Best Box Lunch and Worse

[Hunter]

Box lunches - ewwww.  Give me an old IMP any day - even ham steak in pineapple sauce.  It seems that every time I get a box lunch, usually from Petawawa or Conaught, the bag containing the sub is on the verge of popping due to the built up air pressure inside the bag - never a good sign.  I've gotten the runs or downright sick too many times to count.  I usually chuck the sandwiches and scrounge whatever apples & oranges I can.  I haven't seen milk in a box lunch in a while (fine with me), but I wish they would go back to putting a can of coke or pepsi in.  Sure it's not good for us but in my estimation a coke is better for you than one of those subs.

 

[Signalman150]

Back in the 60s my father was posted to Zweibrucken and Sardinia for 5 years.  This meant that my family wound up flying all over Europe (Metz and Marville mostly) in Dakotas, North Stars, and Bristol Freighters. 

One of the "features" of these flights was the obiquitous box lunches. The ones I remember best were made in the mess at Decimomannu (Sardinia).  Two sandwiches with fresh cold-cuts, exotic  fruit from the local farms around the base, milk, pre-Tetra Pak juice, and a package of cookies.  For a kid of 7-8 years old the box lunches were an adventure in themselves. The only problem was, they often left the boxes on the tarmac while loading the airplane.  This was too much temptation for the local (very aggressive) ant population, and by the time you got your box lunch on your knee and opened it, you had to arm wrestle dozens of ants who were already at work on your lunch.

Years later, I joined the reserve and was once again treated to box lunches.  Lemme tell ya, the fare coming out of CFB Esquimalt left a lot to be desired and was a far cry from that of Deci.  On the other hand, there were no ants......

 

[navymich]

... the fare coming out of CFB Esquimalt left a lot to be desired...

You mean the butter sandwiches?  The box lunches here still leave alot to be desired.  Luckily I only get the pleasure of having them a couple of times a year when we are at the range for the day.  One nice thing though, they send a crate of milk cartons (both white and chocolate) with them, plus the lunches have a couple granola bars in them too.  Gives you something, at least, when you wonder what kind of salad and mystery meat du jour it is.

 

[Lost_Warrior]

but I wish they would go back to putting a can of coke or pepsi in.  Sure it's not good for us but in my estimation a coke is better for you than one of those subs.

They have coke/pepsi/sprite in the box lunches in Val.  I personally dont like them because those one are usually the ones that come with the bag of chips and 12 pound chocolate brownie or surgar filled "fruit" pastery.  I would take an apple, a stick of cheese and a juice box over them any day.

 

[tonykeene]

I'm currently with The Ceremonial Guard in Ottawa, and we are based at Carleton University.  Our meals are provided in the cafeteria, and I find them satisfactory if not particularly inspried.

The interesting thing is that the University also provides box lunches for personnel who are not able to make it to regular meal times.  Quite a few of the HQ people here put in for box lunches to eat at their desks, because they prefer the box meal to the hot meal provided in the dining hall.

Just goes to show that it really is a matter of taste.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I agree. I remember the kitchen at CFS St John’s accidentally giving us box lunches for a range day that were meant for an Aurora crew flying out of St John’s/Torbay Airport on some fisheries patrol. Man over 20 years laterr and I can still remember how amazed we were at how much food you could cram into a single box. Almost felt sorry for those poor flyboys opening their lunch over the Grand Banks and finding single slice of mystery meat on stale bread and a shrivelled piece of fruit. 8)

Yes I remember getting my very first AF box lunch, after that I knew we were 2nd class citizens, always wondered why the boxes were so large, even then the AF ones were bulging with goodies. Mind you I stopped whining after being sent to Suffield and having to eat at the British Army mess.  :-X

 

[big bad john]

And what's wrong with the BATUS mess, it's one of the best in the British Army.  Now if you want to eat in the UK, come to an RM mess...we steal the best that the Navy has to offer.

 

[Naralis]

I'm currently with The Ceremonial Guard in Ottawa, and we are based at Carleton University.  Our meals are provided in the cafeteria, and I find them satisfactory if not particularly inspried.

The interesting thing is that the University also provides box lunches for personnel who are not able to make it to regular meal times.  Quite a few of the HQ people here put in for box lunches to eat at their desks, because they prefer the box meal to the hot meal provided in the dining hall.

Just goes to show that it really is a matter of taste.

3 Platoon For the Win!

I've done the house 21 times this summer (doing it again tomorrow, yay :) And let me tell you the Carleton lunchboxes are not that good compared to some others I've had. Actually CU just seems to have bad food in general, the mess hall is worse than any base I've visited.

In other news, only 11 days left! Woohoo.

 

[aesop081]

Yes I remember getting my very first AF box lunch, after that I knew we were 2nd class citizens, always wondered why the boxes were so large, even then the AF ones were bulging with goodies. Mind you I stopped whining after being sent to Suffield and having to eat at the British Army mess.  :-X

But the trade-off for those amazing box lunches is 10-12 hours over the atlantic/Pacific..........

And what's wrong with the BATUS mess, it's one of the best in the British Army.  Now if you want to eat in the UK, come to an RM mess...we steal the best that the Navy has to offer.

