Food Service MOS, should the branches keep them or fade them out?

2016-05-03T13:47:59-04:00

Being in the 3381 field for 4.5 years, I spend most of the time at Camp Lejeune and till this day, I remember all the Mess Hall I used to worked at. I realized in government sector job I'm in, I'm seeing a lot of contractors for dining facilities. They've have contractors in the field, garrison, and deployment. I don't know about ship, but other than that, are we just fading away? Is it cheaper to fade us out or is it worth to go through contracts?

Seeing this brought back fond memories. http://terminallance.com/2016/04/29/terminal-lance-423-food-service-specialist/

Terminal Lance - Terminal Lance #423 “Food Service Specialist”

Is it weird that the omelets I had in the Marine Corps were the best omelets I’ve ever had? Seriously, I’ve been out for a while now and I have yet to find anywhere that makes omelets as well as those Marines in the chow hall. If nothing else (which is usually the case), chow hall Marines make the best damn omelets you’ll ever have.

Response by LCpl Waliq Knolle made May 3 at 2016 1:55 PM

2016-05-03T13:55:22-04:00

I've met plenty of 3381s who have no idea what they're doing in the galley and get sent to chow halls from their field mess. The turnout of which is generally appalling. In one part it's not their fault because their area doesn't utilize them however when NCOs with no experience aside from MOS school refuse to listen to the junior Marines that have been working there constantly for 2-3 years issues start to arise. Products don't get done right if at all, things get forgotten, and quality goes down. I've been at the same chow hall for about 3 years and many of Marines have asked me why the quality has gone down and that in part is due to having undertrained cooks and having them rotate out after 3 months or so. It's a good job field but the training is so imbalanced. For smaller sized units that have a field mess such as battalions, regiments and a lot of support squadrons there's no need to have most if not all your personnel in field mess twiddling their thumbs.

Response by PO3 James Staley made May 3 at 2016 4:46 PM

2016-05-03T16:46:07-04:00

On the ship there is just CS's and we would have people come to us from other rates. I really can't think of what it is called off the top of my head. On land it all depends where you are at. When I was on NAS lemoore the only contractors we had just washed dishes, cleaned the tables, etc. While on the Atsugi base Japan we had contractors that did some of the cooking and cleaning. The CS's would do some cooking and run the line. I would say keep them. They really need to go back to the way it was where we made everything ourselves. When I was about to get out they started having so much pre made food it wasn't even funny. How can these people learn anything when all they have to do is just open a package, heat, and serve. I learned how to make a lot of different things and I was good at it. You know your adobo is good when you have people coming back for 3rds.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made May 3 at 2016 6:40 PM

2016-05-03T18:40:14-04:00

They are always needed in combat, and cook very well when authorized in Garrison.

Response by Cpl Edward T. Brickeen Jr. made May 29 at 2016 4:25 PM

2016-05-29T16:25:45-04:00

without a doubt, cooks should be kept. Being a cook, we genuinely give a damn a hell of a lot more than civilians. They care about plate costs and how their parent company rates them. We care about things like taste and how everyone likes the place. I worked in New River and saw a mess hall ran by civilians. There was little to no focus on how the food was, and more on how much it costs. If we got caught hooking up a fellow Marine, we were in some shit. I was also in Hawaii, where the opposite was true. I spent three years in New River, and less than two in Hawaii, with Hawaii being my last duty station. I learned more as an NCO in those 23 months in K-Bay than the 37 in New River.

Response by Cpl Michael Bunn made Jun 28 at 2016 12:17 PM

2016-06-28T12:17:12-04:00

Hello 3381 devildog. I believe they should keep the mos it will continue the tradition of 3381's alive. All the other branches still have mos cook billets. It is important to keep the military chefs visible in the military. Without me being a 3381 I would never be in my career now as a Food Scientist. I have developed many UGRA MRE's for Natick over the years and there is nothing better than being able to say I was a 3381.

