Boot Camp Part 12

August 29, 2009
Camp Lejeune
1745

Four days past my year mark.

The Chow Hall

I have not yet elaborated on the procedures of going to eat and what it all entailed, so I thought I'd take this time to do so.

The "Chow Hall" (mess hall) is basically a hub for the Recruit Depot. The Recruit Chow Hall that is. Only recruits eat here, and of course the Drill Instructors. When looking at a map or google image of the area, it's located in the center of the multiple barracks for convenient access.

Upon marching to the chow hall every morning, afternoon, and evening, we are most likely going to have to wait in line. The period of waiting in line starts when our platoon reaches the building. The area is loud as platoons are yelling in response to their DI's commands or reciting knowledge.

Within the first week we receive a piece of white paper which has been laminated by taping both sides with clear tape. It shows the general orders, rank structure, chain of command, etc. We are always supposed to have this knowledge sheet on us which we simply refer to as "a knowledge" if I'm not mistaken.

Our platoon halts in formation, we stand at attention, and Sgt. Saldana power-walks out front and begins yelling.

"Get our your knowledge!"

"Aye aye, sir!"

We unfold the papers which are stuffed in either our chest or cargo pockets and look down at it while we wait for the platoons ahead of us to go through the door.

Sgt. Saldana screams, "General orders!" and we respond "General orders, aye aye, sir! This recruit's first general order is: To take charge of this post and all government property in view! This recruit's second general order is: To walk my post in a military manner-"

And if we're not loud enough we'll simply be cut off by Sgt. Saldana yelling "General orders!" once again. He was in charge of our learning of the "Prac" which stands for Practical Knowledge (I think) and is later tested on T-50. There are several things we "recited" in front of the chow hall.

"Four life saving steps!"

"Four life saving steps, aye aye, sir! One, restore the breathing! Two, stop the bleeding! Three, protect the wound! Four, treat for shock! Four life saving steps, aye aye, sir!"

This would go on for perhaps fifteen minutes, which seems like hours. Sgt. Saldana is constantly shouting "Eyeballs! Ears!" and if we're not loud enough "Okay, EARS!" until we respond with "OPEN SIR!" so loud that we lose our voices. I lost my voice during the first couple weeks but then didn't really scream as loud as I could've for the rest of my time there. I yelled, but I didn't go nuts like I was supposed to.

The platoon ahead of us is finally far enough in the chow hall that we are about to get in a single file line behind them.

Our guide at the time is Samuels, a short, black muscular guy with little common sense and even less competence. He was a character. Samuels is carrying the guidon (out platoon's red flag) and marches out in front of the platoon.

"Ears, 67!" he shouts.

"Open, guide!" we respond.

"Ears, 67!" he answers louder.

"Open, guide!" we increase volume.

"The platoon will be sitting at Deck 3, far bulkhead! Does the platoon understand?"

"Yes, guide!"

"Does the platoon understand?"

"Yes, guide!"

"Aaaaatack!"

"Where's 66?"

"Aaaaatack!"

"Where's 68?"

"Aaaaaaaaaatack!"

"WANT SOME COME GET SOME!"

And then if we're not loud enough one of the Drill Instructors makes us do the whole thing again. I we are loud enough he'll come out in front of the formation. Finally, we're all thinking.

"Ooooooone two three four attack the chow hall!" he calls out. Sometimes (if it's SSgt. Arzola) he'll call the numbers out in a different order. The order of the four numbers dictate the order in which the squads will file off from the formation to get in line.

"One two three four attack the chow hall, aye aye, sir!" we answer. Sometimes they repeat this over and over again, changing the order of the numbers if we're not loud enough.

"Move!" he yells. "Kill!" we respond.

We run out of the formation in line, me almost stepping on Rodriguez's heels everytime. After the first week I became a "Double Rat" which is the designation for a recruit who gets double rations. I was given a seperate tag to wear on my blouse to show the chow hall employees. The double rats run up to the front of the line because they need more time to eat the double portions of food. Being a double rat recruit was one of the best parts of boot camp. When I first started eating more I became sick a couple times, but I eventually got used to it.

When our platoon starts moving to the door in line, Samuels stands with the guidon.

"Four recruits!" he yells after gauging how much room there is for us to line up inside. As each recruit walks through the door and takes their cover off they yell "Four, aye aye, guide" "Three, aye aye, guide!" and two, one, etc. so the people behind know when to stop. If there's a DI inside the door they must also yell out "Good morning, sir!" or whatever time of day it is.

The verbal greetings seem pretty absurd to anyone just coming into the area. People walking by a Drill Instructor will be literally screaming at the top of their lungs "GOOD AFTERNOON, SIR!" or gentleman if there's more than one.

"Oh, so it's afternoon then is it?" a DI will ask if it's morning. Recruits always call out wrong verbal greetings.

"Good morning, sir!" they'll yell out again.

Anyway, we go through the line. First is the salad, then the main courses, of which I'm allowed two. Desert is after that. I always set my tray down and get back up to get bread to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I do that for every meal. I have to put that back at the table and go to get something to drink as we're not allowed to carry more than one thing at a time. When we're eating, our eyes do not wander away from our food, and I don't finish what I'm chewing before I start eating the next thing. What I mean is I might still be eating fish, macaroni, spaghetti, or something else when I start eating my cake or brownies.

Sgt. Saldana early on watched us like a hawk. He would get up in your face while you were eating if he saw you look around and would make you get out, or just yell at you and IT you later.

One afternoon I'm sitting and eating on Deck 4, which is at the side of the building. We were eating at the far bulkhead which is next to a window when I glanced up to see Sgt. Saldana standing in the bushes right outside the window looking in at us staring at someone and yelling something muffled through the window. I cracked up and then made eye contact with him, which is a mistake to say the least. He calls me out and asks my name but he forgets later because I managed to blend in so well.

When we're done eating we get up, hold the tray with our elbows hard against our body, and power walk to the door, setting the tray down on a conveyor belt in the process. When outside we must do ten pull ups before getting into formation.

Every...single...meal.

I just found this video which illustrates some of the ares at MCRD pretty well. I've been to every place shown, so when you're reading this, you can picture what you see here.