Dining Facility/Chow or Mess: Do you use it?

SGM Matthew Quick — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 13:28:54 -0500

Do you use your installation's/unit's dining facility? Why or why not?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2013 1:31 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 13:31:20 -0500

I use the installation dining facility. It is a great way to sit for a moment and chat with your Soldiers to see what is on their minds and the prices are not that bad. $2.50 for breakfast can't beat that!

Response by 1SG Johnny Carter made Dec 3 at 2013 1:34 PM

1SG Johnny Carter — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 13:34:43 -0500

I use the DFAC all the time. It is an easy way for me as a leader to eat and still make it to my meetings I have which seem to fall arouns 1300. I also recommend to my Soldiers to eat there as well. Most DFACs have a bad rep but the ones I have eaten at are pretty good and you just can't beat the price.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2013 1:47 PM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 13:47:07 -0500

I use the DFAC once in a while...Foods always good and you really can't beat the prices.

Response by CMC Robert Young made Dec 3 at 2013 3:56 PM

CMC Robert Young — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 15:56:40 -0500

Working on a multi-agency federal complex now, we don't have our own dining facility. It belongs to somebody else, and there are hoops to hopped through in order to gain access. However, when I was assigned to a base that had a galley, I used it regularly but mixed in a wide variety of easily available options located right outside the gate. The food was good, and beat the price of eating out on the local economy. The down side was that the menu was fixed and you could predict what was for lunch based on the day of the week.

Response by TSgt Scott Hurley made Dec 3 at 2013 6:15 PM

TSgt Scott Hurley — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 18:15:42 -0500

After leaving Castle AFB, CA for Cannon AFB. I rarely ate in the chow hall there. Castle's chow hall was better by far. Being a former SAC base. Could order fresh hamburgers from the grill versus getting Hockey pucks that were pre-made at Cannons chow hall. Of course that was true for all fighter base chow halls. They all had hockey pucks for hamburgers. So after Castle, I pretty much stopped eating at the chow hall. Of course I got into an argument with an airman who worked at the chow hall, who said it was a Dining Facility. I told it now matter what you call it, its still a Chow Hall, or a Mess Hall, or a Galley (for those in the Navy).

Response by SFC Benjamin Parsons made Dec 4 at 2013 1:10 PM

SFC Benjamin Parsons — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 13:10:38 -0500

In my day most installation dining facilities offered quite acceptable choices. Sometimes really good. Early USMC service ('70-'72) was very often C-rats, but the mess halls were truly good (all services), and I rarely missed an opportunity to chow down at one.

However, schedule, workload, and sometimes distance often interfered with my ability, especially as a senior Army NCO, to take advantage.

In Korea the Mess Sergeant in my small Bn Mess, for lack of a better word, sucked. He sucked in field mess too. Absolutely unable to manage his budget effectively. And it showed - too often glaringly.

Career wise, I ate breakfast whenever possible and lunch often. Only an occasional diner.

In this day and age of cost cutting chow is a huge expense that needs addressed in a manner that's still easy for troops. Modernizing, consolidating (short distance), and a different meal planning model are all needed. Maybe some of this is, or has happened since my departure.

Have to compete effectively against installation commercial, generally incomplete nourishment, 'fast food'.

It is an honest and critically important morale and health issue.

Response by SSG Laureano Pabon made Dec 4 at 2013 8:07 PM

SSG Laureano Pabon — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 20:07:35 -0500

Ahhhhh yes Sir thank you for posting this, I was wondering if their are still any chow hounds in the service? What do I mean by chow hounds: It is the first few people who don't walk but run to be the first ones on line. Appearance: The race can appear to be liken to the INDY 500 to the finish line  lolconfession: I may or may not have been one my self. lol

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 4 at 2013 8:12 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 20:12:04 -0500

MSG Quick, there "seemed" to be better food served when the civilians were there. Once the budget cuts struck, they moved Soldiers in and the quality of the food and the hours seem a little less desirable. Not to mention, our DFAC serves at a lump sum cost, no a' la carte, which would be more beneficial for me since my diet is a bit different.

There are other locations on FT Bragg that are excellent I hear and have a lot more variety than the one at my location.

Response by SGT Kevin Adams made May 30 at 2014 9:54 PM

SGT Kevin Adams — Fri, 30 May 2014 21:54:40 -0400

I don't use the dining facility anymore for a couple reasons 1. I live on post and less than 5 mins away from the motor pool I work at 2. None of my soldiers use it cause they usually bring there meals in and eat in the office. However if those two things were a factor I would probably use the dining facility cause they do make good food with healthy choices.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 29 at 2014 7:52 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 29 Jun 2014 07:52:18 -0400

In Kuwait, there isn't much choice. All TCS personnel eat there (for free, because they are still drawing BAS with no meal deduction). PCS personnel that are E6 and below have meal deductions so they are paying for the meals whether they eat of not. E7 and above don't have meal deductions but have to pay for each meal individually. Breakfast is a good deal at $2.55, lunch and dinner is $4.65. Sunday is a whole different story though, $6.55 each for brunch and dinner meal! The food ain't that good, I choose to spend a $1 more ($7.50) for vendor meal.

Response by PFC Zanie Young made Jul 26 at 2014 2:29 PM

PFC Zanie Young — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 14:29:27 -0400

Yes. If I don't eat, I don't fight. Of course, I had field chow, too...

Response by SPC Wendy Watson made Sep 11 at 2014 6:48 PM

SPC Wendy Watson — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 18:48:01 -0400

For obvious reasons SGM, people do not use the DFAC, but food service has changed. A lot of cooks don't like their jobs, or couldn't get in any other MOS so they serve the standard, just to get by. I chose to be a cook and loved everyday of my 14yrs.

The quality of food depends on the cook you have working there, the variety in the meals and of course the leadership. I loved to cook because my NCO's loved to cook and they were a huge presence in the kitchen. Good leadership makes you dining facilities, nothing can substitutes outstanding leadership no matter what is on the menu.

Response by SPC Mike Lake made Mar 7 at 2018 9:32 PM

SPC Mike Lake — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 21:32:50 -0500

I did specially the one at Womack Hospital

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 7 at 2018 10:48 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 22:48:07 -0500

We used them all, as long as everyone know what we were talking about.

Response by SGT Jim Arnold made Mar 8 at 2018 2:53 AM

SGT Jim Arnold — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 02:53:29 -0500

my 1st assignment after AIT was a hilltop in S. Korea I had no real choice as the only other option was 4 miles down the hill.

Response by SGT Shirletha Heath made Nov 23 at 2022 9:49 PM

SGT Shirletha Heath — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 21:49:58 -0500

We call it mess hall.