Response by LCpl Raymond Johnson made Dec 10 at 2016 8:14 AM

2016-12-10T08:14:08-05:00

I was open contract in Jan 1993 and was made a cook....I hated and ultimately did not re-up because of my MOS. I did my job like a Marine should for my 4 yrs though...I cooked at Camp Pendleton base brig then sent to 1St MarDiv 11th Meu were I cooked in field, chowhall and on ship. Was an experience I still remember some 20 yrs later but still glad i never have to wear mess whites again

Response by Sgt Peter Bowers made Mar 24 at 2017 6:29 AM

2017-03-24T06:29:18-04:00

Cooks boost Morale! A hot,well cooked, nutritious meal makes the Troops feel appreciated! I felt like I was making their lives better by serving up my Cheesecakes and other decadent desserts! Their happiness with my product was rewarding enough. Always had second servings available, whether in the Dining Facility or out in the Field, I always gave it 110%! Cooks care about not only the Food,(quality,freshness,etc.), how the Dining Hall looks,they care about the People! Friendships! If I had to do it all over again, its Food Services all the way! KEEP THE COOKS!! Sorry for being long winded Folks! God Bless You all, Stay Safe out there!

Response by SN Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 18 at 2017 11:04 AM

2017-04-18T11:04:57-04:00

If so does that mean the president will get civilian contractors to cook for him instead of our sailors

Response by LCpl Nunzeo Nichols made May 20 at 2017 8:48 PM

2017-05-20T20:48:52-04:00

I hate to say this but no before i deployed with a MP group the cook skills i got from my corp i never been with out a job the 6 years i been out i hate cooking but being a marine made me great at it thus earning a living oorah

Response by GySgt Melissa Gravila made Jun 24 at 2017 8:01 PM

2017-06-24T20:01:37-04:00

I'm an "old school" 3381 who still remembers when bakers had their own MOS. Cooking is an art and baking is a science. I was originally going to go in as a pc programmer but ended up open contract, thus a cook, instead. Through the MOS, I learned about supply/logistics, computers, accounting, cost of feed, etc. Definitely keep the MOS, it's not just a cook. After all, now I'm a chef, loving what I do and where I work-I know I make a difference, I love making people happy- isn't that what matters?
S/F

Response by LCpl Aaron Freeman made Sep 7 at 2017 6:25 PM

2017-09-07T18:25:41-04:00

Do any of them know how to work a field meas truck? Are any of them willing to go forward, knowing the possibility of them being under fire? No, I don't see them phasing 3381s out, not yet...

Response by LtCol Robert Quinter made Sep 7 at 2017 9:49 PM

2017-09-07T21:49:06-04:00

The decision to contract mess services at bases was not based so much on the Food Service MOSs as it was the temporary mess duty augmentation required from the units using the mess hall. The argument was that the 03, 2500, or 6500 should be preparing for war by working in their MOS instead of pulling mess duty. The intent then was to keep the core food service personnel current and capable of moving into a deployed status and opening a functional mess with the augment from the using units fill manning requirements.
As a personal observation, never saw a contract mess operation at Quang Tri, LZ Stud or any of the other sites to which I deployed.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Sep 7 at 2017 10:30 PM

2017-09-07T22:30:26-04:00

Sgt Davis Le I never had stomach problems eating GI food! Regrettably, I never praised our mess section personnel as they deserved!

(Except that one time, the front wall of their supply trailer was made of cases of wine!) I praised those clowns for that!

Response by LCpl Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 13 at 2017 8:51 PM

2017-11-13T20:51:01-05:00

As a 3381 I think that we should keep the MOS, but maintain and provide for it as well. There’s a lot of units or duty stations that have really faulty equipment and can’t work. I get the whole adapt and overcome, but it can only take you so far if all you have is a TRHS that has to be bypassed in order for you to be able to use it. I feel like Food service marines are sometimes expected to fail, and blamed for messing up when the faulty equipment is to blame. With that being said I enjoy my job and the good vibes you get from people that appreciate what you do. Makes the hours feel less shittier.