This article came about do to the repetitive nature of military meals. Don't mistake this for a complaint. Meals in a combat zone have come a long way. Ask your Dad about C-rations or me about eating MRE's for weeks at a time. I'll take a hot meal over a bagged one any day.
Time is important in our society. We have devices that measure it down to the millisecond. Not everyone is that particular about their time, unless you are an Olympic athlete. Yet, every family has at least one, most of the time multiple, calendars decorating the walls of their homes. You can flip through any one of these, and the neat blocks littered with reminders. Anniversaries are highlighted in red for forgetful husbands. Birthdays and appointments are penciled in neat letters.
Soldiers hang calendars on their walls here as well. They are not as much for keeping track of time, as they are for the decoration. The younger soldiers litter their living areas with monthly girls, or guys depending on the sex of the soldier, from swimsuit and infamous restaurant calendars. The more age impaired individuals, choose car, motorcycle, or family calendars. My favorite ones are always the humorous ones. There’s nothing funnier than looking up at a picture of “Sniper Kitty.” You’d probably have to be in the military to appreciate that one.
These timely reminders are fairly useless to us. Everyone begins their tour by marking off each day as it passes. Eventually, the person comes to realize this is a futile effort. There are too many days left before your flight home. It depresses you. Therefore, you stop marking them down. Eventually, you even quit looking at the calendar. Someone will eventually remind you what month it is currently. You’ll flip from July to August, bringing everything current.
One day blends into the next. There is only your work and the missions. The past day seems much like the previous one. There seems to be a constant debate on which day of the week it is. There have been soldiers ready to come to blows over the debate. Others have placed rather large bets on the correct answer. There is always some soldier with a calendar watch ready to settle these confrontations.
The Army, in its infinite wisdom, has found another way to aid the soldiers in keeping track of the continuous days. It is a full proof method controlled and implemented by the base’s head cook. It is known as evening chow (military food). I can imagine that questioning look on your face. The meals are set out on a menu that I believe is outlined for the next decade, if not century. It very seldom varies. The High School cafeteria Lady has nothing on these people.
I know you are wondering how stringent this schedule is. It is set in stone! We no longer refer to the days by their proper names. Each day is instead, referred by the name of the main course being served. Laugh all you want. It works and we can keep up the days in this manner. I’ve seen visiting officers walk into our building and ask what day it is. Everyone present turns to them and answers, “It’s chicken quesadilla night, Sir.” After the officer recovers, they always say the same thing, “I mean the real day of the week.”
There is usually a debate set off with that statement. If we are lucky, Chaplain is present. He can always settle it quickly. No one else keeps up with days correctly. He has to. It would be a tragedy to give a Sunday service on a Monday. If nothing else, he can tell you when the last sermon was completed. You just count the number of days to the proper day of the week.
My Radio Operator is bouncing in his seat and looking up at the clock. He’s anxious to go to chow. That can only mean one thing. It’s chicken nugget night. That’s Thursday to you.
Love it!!!!!
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