How West Point Makes Over 13,000 Meals A Day For Army Cadets | Boot Camp | Insider Business

Every day at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, a staff of over 200 people cooks and serves over 13,000 meals for the 4,400 Army cadets attending the school.
The cadets eat in historic Washington Hall, named after George Washington. Of the three meals served each day, lunch is the most complex. Students only have 25 minutes to enter the mess hall, complete a series of traditions and customs, and then eat their meal before returning to class.
Insider was given rare access to the prestigious dining hall to see how the staff prepares nutritious meals for the next generation of Army leadership.
Editor's note: An earlier version of the video featured a soundbite from a West Point dietician that said that the cadets are provided with 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day from the mess hall. The cadets are provided 1,200 to 1,500 calories per meal.
MORE BOOT CAMP VIDEOS:
How Navy Sailors Train To Work On $2 Billion Submarines | Boot Camp | Insider Business
• How Navy Sailors Train...
How Army Medics Are Trained To Save Lives In Combat | Boot Camp | Insider Business
• How Army Medics Are Tr...
How Army Jungle Soldiers Are Training For A Possible War With China | Boot Camp | Insider Business
• How Army Jungle Soldie...
------------------------------------------------------
#WestPoint #BootCamp #InsiderBusiness
Business Insider tells you all you need to know about business, finance, tech, retail, and more.
Visit our homepage for the top stories of the day: www.businessinsider.com
Insider Business on Facebook: / businessinsider
Insider Business on Instagram: / insiderbusiness
Insider Business on Twitter: / businessinsider
Insider Business on Snapchat: / 5319643143
Insider Business on TikTok: / businessinsider
How West Point Makes Over 13,000 Meals A Day For Army Cadets | Boot Camp | Insider Business

[@chrisdongwon]

I'm not necessarily shocked by the volume of the food here but the notion of feeding 4000 people in 25 minutes. That's impressive.

[@Baulder13]

I can't even fathom how that is possible. I'd love to get a time lapse of it all happening from an overhead camera.

[@macobuzi]

I can't imagine eating a high nutrition meal within 15 minutes. Surely not an enjoyable meal or much of the food goes wasted.

[@Ralathon12]

​@@macobuzi​@macobuzi When you're in training and burning calories like crazy, you can eat a ton. Enough time for a hot meal and still a little down time to shoot the shit. In basic, I think it was 10 minutes from sitting to leaving for us. Those few minutes are some of the most anticipated minutes of your day. I gained weight while in training which I normally struggle to do.

[@amvlabs5339]

@@macobuzi wtf are you blabbering about? we have another armchair nutritionist here

[@kishascape]

Im all about meatballs right now.

[@MattTee1975]

"Etiquette is super important in the military." *cadet hurls parmesan cheese across table*

[@mr.joshua6818]

"Heads up!"

[@OkiDingo]

It’s the army, expect nothing less

[@Baebon6259]

the etiquette lady at the Naval Academy called us savages every time she observes us eating in King Hall.

[@takumichan5153]

10:43

[@onemoreguyonline7878]

That's proper etiquette. You're not interrupting three other cadets eating.

[@martybaIIer]

The plebs announcing lunch in that goofy ahh cadence is some of the funniest stuff ever

[@kylemcmullen9306]

Braindead conformist with no hope of ever becoming a respectable person.

[@Local_Lich]

was thinking the same honestly lol

[@user-qd6nn6sj5v]

Announcement is done in that format so you pay attention to it. And for the underclassmen who have to do this . this is a form of learning attention to detail because they are taught exactly how to do this has been done this way long before the current generation was even born. If it works, why try to fix it?

[@Saint_Jerome]

​@@user-qd6nn6sj5v them sound soulless.

[@nicholaspaularnold]

Was pretty awkward if ya ask me

[@gregalfred8916]

I graduated USMA in 1996 and NEVER saw this before. I always appreciated the mess hall workers but never really thought about the coordination and effort it took to feed us all at the same time. Guess I was too busy as a plebe trying to make sure the upperclass had the right drinks. Twenty-seven years later, I'm still impressed and sorry I took all this for granted.

[@FufuFang]

How many years did you end up serving in the Army?

[@NoThankYouToo]

God bless you. Thank you for your service

[@retroguy9494]

Are you a general now dude?

[@SSScrewTape08]

Where's that Strawberry Quik at!?!

