US to close fast food in Afghan bases - Timmies & Greenbean will stay
- Thread starter GAP
- Start date
Is this the biggest decision that a Comd of ISAF can make or what, forget strategic level operations or nation-building, but let's focus on where will he let the boys and girls who risk their lives, spend their danger pay - TGI Fridays, BK, Thai massage or the PX. I had something different in mind when I though of the US soldiers flooding into Afghanistan. Is this really a four-star policy decision?
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jollyjacktar said:
While I wouldnt shed any tears over the loss of a few 'luxury' outlets, shutting them all down would definately have an impact on morale. Not everyone wants to eat in the mess hall for every meal for their entire tour, and they also provide places where mixed ranks can eat together.
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Grey,
All the big messes in KAF are all ranks.
All the big messes in KAF are all ranks.
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Laps said:
I would not pretend that we worked as long hours as most, but the intensity made up for that.
Laps said:
Same here for the most part. I had a Pizza Hut pizza about a month into the tour, and it was the best meal that I'd had up until then. The novelty had worn off by the time that I had the next one, about a month later. That place was handy, though, given the odd times at which we went to work, sometimes at short notice, when getting a meal at the messes was not possible.
I probably had one pizza per month, tops. I ate at Burger King twice, with the first time reminding me why I hadn't eaten at one since Germany in 1989. I still had most of my first booklet of Tim Horton's coupons left at the end of the tour, and gave all of the others away. I think that I only had something from there twice in the whole seven months, too. And the Dutch restaurant right near the end.
Laps said:
I'm still not sure where TGI Friday is, and what's an Ekos?
Laps said:
I saw parts of two shows, one of which was on the night that I got back from leave. I was working when many of them were on, or trying to rest before a mission.
I have mixed opinions about cutting these places out. I don't think that it's likely to affect operations positively. People have to eat somewhere, and regardless of where they eat, the same amount of food has to be brought in. I wouldn't miss them, but I can appreciate that many would.
catalyst
Full Member
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GAP said:
When I worked there it was Montreal - Pakistan via sea and then road to KAF.
Some stuff came in by air -b ut it was much more expensive. Of course, when there was a shortage of coffee, coffee became a 'priority' on a space available basis.
Yrys
Army.ca Veteran
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Fierce reader debate over fast food, movies at U.S. bases, CNN
On Thursday, CNN.com's Brad Lendon wrote in Afghanistan Crossroads about
a blog post that appeared on the International Security Assistance Force
Afghanistan blog this week, announcing the military was cutting back on
"non-essentials" for U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan. This included closing
restaurants such as Burger King, Dairy Queen, Orange Julius and Pizza Hut
on bases and dropping first-run movies from base theaters.
The reader response was fiery. Here's a sampling from both sides of the
argument. You can read all the comments here.
One reader, Nick, writes: "As a former Marine and Desert Storm vet, this is
the right decision. If you want a Whopper or a DQ sundae, you should have
not joined the military. There are plenty of extra curricular activities that you
do not here about. These are not needed."
Heather agrees: "Wars have been fought for years without a DQ or BK being
in the area. I feel like the concerns should be going to our troops safety and
not whether or not they can get a burger or ice cream on base."
Lili Willard takes the other side of the debate: "My son is currently serving in
Afghanistan on an FOB (forward operation base). He works long, hot hours. ...
So when he gets to go to one of the bigger bases, it is a real treat to have a DQ
or Whopper, and he loves Pizza Hut. This refreshes him and he goes back to the
FOB in good spirits and ready to do his work."
"This frustrates me to no end," writes one reader. "My husband is gone six months
out of the year over to Afghanistan. With his long work hours he puts in, and the
time away from family, I'm glad to know that he at least as some comforts/luxuries
while he is there. Now that it's being taken away, I have to wonder what that will
do to the morale of the troops who have to endure the same daily grind, day in and
day out."
Reader Sam thinks most of the readers are missing the point."If the outposts are not
getting their essential items because fast-food is taking up space on the transports to
the big bases, that's an issue, isn't it? Ditch the fast-food, get what's needed to the
troops at the outposts first."
On Thursday, CNN.com's Brad Lendon wrote in Afghanistan Crossroads about
a blog post that appeared on the International Security Assistance Force
Afghanistan blog this week, announcing the military was cutting back on
"non-essentials" for U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan. This included closing
restaurants such as Burger King, Dairy Queen, Orange Julius and Pizza Hut
on bases and dropping first-run movies from base theaters.
The reader response was fiery. Here's a sampling from both sides of the
argument. You can read all the comments here.
One reader, Nick, writes: "As a former Marine and Desert Storm vet, this is
the right decision. If you want a Whopper or a DQ sundae, you should have
not joined the military. There are plenty of extra curricular activities that you
do not here about. These are not needed."
