Mess Halls
The mess areas are interesting – it’s an open mess (meaning you eat with whomever you want), but officers don’t eat with enlisted unless they are in the field, and never with contractors.
There are three dining rooms in the chow hall. There is a room wired with cable that they keep tuned to CNN, a second room wired for cable that they keep tuned to sports, and a third room that doesn’t have TV and very few people except newbies eat in. The first two rooms are a part of the original structure, which, after the incident where 17 Americans got blown up in a chow hall, had a second roof added on in order to pre-detonate rockets or mortars. Sort of like the spaced armor siding on a German tank. There are two armed guards out front, and one in the back – we don’t want to take any chances in places where large numbers of troops gather. But, the third room was built on later, and doesn’t have that second roof. There is a sign as you walk in instructing you that helmets and flak vests are required in order to eat in there.
There are three dining rooms in the chow hall. There is a room wired with cable that they keep tuned to CNN, a second room wired for cable that they keep tuned to sports, and a third room that doesn’t have TV and very few people except newbies eat in. The first two rooms are a part of the original structure, which, after the incident where 17 Americans got blown up in a chow hall, had a second roof added on in order to pre-detonate rockets or mortars. Sort of like the spaced armor siding on a German tank. There are two armed guards out front, and one in the back – we don’t want to take any chances in places where large numbers of troops gather. But, the third room was built on later, and doesn’t have that second roof. There is a sign as you walk in instructing you that helmets and flak vests are required in order to eat in there.
posted by KAB at 1:14 PM
3 Comments:
Thank God they don't have a room with FoxNews running all the time. I don't know how much "fair and impartial" anyone can stand.
Regarding mess halls, my Dad in the Korean war got into some mischief and was given kp - kitchen patrol. He said all he did all day was peel potatoes. I hear that chicken has always been served a lot in many wars. I'm sure Lisanne will serve you steak when you come home. I hope that at one point you will start to be looking forward in anticipation of going home, much like kab and the excercises, that over the hump feeling the-rest-is-a-slide. Rooting for you in the meantime, Kay
A mess is a large amount of food (real definition, although probably archaic). Hence, mess halls.
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