Encampment Food

[PHall]

The SOS recipe I made when I was a cook in the Air Force (DEATH FROM WITHIN!!!) had ground beef as one of the ingredients. Really easy to make; make up the roux (flour and butter), then add milk, ground beef, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until thickened and serve on biscuits, toast or on everything. If you prefer chipped beef instead of ground, you can add chopped dried beef.

Unfortunately, the SOS served at the PDR (Pacific Dining Room, the chow hall here on Kwaj) sucks.

Sounds like you need to have a conversation with the contractor doing the cooking. A cooking class maybe?

[AlphaSigOU]

The SOS recipe I made when I was a cook in the Air Force (DEATH FROM WITHIN!!!) had ground beef as one of the ingredients. Really easy to make; make up the roux (flour and butter), then add milk, ground beef, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until thickened and serve on biscuits, toast or on everything. If you prefer chipped beef instead of ground, you can add chopped dried beef.

Unfortunately, the SOS served at the PDR (Pacific Dining Room, the chow hall here on Kwaj) sucks.

Sounds like you need to have a conversation with the contractor doing the cooking. A cooking class maybe?

Even though I'm a member of the dining hall advisory committee, the contractor (and the Army) doesn't have money in the budget. Most of the cooking staff is Marshallese and their work ethic (except for a few) is 'Ainokea' (Hawaiian pidgin for 'I don't care'). Food quality isn't the world's greatest (and our supply lines are long and easily broken) but when the cooks overcook/undercook/overseason food it affects the overall quality of the meal. Not to mention the occasional bout of the 'PDR purge' - 30 minutes after a delicious meal in our fine dining establishment you'll be racing to the nearest restroom!
I retired my apron and chef's hat years ago for a career as a design drafter. Still cook for friends and family, and the occasional company barbecue.

[jks19714]

The SOS recipe I made when I was a cook in the Air Force (DEATH FROM WITHIN!!!) had ground beef as one of the ingredients. Really easy to make; make up the roux (flour and butter), then add milk, ground beef, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until thickened and serve on biscuits, toast or on everything. If you prefer chipped beef instead of ground, you can add chopped dried beef.

Unfortunately, the SOS served at the PDR (Pacific Dining Room, the chow hall here on Kwaj) sucks.

Sounds like you need to have a conversation with the contractor doing the cooking. A cooking class maybe?

Even though I'm a member of the dining hall advisory committee, the contractor (and the Army) doesn't have money in the budget. Most of the cooking staff is Marshallese and their work ethic (except for a few) is 'Ainokea' (Hawaiian pidgin for 'I don't care'). Food quality isn't the world's greatest (and our supply lines are long and easily broken) but when the cooks overcook/undercook/overseason food it affects the overall quality of the meal. Not to mention the occasional bout of the 'PDR purge' - 30 minutes after a delicious meal in our fine dining establishment you'll be racing to the nearest restroom!
I retired my apron and chef's hat years ago for a career as a design drafter. Still cook for friends and family, and the occasional company barbecue.

You should have joined the Navy.    I gained weight (I was a DoD civil servant at the time) on every cruise.  Course it might have also been because it was 100% "scope dope" the entire time (at least 16 hours a day).  I got disabused of the idea of taking a walk on the flight deck on the first day.  Jet engines are not your friend.  But we did eat good (Chief's mess was the bees knees).

I went to Kwaj one time many years ago and I found that living in a sauna was not for me or for anything electronic.  Hats off to the folks that keep those radars working! 

[PHall]

Chuck, I know exactly what your situation is. I flew the "Coral Run" in the C-141's out of Norton and then March for over 10 years.
I've probably hauled about 2 or 3 thousand tons of produce out there.

And only had to spend the night only 3 times...   Pays to be resourceful when you're a Flight Engineer when you're out in the boonies.

[bosshawk]

Could be something to the thought that the weather and environment are some of the reasons that Kwaj is the target for the ICBMs and not the launch site.

[AlphaSigOU]

Could be something to the thought that the weather and environment are some of the reasons that Kwaj is the target for the ICBMs and not the launch site.

ROFL! We're actually 4842 miles to the southwest of 'Vandy-land' at the far end of the Pacific Missile Range. It may be out in the middle of nowhere but it is 'the world's largest catcher's mitt' (the atoll lagoon is the largest in the world, and averages a depth of about 200-300 feet). We do conduct missile defense tests from one of the other islands in the atoll (Meck). For security reasons I can't go much more into the specifics on how the tests are conducted.

[davidsinn]

For security reasons I can't go much more into the specifics on how the tests are conducted.

I'm going to guess a long fuse, big lighter and an Earth shattering kaboom? 

[AlphaSigOU]

For security reasons I can't go much more into the specifics on how the tests are conducted.

I'm going to guess a long fuse, big lighter and an Earth shattering kaboom? 

Nahhhh... above-ground nuke tests haven't been conducted in the Marshall Islands since the late 1950s. We do have to test the ICBMs once in a while to make sure they perform as advertised.

[CamoMan]

At Florida Wing Encampment this year we had a restaurant from Ocala that catered the food was fairly good.

[HGjunkie]

At Florida Wing Encampment this year we had a restaurant from Ocala that catered the food was fairly good.

Beans were their specialty though. Beans, grits and meat. 

[BillB]

This catering company traveled 140 miles each day to provide meals? (70 miles each way to Blanding) Different trip for each meal? That's a potful of traveling and expense.

[Luis R. Ramos]

Folks-

After reading some of the posts here on the MREs and at other CAP activities, I have come to the conclusion the military mis-named the MREs. But still had to call them something, as they were sold on the initials. I can say that...



MRE does NOT stand for Meals, Ready to Eat, but...




Meals,
Rejected by almost
Everyone...

Take care,

Flyer333555

[Huey Driver]

There are soooo many things that MRE can stand for...

[Luis R. Ramos]

Ok, NJ Cadet!

A challenge.

POST some!

Flyer333555

[HGjunkie]

Meals refusing to exit.

Meals refused by extraterrestrials.

Materials resembling edibles.

Morsels, regurgitated, eviscerated.

Three Lies for the Price of One: it's not a Meal, it's not Ready, and you can't Eat it!


(I say this as I have MRE's laying around my house. I love MRE's.)

[bosshawk]

Try some C Rations: I'll guarantee that you will then love MREs.

[HGjunkie]

Try some C Rations: I'll guarantee that you will then love MREs.

How about D and K rats? 

[titanII]

Just to contribute...
The food at the 2011 MAWG Encampment was all good. All the meals were not only edible, but also tasty!

[bosshawk]

Even I, as old as I am, missed D and K rats.  Let me tell you, that C rats can taste pretty good when you spend two weeks in the boonies in Viet Nam.

[PHall]

Even I, as old as I am, missed D and K rats.  Let me tell you, that C rats can taste pretty good when you spend two weeks in the boonies in Viet Nam.

Even the Ham and Mutha****ers?