Heather agrees: "Wars have been fought for years without a DQ or BK being
in the area. I feel like the concerns should be going to our troops safety and
not whether or not they can get a burger or ice cream on base."
Lili Willard takes the other side of the debate: "My son is currently serving in
Afghanistan on an FOB (forward operation base). He works long, hot hours. ...
So when he gets to go to one of the bigger bases, it is a real treat to have a DQ
or Whopper, and he loves Pizza Hut. This refreshes him and he goes back to the
FOB in good spirits and ready to do his work."
"This frustrates me to no end," writes one reader. "My husband is gone six months
out of the year over to Afghanistan. With his long work hours he puts in, and the
time away from family, I'm glad to know that he at least as some comforts/luxuries
while he is there. Now that it's being taken away, I have to wonder what that will
do to the morale of the troops who have to endure the same daily grind, day in and
day out."
Reader Sam thinks most of the readers are missing the point."If the outposts are not
getting their essential items because fast-food is taking up space on the transports to
the big bases, that's an issue, isn't it? Ditch the fast-food, get what's needed to the
troops at the outposts first."
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Petamocto said:
My mistake - I had been told that all ranks eat in the same buildings but sit in seperate areas of the building...
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Hmmm. I can't say for sure forever, but I was there in 08-09 and it was certainly mixed company. Not sure if anything before of after that was different but I didn't get the feeling that it was ever different.
That being said, some organizations may self-segregate (?) but I certainly didn't see that inside the TF at the time.
I think just due to general interests you end up typically being friends with your peers so you sit with them more often, but it was certainly normal to have a Pte or Col sit beside us without a second thought.
That being said, some organizations may self-segregate (?) but I certainly didn't see that inside the TF at the time.
I think just due to general interests you end up typically being friends with your peers so you sit with them more often, but it was certainly normal to have a Pte or Col sit beside us without a second thought.
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My info was dated pre-2005, so it might have been different - were even the British messes all ranks when you were there?
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They didn't literally have a "Brit" mess the way you might think like with the gyms for example, where each country funds and equips a facility close to their lines and it's usually (but not exclusively) that country's troops who use it.
There were 3-4 huge messes as of 08-09, all ran by the "Supreme" (oh, the irony) company. What they did was tie general regions to it, like a European mess or an American mess, but it was all the same company with 99% the same food. The only difference for example would be that one may also serve curry for lunch, one may have pasta, etc...
The only way nationalities came into play was where the building happened to sit in KAF. However, it was not at all uncommon for people to eat at different messes throughout the day because breakfast might be closer to the shacks but lunch might be closer to work, for ex.
There were 3-4 huge messes as of 08-09, all ran by the "Supreme" (oh, the irony) company. What they did was tie general regions to it, like a European mess or an American mess, but it was all the same company with 99% the same food. The only difference for example would be that one may also serve curry for lunch, one may have pasta, etc...
The only way nationalities came into play was where the building happened to sit in KAF. However, it was not at all uncommon for people to eat at different messes throughout the day because breakfast might be closer to the shacks but lunch might be closer to work, for ex.
Jarnhamar
Army.ca Myth
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Having searched a vehicle or two coming into KAF, a surprising amount of stuff that's "taking up vital space on aircraft" actually comes over land brought in by contractors.
Wonder if the guys who came to this decision are the same type of dickheads that drive from KAF to camp hero three times a day for their restaurant quality meals.
Wonder if the guys who came to this decision are the same type of dickheads that drive from KAF to camp hero three times a day for their restaurant quality meals.
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Gramps said:
Or how many variations of "rice and stew slop" can you possibly have?
And what about that Jesus cake!
Petamocto said:
During 2008, they certainly did have a US and a Brit mess, i.e., food tailored to those countries. The permanent (every meal) curry bar, fish and chips, steak and kidney pie, and permanent bread bar were very British. The grits, hot dogs and surf/turf (Fridays) were very American. I guess your saying that the curry and bread bars and surf/turf only account for 1% difference - I beg to differ, you should have got out more. Since variety is the spice of life, our crew (Col to WO) had an 'informal dining schedule' by day of the week.
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DFACs,
Luxembourg has European food:
The Far East has East Indian, Chinese and Asian food:
Niagara has American food:
The Cambridge has British food:
North Line (new) American food and it is the best mess IMHO; and finally
South Park which I believe is only for Americans. I could be wrong.
New since January, TGI Fridays and Mamma Mia Pizza, both on the boardwalk and I saw an ad for something new, coming soon, while walking today, but I forgot the name.
Luxembourg has European food:
The Far East has East Indian, Chinese and Asian food:
Niagara has American food:
The Cambridge has British food:
North Line (new) American food and it is the best mess IMHO; and finally
South Park which I believe is only for Americans. I could be wrong.
New since January, TGI Fridays and Mamma Mia Pizza, both on the boardwalk and I saw an ad for something new, coming soon, while walking today, but I forgot the name.