[@b0rd3n]

Weird that it isn't actually thought. Your meal is earned they say yet it seems to lack the where and how of it all.

[@user-qd4sr5ft3x]

As a USMA graduate, it was awesome finally seeing the mess hall behind the scenes. When you are actually eating there, everything is so fast that you fail to realize the magnitude of what’s going on behind the scenes. The mess hall workers were amazing people!

[@brianmedeiros417]

What’s the reason for the plebes taking slow? Is it because they are the slow ones of the class?

[@RedRoseSeptember22]

@@brianmedeiros417 Right? I thought it was very robotic.

[@macobuzi]

​@@brianmedeiros417 I think they keep the pace slow to easily maintain the synchronous.

[@MODElAIRPLANE100]

​@@brianmedeiros417Almost everyone who joins the army has severe mental disabilities, otherwise you wouldn't put your life on the line and risk being sent overseas to kill the innocent and generate profit.

[@ryanshih9805]

@@macobuzi When I was a cadet, you got hazed if you purposely called minutes too slowly to maintain sync.

[@chrisholzhauer3698]

Respect and kudos to all those working behind the scenes. People often do not give credit where it's due.

[@seanlinehan1136]

I always say the two most abused, under appreciated positions in the military are cooks and mechanics. They have some of the worst hours and their job just never ends. But a good cook down range or great mechanic is like gold

[@glow1815]

I wouldn't be able to sit and only have 12-15 mins to eat. I have an hour lunch working from home still not long enough to eat. I need to enjoy and eat my food slowly or I'll choke to death lol. Kudos to the cooks.

[@retroguy9494]

Ya know, I said the same thing for close to 30 years in MY job. In fact, when I dared mention it once I was told the door was not locked if I did not like it. Sucks that so many people have to work for a living and so few get all this 'credit' I'm always reading about on KZbin.

[@terencesdurag2823]

@@glow1815What do you do for work that allows you to work from home?

[@destroyerarmor2846]

​@@seanlinehan1136guard is worse

[@the77don]

"Twenty two thousand meatballs, that they prepared early this morning" while showing the most frozen grey perfectly shaped meatballs I've ever seen lmao

[@isabellavalencia8026]

They should ó said heat up not cook

[@Nooticus]

Honestly it seems impressive until I realise that at my secondary school about 1,300 students were fed for lunch (hardly any food was from packets) and there were only around 8-10 cooks in the kitchen. Granted, the food definitely wasn’t brilliant whatsoever, but let me tell you, those cooks were the hardest working staff in the entire school. By far. Head Chef Helen from Poland, I still have all the respect in the world for you for doing that insanely intense job day in and day out, with basically 0 days ill, for the entirety of the 7 years I was at that school.

[@jakobbauz]

I'm not saying it's always like this, but there is certainly a long tradition within the military of over-emphasizing the hard work of the own personal while a lot of it is actually just posing and wasting energy for useless exercises. There are many people in the health sector, in contract and construction work, in the different service industries and even with state enterprises that work a lot harder than most military personal does (without talking so much about it). I'm certain the head chef of your school is or was one of them. ;) Cheers to her

[@Nooticus]

@@jakobbauz what a lovely comment! thank you

[@Toastybees]

Your school didn't feed all 1300 at once 3 times a day.

[@Nooticus]

@@Toastybees and? i never said they did lol

[@Toastybees]

@@Nooticus You directly compared your school to this operation. It was the entire point of your comment.

[@CaseNumber00]

I really wish more respect for food makers was out there in society. My Japanese wife told me stories that in elementary and middle school she and other students served each other food like this mess hall. To another extent, there is a rotation of all student who do the cleaning around campus from classrooms to trash pickup. It is designed to have some self reliance and respect for the work and job. Even as a full adult over a decade out of college I have met many people who havent cooked and cleaned for themselves in years and many of them are awful toward servers, chefs, and custodians.

[@Steve.._.]

@@duffelbagdragcomplained cause he didn’t like the selection of the food. But then you said “high quality food” so was it about the quality? Cause if so that’s a fine complaint.

[@hennerzz3460]

yep - there's alot to be said for collectivist-minded societies. There are obvious downsides to the 'individualism' championed by the west. Nothing is perfect of course, but personally i lean towards the former.

[@nautifella]

@@duffelbagdrag I served on a submarine in the 80s. One time we had a guy complain _"This tastes like sh1t!"_ The cook replied _"I defer to your expertise."_ Overall, we had the best cooks and food in the service at the time. Which means pretty damned good. (I had a key to the cake locker. The cooks put a bounty on me.)

