Did you ever have Midnight Chow?

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:09:42 -0400

I strongly suspect that this practice of an evening breakfast of sorts, accommodated much more than a meal to those who stayed up late. Some had the munchies and I shall leave it at that.

My friend Willie called it midnight chew. The main dining facility had the post office in it. So, we might say, "We were checking our mail".

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 11 at 2014 3:15 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:15:48 -0400

Never herd of midnight chow until I went Air Force. And I liked it!

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Sep 11 at 2014 3:16 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:16:53 -0400

Mid-rats on the Arkansas CGN-41 were pretty good. Mix of Left Overs from Dinner and Breakfast. I would have the Chili over Couple of Eggs over easy and Toast. If I still ate like I did on the Mighty Ark I would look like a beached Whale.

Response by 1LT Nick Kidwell made Sep 11 at 2014 3:16 PM

1LT Nick Kidwell — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:16:56 -0400

Well, when I was a Det Ops TIF OIC in Iraq, we had 24 hour operations, and my PLT had the night shift. MidRats was the only way we got fed, except ours had to be trucked over from the DFAC.

Response by MSgt Keith Hebert made Sep 11 at 2014 4:05 PM

MSgt Keith Hebert — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:05:53 -0400

Mid rats was awesome

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Sep 11 at 2014 4:08 PM

MSG Wade Huffman — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:08:51 -0400

We had midnight chow in Afghanistan, it was very much welcome on many nights!

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Sep 11 at 2014 4:11 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:11:50 -0400

Scout helicopters make their money at night. We have to have 24 hr ops. Midnight chow was breakfast for half of my unit. I loved a hot meal on those cold, rainy midnight launches.

Response by CW5 Sam R. Baker made Sep 11 at 2014 4:12 PM

CW5 Sam R. Baker — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:12:27 -0400

MIDNIGHT Chow is lunch for night flying aviators and MPs running the night shift. There are a ton of folks who are on separate rations to deal with this stuff, but no help spending it when overseas or out in the middle of BFE, so therefore the requirement to have the meal. The folks who have the MUNCHIES are just co-benefactors of the need to feed the ones working from 1800-0600.

Response by SSgt John Carroll made Sep 11 at 2014 4:37 PM

SSgt John Carroll — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:37:27 -0400

Very big in AF since Maintainers, Security Forces & Fire Department operate 24/7 365. So at the end of Swing shift you can go get food (Late-Diner) or before Mid-shift (Early Breakfast) It's a way of accommodating the AFSCs that never stop working instead of bending to the will of the main base that operates on normal duty hours which is very inconvenient for those that provide the ability to be an AIR Force, Provide Security, & Provide Safety.

Response by SGT Richard H. made Sep 11 at 2014 10:37 PM

SGT Richard H. — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 22:37:07 -0400

I was stationed on a Navy base for a while that had Mid-Rats at the chow hall near my barracks because of night flight ops. There were many nights that I and others left the E-club at a decent hour to get breakfast there, that probably saved us all from a still-drunk morning on the flight line. Score one for Mid-rats.

Response by TSgt Robert Stockand made Oct 19 at 2019 7:47 PM

TSgt Robert Stockand — Sat, 19 Oct 2019 19:47:00 -0400

The way we did it was say to the boss we were going to the CBPO, which was Consolidated Base Personnel office, but we meant Chowhall, BX and Post Office. It usually started around 11pm and went to 2AM and was the best food of the day. Be in uniform and have your ration card ready.

Response by Maj Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 19 at 2019 8:23 PM

Maj Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 19 Oct 2019 20:23:22 -0400

On ship, I would partake in midrats if up late planning missions or returning from a mission. Was normally leftovers.

Response by Sgt Rodney Fridley made Jun 13 at 2022 7:47 AM

Sgt Rodney Fridley — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 07:47:16 -0400

Midnight chow always seemed like the best meal. I worked permanent midnights as a C-130(E) mechanic on the flight line at CCK Taiwan so this was breakfast for me. I can't recall if we even had midnight chow when I was at Tahkli Thailand. I can't say I was ever served anything in an Air Force mess hall that I couldn't eat. When I was a kid we never had an abundance of food available so to suddenly have all you can eat...holy cow!

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Jun 13 at 2022 11:28 AM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 11:28:42 -0400

Often went to midnight chow early in the morning, about 0400, when we were on the early flight schedule at pilot training base. It was the only place open to eat at that time so officers were allowed. Best 95 cent breakfast ever.