Inside US Military's Largest MANDATORY Dining Hall

Chapters:
0:00 How US Air Force Academy feeds 4000 cadets in 30 minutes
1:29 How US Air Force Academy prepares its food
2:25 How US Air Force Academy serves food quickly
3:28 Have you heard of CookUnity?
5:03 How cadets are seated at US Air Force Academy (Mitchell Hall)
6:32 What is contrails? (USAF)
7:12 What is the Noon Meal Formation?
8:11 Which US military academies serve food family style?
8:51 Which US military academy has the best food?
9:15 Eating food in the US Navy
9:46 How does the US Navy handle food allergies?
10:34 What are mid-rats, half-rats and double-rats?
11:19 Eating food in the US Army
12:25 Which US military branch has the best food?

How US Air Force Serves 4,000 Meals in 30 Minutes is #NotWhatYouThink #NWYT #longs

Music:
Solarium - Max Anson
Flowers for Her - Howard Harper-Barnes
Divisive Alliance - Jon Bjork
This Time I Promise - Colors of Illusion
Our Session - Nylonia
Echolocation - Laura Platt
Icy Road - Lucention
Aint No Saint - Elliot Holmes
Day Trip - Raymond Grouse
La Danse Timide - Howard Harper-Barnes
Subconscious - Nihoni

Footage:
Select images/videos from Getty Images
Shutterstock
US Department of Defense

Note: "The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement."

[rekire___]

>getting yelled and put under stress
Ah yes family style

[xavyre]

I was in the Air Force and we had all four branches on our base and they all said the Air Force had the best dining halls, base facilities and housing out of the entire armed forces.

[tribex]

That formality of how to dish and eat looks like some odd torture

[Nipplator]

In the Army, they just put between 3000 to 4000 MREs strapped to pellets in the middle of a field. Then had a formation on the edge of the field. At dismissed, time started and every soldier made a mad dash for a MRE. It was over in 20-30 minutes, if there was enough MREs or nobody snipped the steel straps and it took 10 minutes to free them...

Great way to get in shape or stay that way.

[Retly_Ai]

Air Force food can be a hit or miss depending on where your stationed. But I do think the Air Force has decent options for the most part. My only helpful criticism to give you is to look up nuclear submarine seamen diets. They get the best food overall to help morale since they don’t really get the chance to see the outside for prolonged durations

[thilakdissanayaka]

"When you are starving, food tastes delicious anyway." - NWYT

[scottstewart]

I ate at Mitchell hall @ USAFA for 4 years in the 80s - the food was excellent always. The video said only seniors can "relax" at the meals - that's not true - only the freshmen (doolies) get braced or knowledge checked. The seniors are in charge, but the other two years can also "train" the doolie-wads. In fact, most seniors are thinking of their first assignment and are "over" training doolies, and leave it to the sophomores and juniors. There is the occasional "stract" senior though.

[brentonherbert]

US forces: Sitting family style promotes comradely.
Also US forces: Expect to be called duely which means slave.

[cybercat]

I love how they have an MQ-9 chilling in the lunchroom

[thanksfernuthin]

Long ago, 80s-90s, Air Force had the best chow halls and it wasn't considered close. The Air Force had a unique situation. If you find yourself in a war and want to survive it, Air Force is the choice for most so they had the least trouble getting recruits, if they could pass the higher intelligence test requirements. Anecdotal: I scored insanely high on the ASVAB (military vocational test). Afterward recruiters from every branch called my home and eventually visited... except the Air Force. My dad was in the Air Force so we called them, "Oh, yeah. We saw that. We were going to call you." That dynamic played out throughout my military service. The other branches paid very large bonuses to keep their members in but the Air Force kept people around with a higher quality of life... and food. I would expect the Space Force will likely take top spot on the military food chain if it hasn't already.

[starwarsstuff]

The Navy navigate by the stars, the army sleeps under the stars, and the Air Force pics there hotels, judging on the stars.

[blankityblankblank]

It looks almost otherworldy, but being able to feed 4000 people in 30 minutes itself is otherworldy sooo

[NMJZ]

A few things to point out: As far as the Army TRADOC installations go, AKA bootcamps, you were mostly spot-on. You eat at the DFAC three times a day, and every meal is a minimum of 15 minutes, per regulation. The food is color coded to show the trainees how healthy each food item is, and you can choose what you want to eat. What you didn't mention is that you are always marched to the DFAC in formation by the Drill Sergeants for every meal, while they call cadences. Filing in and out of the DFAC is a very efficient affair, with the servers being pre-determined before you go(the trainees volunteer or are volun-told for that) and the trainees at the back of the formation are the ones who hold the doors open. You have to side-step throughout the serving area, holding your tray the right way and whilst making the correct facing movements. The Drill Sergeants will probably make the experience 10 times more stressful for everyone, especially during Yellow/Red phase, just to see how much stress you can take, because after all, you're not guaranteed 15 minutes if you're in a combat zone and you have to eat in perfect silence lest your table is made to get up early, thanks to you. Bringing weapons to the DFAC? Stack your weapons outside, neatly, and post a weapons guard, who eats last. Once everything is done, you form up again and march back.

How do I know all this? Because I was formerly a trainee in D Co., 4-39 IN BN, Fort Jackson, US Army Basic Combat Training academy.

"Never Retreat!"

[KeithHouchens]

midnight meal was one of the best in the Air Force, eggs anyway you wanted them, pancakes, french toast with melted butter and hot syrup, hash browns, sausage gravy and biscuits, SOS, bacon, sausage, ham, danish, toast etc.

[xPersianxKing]

“That’s not my sexy voice”
*SUBSCRIBED*

[gregorygarfield]

Most of these clips are from basic training at the academy with a lot more formality and rush. During the school year things are quite a bit different.

[AlexGrom]

"How did the navy solved the food allergy problem?" Not getting any personel with it, certainly not the answer I wanted to hear 😅

[fedbia]

LMAO!! "As fast as 15 minutes, door to door."

I have to say no.

I still remember being told "Get your food. You will not sit down. You will walk to the trash area. DO NOT THROW AWAY GOOD FOOD! EAT WHILE YOU'RE IN LINE!"

[Asianevermore]

People really have no idea the difference between enlisted boot camp and officers academy…. All branches academy have the same set up : National War College is probably the best since it’s set up for global diversity-yes they teach cultural customs through food to know about locals. Naval academy, West Point, US coast guard academy and Air Force Academy are all the same with food and routine.

[Yxalitis]

I don't know what it is, but your videos are so...watchable, you have a real knack for just telling stuff in an interesting way, even something as 'boring' as a cadet meal.
Well done.
Next time I want exploshons though!!