[@katl8825]

I wish we had more respect for all service jobs. At least in the US they often get treated horribly by customers and there’s general lack of respect. But their job purpose literally makes your life easier, more comfortable… people like cooks, cleaners, and so on are invaluable for any org’s operation.

[@Fido-vm9zi]

I respect them that's for sure. Important job!

[@KarlRock]

Impressive. It looks like the cadets eat well. I would’ve loved to see some more of the different meals they eat during the week. Thanks 🙏

[@ThePWNDR]

Damn it’s Karl! Love your vids man.

[@ethanforster]

Its the Rock!!! Love your videos.

[@RosinDaddy5280]

Salam alaikum my brother ✌️❤️

[@daimlercs]

Dif you check a guy eating pasta in some big plate? Yep they eat well lol

[@bradly2056]

I see pewdiepie has sent his clone to study how people eat at westpoint

[@PocketHealz]

I live right next to West Point my entire life and I can say this: the mess hall is absolutely MASSIVE. I’ve also eaten in the hall, the hall is AMAZING and so is everything else inside of the base

[@TheMinimalSociety]

Hats off to all of the service workers who make this happen! You’re heroes.

[@blackdonaldtrump3869]

Used to work in Washington hall. It’s absolutely amazing to see all those cadets in one place at the same time

[@whichfilmisit]

NOT -BAD-

[@flyingpenguin-cq8bh]

@tigginhpots3453 what’s standards can you see have plummeted in the video

[@retroguy9494]

When I saw this documentary I am reminded of that movie "The Long Gray Line.' Did you ever see it?

[@NazriB]

Lies again? AMWF CAR Causeway Point

[@kathleenmiller516]

I work in a small, but busy bakery & feel overwhelmed. Hats off to these folks in their kitchen roles 👏 I could not imagine this feat.

[@LiGhTwOrKer4444]

Don't forget the Dishwashers, can you imagine OMG😔😔😔🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@jxmbusab]

I graduated in the '80s and am suddenly overcome with remorse. During the week before the Army-Navy game, it was something of a tradition for plebes to sneak out of the barracks at night to perform various spirit missions. One that I and a few of my classmates pulled was to sneak into Washington Hall and abscond with enough dinner plates to spell out "BEAT NAVY" in Central Area. It never occurred to me just how much work I added to the day of the people working so hard to feed us.

[@abigailgerlach5443]

My father was a mess sgt. in the army for a period of time. I saw his recipe book once. The amounts of food was staggering. I can't begin to imagine cooking for 12,000 men.

[@simpledj509chromo7]

I hope that he may rest in peace. I want to thank him for his service to this country as well, even if it's a little late.

[@dereksmallsuk]

Bet you could do 12,000 men.

[@cruz4287]

I hope she meant 1,200-1,500 calories per meal, not a day.

[@sillywhiteman]

right. they’re gonna fuckin starve😂

[@Jan96106]

I agree: 1,200,500 a day is what people eat who are dieting.

[@carlreed6186]

2000 is the recommended daily caloric intake for the average person. More for athletes less the elderly or non active people.

[@ukrd94]

I came here to say that. If they're training then that's going to hurt. They're going to be exhausted.

[@ChristineJordhamo]

I was interviewed for this piece based on our lunch meal. It is 1200-1500 calories per meal. This quote on lunch was moved to the beginning of the video. I hope this provides clarification!

[@daveinmilwaukee]

The food looks very appetizing. Kudos and thanks to the hardworking staff who produce all these meals, and to all the wonderful cadets who've chosen a career of service to our country. I'm glad to see that they eat well - they deserve t!

[@angiebirdwell7069]

I love this! The heroes behind the heroes. They take great pride in feeding these young men and women.

[@xhalgr]

I think food service should be a mandatory course for everyone. Imagine how much nicer people would be to fast food employees if they spent a year in their shoes.

[@annebelgard6723]

I was stationed at West Point for a few years during my Army nursing career and had several meals in the Cadet hall especially at Thanksgiving. The food was better than most restaurants and plentiful!

[@retroguy9494]

I thought the cadets are off for Thanksgiving?

[@john_in_phoenix]

I must admit, I love the food in the mess. Plenty of it, and tasty.

