater, that you can not find what you want in one of our messes, I would probably suggest joining the military is not for you.

I think it's kind of a longshot to say because I choose to eat healthy the military isn't for me.. I think not paying for the mess and getting my own food would be a better solution than to give up a career don't you?

[George Wallace]

I think it's kind of a longshot to say because I choose to eat healthy the military isn't for me.. I think not paying for the mess and getting my own food would be a better solution than to give up a career don't you?

And for those days when you are out in the Field on Ex, or away for six or more months on Tour, do you think you can go out and buy your own food?  Either get used to it now, or don't bother.  You haven't even been in a mess to find out what the food is like anyway so this whole exercise is moot to begin with.

[Tango18A]

And where is the closest Loblaws when deployed on ship? George is right, if you haven't experienced the mess don't complain on the food it provides. Shipboard cooks can be quite superb on what they produce for meals.

[a Sig Op]

The food in most messes is fantastic, anyone who tells you otherwise is either a picky eater, or looking for an excuse to complain. There's also plenty of unhealthy choices available in the messes, but no one is shoving it down your throat. Just because what they're serving in the steam line on a particular day isn't what you want, nearly every mess also has a huge salad bar. I used to love it, the mounds of fresh veggies, fruit, etc. (Not all, our local mess is terrible... the worst I've ever experienced... the food is typically quite tasty, but deep fried makes up maybe 50% of what they serve, and their salad bar more often then not consists of potato salad, coleslaw, 3 bean salad, and a plate full of cheese. I've asked, quite politely, if they're able to just put out some raw veggies. This polite inquiry eventually made it's way back to our SSM and I was jacked for insulting the kitchen staff. None too please about this.)

[Tango18A]

Vimy mess strikes again.

[armychick2009]

I wasn't stating that the food was horrible.... on the contrary, a lot of work is put into the meals (in Borden, anyways) and no one went hungry or complained about the food while I was on course. The staff were amazing and very professional and you could tell they took pride in what they were preparing and serving. I was however, comparing it to what I normally eat (and EpicBeardedMan) which is more simple (ie, not stuffed chicken, or chicken parmesan or veal cutlets, etc.). 

For something short-term (six to 9 months) I understand I'll be either eating ration packs or boxed lunches or goulash or whatever... and it won't be the end of the world as I know it. However, the original context in which the food discussion began was in contemplating long-term living arrangements. For example, living cheaply in the shacks eating at the mess 52 weeks a year versus spending more money on an apartment but saving by purchasing groceries you prepare yourself to suit your taste. 

In that case,  for someone who is looking at living on base for a few years eating in a style they feel isn't optimal for their own body, it is something to seriously consider. For some people they can eat anything and be fit and strong with little effort. However, for myself  I need to work continually at it and be aware of what I consume. If I can avoid hidden calories and fats, then I do. If I can't, no biggie but I try to make the effort.

[Pusser]

In moving back to the original intent of this thread, I would like to point out that living in quarters is not necessarily a good way to save money.  The cost of Rations aside, my own experience when I lived in single quarters was that I spent far more money getting out of the place (i.e. going to restaurants when I felt I needed a better meal, going to movies, going out to clubs, etc).  When I finally got an apartment I found that watching TV in my underwear with a bowl of Cheerios was not only pleasurable, but inexpensive.  Mind you, in those days most of us did not have personal computers (certainly no internet), personal TVs in our rooms or cell phones.  Trying to kick off a relationship with a potential partner when your phone number is for the pay phone down the hall is difficult at best and the common room TVs were usually hijacked by some crowd watching a sporting event.

[Tango18A]

And the days of a free tv in the common room are over, if the shack even has one left.

[George Wallace]

And the days of a free tv in the common room are over, if the shack even has one left.

They've run Cable and Internet/Phone lines to all the rooms.  Some Schools have free wireless.  Many have their own bar fridge in their room these days.  Such social animals.  Only need to leave the shack to eat and work.  In 15 to 20 years we should have a good number of 40 year old virgins.   

[Tango18A]

And in Edmonton they want all of these virgins to move out, have to make way for the 19-23 yr olds that don't have the financial skills to make a move downtown possible.

[George Wallace]

.....And the cycle continues.

[Tango18A]

It does, but when does a MCpl sit up and think "Why am I still in the Shacks?". This is what the problem is here, too many senior MCpls and Cpls taking up cheap rooms and banking money, while Buttonhead Tprs have no suitable rooms. Last the RSM said was Accommodations was looking at putting bunkbeds in the rooms if the situation didn't improve.

[MrBlue]

Like I said different people have different tastes, requirements etc. I'm an athlete, and the things they serve at the mess CAN do, but really are not ideal...WAY to much pasta/bread vs meat. Also lot of processing, does it taste decent...most days. But I would definitely not go on rations again without having to (i.e course, deployment, etc) Also the other crappy part, is you only get 3 meals, and your last meal is served until 6....Dunno about you guys but I haven't gone to bed without having food between supper and bedtime since I was a lil guy.  For the price you pay, you figure you could get food more often.


There are some items i've had on the menus that I went back for 2-3 times (minus sides) but they are kind of rare, just like I CANNOT eat the steaks at the mess, for an 8ounce piece 4 ounces is grissle and crud...yuk, but usually the fish meals (none fried) are pretty tasty.

For deployments and courses...all I gotta say is protein powders, meal replacement bars/powders, RTD, etc.