The BATUS mess is horrible.  Best one in the UK is the Sgts mess at RAF Kinloss

Best box lunches.............Aurora box lunches (except those in Greenwood)

 

[big bad john]

I said it was the best in the British Army, being a Marine I can testify that they can't cook!

 

[BernDawg]

OK.  Damn near 22 yrs in and I've had them all.  From the first euphoric experience on-board a Herc many moons ago to brain matter mushed between boot soles from the mess in RAF Uxbridge.  After all this I only really have one question.  Who, on this earth, really eats 3 bean salad?!?!?!
;D

 

[Colin Parkinson]

And what's wrong with the BATUS mess, it's one of the best in the British Army.  Now if you want to eat in the UK, come to an RM mess...we steal the best that the Navy has to offer.

I am trying to decide whether it was the deep fried pouched eggs, the toast covered in some form of grease, the tea with an oil slick coupled with the total lack of condiments which we found out that we had to supply. 

 

[big bad john]

I am trying to decide whether it was the deep fried pouched eggs, the toast covered in some form of grease, the tea with an oil slick coupled with the total lack of condiments which we found out that we had to supply. 

Fried bread and lard  Mmmmmmm!  Deep fried anything Mmmmmmm!

 

[Sig Mullet]

I don't think any boxed lunch will ever beat my first box lunch. Ive had lots since then with better contents, but after a week straight of IMPS and all of a sudden the course staff shows up with box lunches. My first reaction was "What the hells a boxed lunch", my second reaction was to get that crappy sandwich, apple, fruit cup, pudding and cookie down range before the staff could take it away. This was in St. Jean during my BMQ, woohoo hardcore war stories from the "Nam".

 

[17thRecceSgt]

Best box lunch?

Well, we were running an AVGP dvr's course in Gagetown a few years back...when the good ol Crse WO showed up with our box lunches in Sussex, I opened mine up, took a bite of the sandwhich, took it apart, looked at it and said to one of the other DS...

"hey look, some idiot dropped a little piece of ham in my butter-and-mustard sandwhich!  Whats up with that??!!??"

Best ones I ever had were at the old CFB Summerside.  Hands down.  1/4 chicken meal box lunch.  Potato salad.  Cookies.  Juice, milk and fruit.  Macaroni salad.  I think there was coleslaw too.  Never been beat to date!

 

[211RadOp]

The box lunches from Europahoff in Lahr were the best I've ever had.  They often included such things as KFC style chicken, and lots of really good sandwich fixings.  Their only drawback was the shelf-milk, but since there was usually juice too, it was managable.

Being a shack rat with 4 Sigs, I can relate. Best box lunches I have ever had. Sometimes there were even the hot packs with stew, chicken, chops and even steak!!

More current, the best I've had lately are from the Yukon Galley in Trenton.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Not quite a box lunch story, but we once were able to arrange to have lunch delivered to the Battery out in the ranges of Yakima by a US NG Chinook which saved us a 30 mile drive. The boys were happy to get a fresh hot lunch with cold milk. Likely the most expensive lunch we ever had in the army!!!

 

[17thRecceSgt]

More current, the best I've had lately are from the Yukon Galley in Trenton.

Hey thats good news to me!  I have 8 Wing down as my 1st posting pref.  All the more reason to go now.  ;D

The boys and girls at CFLAWC must be getting spoiled with the Air Force grub!

 

[Danjanou]

I am trying to decide whether it was the deep fried pouched eggs, the toast covered in some form of grease, the tea with an oil slick coupled with the total lack of condiments which we found out that we had to supply. 

Ah British Breakfast (where’s my frickin ralph smiley?). I’ve had the pleasure of eating in British messes before, however fortunately I’ve managed to repress all memories.
"
About 6 years ago I was staying in a hotel in Torremolinos in Spain before heading into Morocco. "Terrible Torrey is a tourist trap for Brit package holidays and ex-pats complete with 400+ “authentic pubs” all of which serve traditional English Breakfast as did my hotel.

Three days of authentic English Breakfasts and I began to understand how the British Empire came to be. Years gone past young men were willing to endure long sea voyages and deprivations on hostile shores just to get away from having to eat that crap.

 

[Cliffy433]

Why does everyone like AF box lunches?  If you're fr Winnipeg and wear green, they are no better than anywhere else.  I hear the Pilots get pretty sweet ones though.  They have improved since MCpl (maybe a Sgt now, dunno) W. got posted there fr 2VP.

Speaking of 2VP, back in the 99-02 timeframe, they had the BEST box lunches EVER.  They didn't come in those damn little boxes, they came in a biga$$ brown paper grocery bag.  Sandwiches, cookies, chips, pop, juice, water, milk, salad, snacky bits... and ENOUGH MUSTARD FOR EVERY SANDWICH!!!!!

I think I've asked this before in a similar thread - but if there are any cooks on here - can you please tell me why we only get one mustard pack and two sandwiches in every box lunch?

Seriously, you may not like mustard on anything, but I can't stand overly processed/preserved meat - and I'll never eat a sandwich without mustard.  Mmmmm... mustard.

Have I mentioned I like mustard?

Oh, and I've heard they've improved substantially, but during the same timeframe - Shilo only gave prepackaged, CO2 cartridged, commercially produced subs.  I hate when CO2 gets on my sandwich.  But, I like mustard.

Anywho...

tlm.