[@AbuHajarAlBugatti]

Yeah signing up to invade countries around the world really pays off

[@gatorfoot3006]

I never had a bad meal in the Marine Corps, whether in garrison, in the field, onboard a warship or in the boonies during an actual deployment. It was all good to me even if it wasn't and total respect to the cooks and food service personnel. I spent a few years in Afghanistan training their forces and I can only say that anyone in the US military that pisses and moans about the chow would only need to break bread once with the Afghan forces then and realize how good we got it in the US.

[@justanothergunner1847]

Sooooo, you have a mental deficiency ? Because there isn’t a way you didn’t have a “bad” meal 😂😂

[@gutWrench9mm]

I wish I went to that school instead of hogwarts

[@majordakka5743]

Hot food is hot food and is always something to look forward to especially after a long day of humping a ruck, but do crayons really taste that good?

[@SKKT1992]

bro what chow hall were u at ? lol

[@macobuzi]

​@@majordakka5743 I think you mean "fresh food" because US MREs have heaters.

[@ThePatriot87]

I think eating meals together was one of the things i miss the most from my time in the subfleet. Will always be some of the best years of my life going from a nothing to actually feeling like i was worth something.

[@AbuHajarAlBugatti]

Worth what? A replacable government mercenary whose only job was to potentially murder a massive bunch of people?

[@slabslayer258]

Them workers deserve recognition too. Yal keep it up cooks and servers yal are very well appreciated.

[@gabepagan8949]

As a vet I can confirm those civilian cooks know how to throw down on a meal. Some of the best DFAC meals I had were on Leonard wood during basic training and AIT

[@HerbMandoom]

As a fellow vet, I can confirm that they also have no idea what they are doing. Nothing like sitting down to a nice medium rare chicken and veggie plate

[@Anony584]

I can confirm basic! Too bad that we couldn’t savor our food though!

[@dos_gringos9853]

@@HerbMandoom or hiring people that either don’t understand English at all, or are disabled to the point where they might as well not speak english

[@shelbypatterson4655]

Thank you for your service

[@justafellow797]

yessir. reception battalion at Ft Leonard Wood had some of the best sausage gravy I've ever had in my whole life.

[@edjarrett3164]

Looks like a great operation. It’s intriguing to watch large scale cooking. As an AF Academy cadet, I never really saw much of the cooking side. As a cook working large batch portions, it’s very cool to watch the cooking operations. Fascinating.

[@funveeable]

At NNPTC, nuclear sailors have 40 minutes to eat lunch and as much time as they want for dinner. We are very spoiled and the only people more spoiled than us, are nuclear officers.

[@SSScrewTape08]

Prob never saw the barber either...😊

[@jenkudla]

This is so cool! What a gorgeous building, including the mural, so much history there. Best wishes to all the cadets!

[@MM-qt4ps]

This needs to be applied to our schools; order, discipline, a healthy diet.

[@nerd26373]

They sure work hard to provide sufficient meals. Seems like they don't receive enough credit for what they do.

[@RosinDaddy5280]

Looks like something I would eat in the 3rd grade 🤮🤮 definitely not good meals

[@andrewmills5211]

@@RosinDaddy5280have you ever eaten at the West Point chow hall?

[@lilgingy75]

@@RosinDaddy5280 nah i hear military meals in chow hall are actually really good

[@nistaffsubs6787]

🙄 what do you know 🤷🏽‍♂️ , they are there and paid for their job , they Happy working ,but people like you always say ir write something stupid to generate división and fight ...😂😂😂

[@michaelslaughter6557]

So does mcdonald's employees. It's a cook, not that special. I'm not going to seek out a cook to thank them for their service.

[@elizabethdavis1696]

Can we get a video on how hospitals feed their patients and staff that sounds interesting too?

[@Zhane.Catipunera]

Yeah its interesting to know how hospitals prepare meals

[@Ser_Arthur_Dayne]

It's funny you mention that - in late April 2010, I had major back surgery at the age of 29? - and I was in the hospital for about a week. My surgeon wouldn't allow me to eat at all for the first 2 days... he claimed it was for my own good, because I could get naseous, and since I was already in tremendous pain and mostly immobile, if I got sick to my stomach, I'd be miserable- and the third day I was only allowed broth and jello. The staff felt so bad but were not about to violate a Doctor, a Surgeon no less, specific written orders. I guess he said I could "try to eat " on the 4th Day- and let me tell you, it was not just AWESOME, they went ALL OUT for me. I got just about everything you could possibly want at Breakfast, to pick and choose from... I'm talking like most of a Denny's menu... and Lunch was some gourmet-type of stuff... and shortly before Dinner that night, the hospital executive chef and their Director of Culinary Operations came to my room to ask how the two meals were , if I had any problems or complaints, and if I had anything I didn't like - normally they have a "sign-up sheet" type of order form for meals, but if it was OK with me, he would just cook for me because I hadn't been allowed to eat. I couldn't believe it, I felt like a rock star, and my Dinner was like a restaurant meal. People make fun of hospitals, but I was extremely impressed by my experience.

