Single Quarters & Rations (R&Q) [MERGED]

[Strike]

Bruce, it has less to do with Trenton itself and more to do with the company (whose name scapes me at this moment) that seems to be taking over all the bases to provide food services.  I'll tell you, the WO/Sgts mess in Kingston is much better than Trenton (not the salad bar though) with what is offered on the line.  The healthy selection is just that (example being stir fried veggies and tofu).

As an aside and back to the box lunch issue wrt Trenton, other than the generic lunch that has sandwiches that last +3 months, what do they offer for a healthy choice?  If I was in that situation I'd be more likely to buy somehing at a deli that I know was made fresh along with a nice piece of fruit (one can only eat so many oranges) and cheese.  It's kinda gross to get the macaronni salad that has more dressing by weight than anything else in the container.

 

[SupersonicMax]

Sodexo is the company I believe.

 

[Sparkplugs]

Bruce, it has less to do with Trenton itself and more to do with the company (whose name scapes me at this moment) that seems to be taking over all the bases to provide food services.  I'll tell you, the WO/Sgts mess in Kingston is much better than Trenton (not the salad bar though) with what is offered on the line.  The healthy selection is just that (example being stir fried veggies and tofu).

As an aside and back to the box lunch issue wrt Trenton, other than the generic lunch that has sandwiches that last +3 months, what do they offer for a healthy choice?  If I was in that situation I'd be more likely to buy somehing at a deli that I know was made fresh along with a nice piece of fruit (one can only eat so many oranges) and cheese.  It's kinda gross to get the macaronni salad that has more dressing by weight than anything else in the container.

You can ask for a vegetarian lunch, or any sort of specialized diet, and I ask for the veggie lunches as often as I can.  They're not filling, but at least it's more than a Jos Louis, 2 ham sandwiches, 2 juice boxes and an orange.  There is no 'healthy choice' box lunch though.  I would much rather buy things to make my own lunch with as well.

 

[Strike]

There's got to me more than that!  What if 2 pilots on the same crew are both asking for the vegetarian meal?  They can't be the same.  (Well, they could, but it's a really bad idea.)  Way to test Murphy's Law.

 

[meni0n]

Try asking for dairy free box lunch. Blank stares all around.

 

[Sparkplugs]

Try asking for dairy free box lunch. Blank stares all around.

When I was on WASF for Maple Flag in Cold Lake, we had to eat box lunches as well, and I asked for no dairy, because we had no way to refrigerate them at the posts, and without fail, every one of them had cheese on the sandwiches, and cheese and crackers in it.  The vegetarian meal also had ham in the salad, it was actually pretty funny.

 

[CountDC]

But 12 hours is our normal duty period, does that make a difference?

the regulation is in regards to THE normal duty period which is 8 hours.

 

[Sparkplugs]

the regulation is in regards to THE normal duty period which is 8 hours.

Then that means someone screwed up when they told us we weren't allowed to eat lunch in the mess.  I definitely have to bring this up the chain, seeing as there are living out guys who would like box lunches, and some of us do wake up at lunchtime, and would like to eat the meal that we are paying for.

 

[CountDC]

Try asking for dairy free box lunch. Blank stares all around.

ROFLFAO now that one I like!!!!!

 

[OldSolduer]

Would most of the money you pay for rations goes to wages for the civilian employees?  I'm wondering if Base Commanders are feeling the heat from the UNDE locals.
Just a thought.

I agree with the de-linking, but.....if you are living in quarters quite often there are prohibitions on major appliances (stoves/hotplates etc). This makes it kinda hard to cook proper meals etc.

My son and his buddy are into a PMQ on their return from the sandbox. That alleviates the R part of R & Q.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

now this is getting fun. ;D  

it says "ARE AUTHORIZED TO OFFER" it does not say that they MUST offer. Fine point but I garuntee as a clerk that this is the type of wording that will bite you in the arse.

Should...Shall...May.  Shall is the only word there that means imperative.  QR & O's refer to the meaning IIRC.  No shall, its up to the Commander.

 

[Sparkplugs]

Would most of the money you pay for rations goes to wages for the civilian employees?  I'm wondering if Base Commanders are feeling the heat from the UNDE locals.
Just a thought.

I agree with the de-linking, but.....if you are living in quarters quite often there are prohibitions on major appliances (stoves/hotplates etc). This makes it kinda hard to cook proper meals etc.

My son and his buddy are into a PMQ on their return from the sandbox. That alleviates the R part of R & Q.

I'll be getting into a pmq next year...  I have a 10 month TD in the US to do, as well as an overseas tour or two, so I don't want to pay for a Q or apartment if I'm not there for that long.  Things will be fine after that, it's just until then.

We aren't allowed appliances in the room, but in the common area here, there is a fridge, microwave, toaster oven, george foreman grill, and a microwave.  This is more than enough for a person to eat their own meals here.  I did it for two years in college, I'm sure I can do it here.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Obviously, Trenton is one of those locations who is reverting to the old way. You stay - you pay, not the taxpayers. Makes sense to me.

But in a case like mine, I do not show up at the mess/galley expecting food for me because I did not opt for R, just Q.  Does the KO not order food based on actual numbers of paying mbrs vice perceived?  

