Encampment Food

[Ford73Diesel]

Wow talk about a bump........

[Polecat]

I was wondering what was the best food or the worst food that cadets have had at encampment.

Since the mega bump happened I will add my two pennys.

All the food you made at DH6 was really good except for the SOS and the chinese chicken. No offense but the chinese chicken was not a favorite of anyone in my flight. The enchaladas were by far the best.

[ZigZag911]

Back in the 80s NJW had it's own field mess, run by a squadron CC who had been an Army cook....most of the meals were pretty good. His primary helpers were his Group CC & the wing CV...which raised some interesting expressions for when personnel from McGuire AFB and Fort Dix dropped by for coffee and found three lt cols running a field kitchen!

Speaking of Ft Dix, back WIWAC in the 70s the food there was pretty grim, which has been my general experience: Army food has always been a notch below AF or Navy....hopefully that's improved, my last Army chow was at in encampment 7 or 8 years ago.

[SarDragon]

Gotta throw a BZ out there to the folks at Alpena. The chow there was very good at GLR/MIWG 2008.

[Mullins]

Speaking of Ft Dix, back WIWAC in the 70s the food there was pretty grim, which has been my general experience: Army food has always been a notch below AF or Navy....hopefully that's improved, my last Army chow was at in encampment 7 or 8 years ago.

Well, it has improved!  Last time I went to Ft. Dix the food was great.

[Ozzy]

Speaking of Ft Dix, back WIWAC in the 70s the food there was pretty grim, which has been my general experience: Army food has always been a notch below AF or Navy....hopefully that's improved, my last Army chow was at in encampment 7 or 8 years ago.

Well, it has improved!  Last time I went to Ft. Dix the food was great.

haha, last time I went to Ft. Dix for a CAP event, AirShow 07, there was barely enough food to go around. I was only a C/A1c but ended up ordering chinese food for my room (having taking orders and money beforehand AND reassuring the delivery person this was not a prank). I was surprised that they actually delivered it to the barracks correctly and as all chinese food is, it was goooooood.  :clap:

Anyways in regards to encampment food, NYWg for the past few years has several Air Force cooks to help us out plus four-five cadets with other Mess ops related tasks. The food has always been good with plenty to eat, enough variety for those picky eaters, as well as depending on your dietary ideals (vegetarianism, Islamic, etc.) we might cook to order or find someway to feed you. Best meal, like always was for breakfast; French toast 

[notaNCO forever]

 At CTWG encampments we have a non military cook; the food their is better than any other CAP activity I have been to.

[AlphaSigOU]

'Bubblehead' (submariner) cooks usually have the reputation as being the best in the Navy... a bad cook usually becomes chum for the fish! 

Military chow has improved greatly over the past few years; many mid-level enlisted cooks are being sent to courses at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America to polish their skills.

[EMT-83]

haha, last time I went to Ft. Dix for a CAP event, AirShow 07, there was barely enough food to go around. I was only a C/A1c but ended up ordering chinese food for my room (having taking orders and money beforehand AND reassuring the delivery person this was not a prank). I was surprised that they actually delivered it to the barracks correctly and as all chinese food is, it was goooooood.

There was a lot of Chinese food delivered that weekend! Our cadets still talk about it.

[Slim]

Gotta throw a BZ out there to the folks at Alpena. The chow there was very good at GLR/MIWG 2008.

For what we pay them, it better be.

37 and a kit bag drag until I'm back home!

[SAR-EMT1]

Best food ever at a CAP event:

Catered brunch for a UCC in Springfield, IL. It was a delicious breakfast casserole containing everything from eggs to french toast to cheesy hash browns all smothered with maple syrup.
I still think about it fondly.

Best food at a DIFAC - - By FAR, the "Breeze" at Eglin AFB, Florida. Ate there every day while I did my ROTC summer tour. (And partied in Destin every weekend)

[ol'fido]

The food at the Illinois Summer Encampment has been pretty good for the last few years since we started doing our own cooking. The chefs are dedicated and talented. The absolute worst year was our first year at Marseilles Training Center when we used a local caterer. We were overcharged and they were in over their heads.

As a cadet at Volk in the 80s I do remember a few episodes of eggs served in a non-traditional color such as green and blue.

Of course, after being served T-rat Corned Beef Hash for 35 straight days in Thailand during Cobra Gold '89, it makes every breakfast seem like a feast.

[AlphaSigOU]

Critique of the chow at the Texas Wing Encampment:

Little variety, especially at breakfast. You can only eat so much gravel granola, bagels with peanut butter and jelly. Most of the TACs rebelled and went over the fence to a local greasy spoon in the nearby town of Gladewater later during the week. Big hot button issue with the hosts and the senior encampment staff, and I heard enough grumblings from the dinks over the quality and quantity of food.

[LtCol057]

I've attended encampments at several different bases, including MCAS Cherry Point, Ft Bragg/Pope AFB, Shaw AFB, and attended NBB.  Also was stationed at Ft Leonard Wood, MO and Ft Sam Houston, TX when I was AD.  The best food to me has been at MCAS Cherry Point.  The Marines seem to take better care of us than our own parent service.  Can't really give an evaluation of the food at Leonard Wood, didn't have time to taste it, just shovel it in and taste it later.  Just my opinion tho.

[AlphaSigOU]

IMNSHO this is how I rack and stack service chow:

Navy/Marines
Air Force
Army

I've never eaten at a Coastie mess, but I would figure they would be on par with the Squiddies... 

[SarDragon]

In my experience, Navy chow seems to be the most variable of the bunch. I've had really outstanding meals at one base, and really horrid at another. This is not just a one or two meal thing, it's over a period of time (> a week).

</drift>

[PHall]

In my experience, Navy chow seems to be the most variable of the bunch. I've had really outstanding meals at one base, and really horrid at another. This is not just a one or two meal thing, it's over a period of time (> a week).

</drift>

Though for some weird reason, Mid-Rats is usually pretty good no matter which base you're at.

Go figure!

[MIKE]

I've never eaten at a Coastie mess, but I would figure they would be on par with the Squiddies... 

AIRSTA Cape Cod had pretty good eats.  Ate there as part of the MAWG Encampment staff a few times.  We ate there because the ANG cooks weren't starting until Day 1 of encampment proper.

My preference thus far though for Coastie messing facilities is the Seafood Sam's which is across the parking lot from STA Cape Cod Canal.

[PA Guy]

I eat at a CG AirSta mess several days a month and while it is OK it isn't anything to write home about.  For the most part the  AF wins when it comes to food in my experience.

[ol'fido]

Best chow hall food I ever had was at the Hickam AFB Open Mess. However, for special holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, the chow halls at Schofield would serve lobster tails, all you could eat!