[@nahor88]

With zero seasoning... seriously, I got raw carrots and zucchini.

[@Ragnellrok]

They could come back to west point and look at Keller

[@annebelgard6723]

I served 8years in my Army nursing career and ate in hospital cafeteria and the food was the same served to patients ( except for restricted diets) and was so much better than you get in hospitals now.

[@lore.keeper]

Let's just appreciate how much amazing effort these people put in 🙌❤️

[@AlphaPoe]

Much respect for cadets and cooks. Well done.

[@Eloso3135]

As a 1982 West Point graduate I’m shocked at the throwing of condiments. I’m also surprised at how slow and robotic the minute callers were. In my day there were only 2 minute callers in each barracks hallway, and we raced through the prescribed minutes script like auctioneers

[@elgoog7830]

Not sure if you've taken complete notice, but, american youth are a mighty slow and special bunch of individuals. They all probably have to hug one another and apply gold star stickers, to their 'my daily feewings' journal.

[@duckygoesquackquack848]

@@elgoog7830ok grandpa

[@flyingpenguin-cq8bh]

Am current plebe, I didn’t realize that minutes used to be called fast, they taught us that you have to call them slow like that and all the plebes do it at the same time. Most people don’t throw condiments and some people still get really pissy about it

[@poppins6901]

@@elgoog7830 ok grandpa

[@elgoog7830]

@@poppins6901 No problem, defect.

[@pistolpete5325]

This is incredible. This goes to show that there is no thankless job. We all play a role and some are more recognized than others. Please thank the next person that cooks and serves you. And be doubly sure to thank the next soldier you see. Without them and their cooks we would not be here, let alone the farmers and folks that bring the food to them. My thanks to all so I can sit here and write this with no fear

[@AK-pq7wb]

It’s cute how your mind works, dumb but cute.

[@Unjderth3r8]

@@AK-pq7wbyou’re such a bizarre individual. I hope you have the support you need.

[@KenjiAsakura09]

@@AK-pq7wb mental illness isn't a joke, hopefully you get the help you need

[@piglo318]

We give thanks to those who call out every now and then

[@Vyansya]

​@@AK-pq7wbhow is that dumb? I think he has a great mindset unlike yours

[@angel...23]

Wow... thank you everyone for all your great work.

[@DavidChambers-dq1nz]

Once, again, another outstanding production. Kudos to the entire production team.

[@HolesGuy]

ATTENTION ALL CADETS FORRRR LUNCH WEEEE ARE HAVING ✨*_C H I C K E N_*✨

[@rain1fy]

lmao

[@eatmypapaya]

Annoying

[@colharris5283]

How thick did they all sound?

[@TobiasFeuerbach]

So dumb😂

[@spika5872]

@@colharris5283 That sounds like fake Batman trying to tell us we have chicken for lunch.

[@GoodGathering]

At VMI, some of my most fondest memories were of the conversations we had while sharing supper together. Meal times were an opportunity for us to take a break from the rigorous demands of the Institute and to just relax for a short 15-20 minutes. I've actually never seen the operations of the Mess Hall at another military school so this was an interesting watch.

[@jimmckenna7007]

This was too cool my grandfather and uncle passed through those halls... we rent a pavilion and A frames every year to honor our brothers and sisters in the greatest army in the world...God bless yall...I pray all of u make it ok and thank you so very much for your service....keep Makin Americans proud...YEE YEE

[@darincampbell171]

I sincerely take my hat off for these food workers. Amazing! That is a lot of food per day. Those spaghetti and meatballs looks scrumptious. I can tell that this is some hard work and everything has to be on time. Kudos to these workers. So much appreciated! They deserve all the pats on the back that, hopefully, they receive. They are so needed everyday. May they continue to do the wonderful work that they have demonstrated. Peace.