This is where it must be hard to please the living-in mbrs, the ones that like to pay as they go, regular or otherwise, people that  show up on TD and require R & Q (I know when we were on TD trips from the HQ in Hfx to Gagetown, we would put in our R & Q requests the week or so prior in case dates changed..how does the KO plan for that?).

Sounds like a headache to me and I bet there are some chain-smoking rations clerks out there who hate the lot of us!  

 

[NL_engineer]

No ninja edit at all ... you'll note that I did it so soon afterwards that not even a post edit timing shows in the bottom of my post. 

Needless to say, many bases are now now going back to the old way; you want R&Q - you pay for R&Q.

As per the previous thread already linked into this one discussing the subject --

One simply can not continue to write-off hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of rations every month (and thus the taxpayer pay for it) based on a "living in member may show up to eat this meal."

They do still do enough cash sales at lunch with the people who forgot to pack lunch/don't want to go home  :  Edited to add  or unit funded lunches (TF/Ex/teams/etc)

 

[Eye In The Sky]

And you're still not addressing the question I had where if it's just us living-ins on meal cards that are causing the wasted food and money problems, why are they letting everyone else eat with cash?  There are a ton of civvies and mbrs that pay by cash, what about them?

Exactly what I am thinking.  Maybe if the mess stops doing this, and says to THESE folks "on ration strength, or off, no walk-ins" the Ration Clerks would be able to better order the right amounts of the cook's would be able to prepare the correct amount of food per feeding frenzy, which is not the case as Vern is making clear, $$$$$$ of food is being wasted.

This seems like a 'good grouping, wrong target' fix to me.  Stop feeding the people who don't want to go on rations, period.  There goes your waste!

But, they will re-link everyone in SQs to cut back their wasted food amounts and then let Biff and Ted who aren't on Ration Strength walk in for lunch?  Thats not right IMO.

 

[Strike]

But, they will re-link everyone in SQs to cut back their wasted food amounts and then let Biff and Ted who aren't on Ration Strength walk in for lunch?  Thats not right IMO.

Exactly.  Imagine if everyone living in decided to all go to lunch one day.  Add the cadets and the cash sales and you can bet that there will be some serious shortages.  Pitty the poor sap who comes in at the end of the meal and his onlt options are leftover chicken fingers in the salad bar and rib-on-a-bun.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Every friday is deep fried fish day.  Even the healthy or vegetarian choices are often deep fried.  One can only eat so many sandwiches.

This should be reported to the CoC immediately if you want to see it resolved.  In 199X, I was teaching a QL3 course that ate in H22 (Gagetown). The students complained that, for 3 nights they had only had hot dogs, burgers and fries (as we were on staggered meal times, and on the latest timing).  The next night, I went into H22 with the course to watch and see.  They were right.  The salad bar had not been replenned, no choices, the fries even sucked the big hairy one.  It was pretty bad, in all honesty.

I spoke to the Cook Sgt, who got all hot under the collar and swore at me.  I left before I got madder, and reported this to the Sgt-Major in our mess over a glass of draught in the A lines that night, the next morning I was explaining what was going on to the RSM at breakfast with the Sgt-Major.

Problem was solved before the noon feeding time that day.  Let the people who can make changes know the issues.

 

[Sparkplugs]

This should be reported to the CoC immediately if you want to see it resolved.  In 199X, I was teaching a QL3 course that ate in H22 (Gagetown). The students complained that, for 3 nights they had only had hot dogs, burgers and fries (as we were on staggered meal times, and on the latest timing).  The next night, I went into H22 with the course to watch and see.  They were right.  The salad bar had not been replenned, no choices, the fries even sucked the big hairy one.  It was pretty bad, in all honesty.

I spoke to the Cook Sgt, who got all hot under the collar and swore at me.  I left before I got madder, and reported this to the Sgt-Major in our mess over a glass of draught in the A lines that night, the next morning I was explaining what was going on to the RSM at breakfast with the Sgt-Major.

Problem was solved before the noon feeding time that day.  Let the people who can make changes know the issues.

I will be bringing this up the chain.  Thanks for the info, I'm glad to know that once in awhile, things can be done.

Because we get off at 1800 on days, and the mess closes at 1830, we often end up with the 'leftovers'...  Old fries, monte crisco fried sandwiches from 2 hours prior, no dessert beyond cookies, no soup often, it's frustrating after working for 12 hours to see that.  One time, the "healthy choice" was deep fried tofu drenched in alfredo sauce.  Healthy for who?  Oh man. 

 

[PMedMoe]

This should be reported to the CoC immediately if you want to see it resolved.

Sometimes there are Suggestion Boxes at the Messes that actually get checked, too!  When I was on course in Borden (1995), it was discovered that I had gallstones.  I was scheduled for surgery but I had to eat a low-fat diet until the surgery date.  Can you believe they had NO low fat or zero fat dressings at the salad bar?  I put a note in the suggestion box, stating that I required low or no-fat salad dressing due to medical reasons and they were there the next day.

Spark, regarding your complaint, I've been there and wish you luck in getting your situation changed.
At the very least, if they made one rule across the board, then it wouldn't be only certain living-in people paying for rations.

 

[CountDC]

ok - I am being lazy right now and not going back to look for it but there was a post earlier that  suggested you refrain from causing waves over the fact that some were being charge while others are not.  I say BS - If this is the case, which I do belief Spark that it is, then it should be raisedas a point.