[@sherrydenny7158]

I am in Awe! A "well oiled machine" This is so incredible. I would love to be a part of that kitchen staff. Thank you for sharing.

[@nigelf5876]

Impressive. Great to see all the hardworking people behind the scenes supporting these future soldiers

[@will_mcdermott]

My dad graduated West Point in 2000. When he went there you were only allowed to chew 3 times a bite. He trained my brother on how to do this before he got sent to West Point and apparently that’s not a thing anymore. Now my brother knows how to eat things without chewing too much.

[@theCosmicQueen]

that's so unhealthy. too bad all this fast eating isn't good for health.

[@adda1237]

@@theCosmicQueen is it really that bad though?

[@ungas024]

West Point became gay. You are not allowed to hurt these students' feelings. 😂😂😂

[@SSScrewTape08]

They made that req so you could quickly respond to a question...more so in Beast Barracks but helpful in the first few months before the upperclassmen got bogged down in studies/tests.

[@mgtowphilippines8164]

You can watch Philippine Military Academy Messhall culture. It's also known has mess hell

[@jeepmega629]

Props to all chefs at West Point and around the world for their hard work!

[@kylemcmullen9306]

Responsible for millions of innocent peoples death!!!

[@lukeWiz44]

@@kylemcmullen9306 I take it you’re not American

[@jeepmega629]

@@kylemcmullen9306 How?

[@petertwining5729]

That was awesome, everyone does their part to make it all work. 😊

[@TreasuryRoad]

@@duffelbagdrag LOL You could have something there. :)

[@aaronobryan4295]

They’re not really MAKING…They’re opening bags and reheating

[@TheR15C]

This is truly amazing to watch! Oh how fast and how successful we can accomplish things as a race when we work together.

[@richardjack4827]

I absolutely loved feeding the soldiers and teaching them how to execute large quantity production. It's a beautiful thing to see happen. HOOAH GET SOME!!!

[@anthonylucchese6254]

Nice team work by the chef's and kitchen staff for the Army Cadets at West Point! They are fed on time, all the time and thank you Chief Warrent Officer 4 Jason Page. Anthony Joseph Lucchese

[@brandonwayne6131]

I remember these days. Some of the best eating in my life, never left hungry. Seem like life was better in the military then out.

[@reallyhappenings5597]

It's nice to be part of a good team.

[@loveinthematrix]

They used to have this brunch in West Point (Idk if it's still going on) but it was the best food I have ever had. 10000% amazing chefs.

[@TanTran-dr8pj]

respect these amazing kitchen staff!

[@theepicologist8811]

Man I miss WEST POINT. Class of 2011. Fun times 😔

[@R3troZone]

I was there in 2011. But to visit the museum.

[@RS-ff1cv]

u are still in the millitary?

[@theepicologist8811]

@@RS-ff1cv No sir. Left in 2020 after almost 9 years of survive post WEST POINT which included 2 tours in Afghanistan. Decided to go into business School at Chicago’s Booth. Now in Wall Street and hoping to relocate to Qatar with the firm I work for (JP Morgan). I really enjoyed working in Qatar in the Al Udeid US Air base during my deployment there, so I am familiar with the country ,her awesome people, culture and unparalleled hospitality!

[@Ocean-Jay]

​@@theepicologist8811You and I must have had different Qatar experiences. Felt bad for imported labor folks that I met.

[@theepicologist8811]

@@Ocean-Jay oh absolutely! One thing I didn’t like at all amongst other issues! But hey Qatar isn’t perfect and neither are we!

[@BLWard-ht3qw]

Mess hall work ain't no joke and when they talk about all the time it takes to do that meal prepping, that's not even taking the cleaning into account. I only had to do it for one meal as part of a detail in basic and it was brutal. They always had my respect.

[@i.m.accountable8635]

This was absolutely mind-blowing and fascinating. So Cool!!!!!

[@Rodelero]

Thanks for posting this, crazy seeing cadet differences in mealtime , I gotta say this is a HELL of a different experience than the old DFAC in Fort Benning hahahaha

[@user-kb8wf7sr6w]

That's crazy how quick they feed that many people.. Bravo to all of the cook staff !.

[@benjaelee]

idk why but i bursted out laughing at 0:36 😂

[@americanborn3151]

Great inside to West Point dining. I learned something new today.

[@poppinc8145]

I would love to see you guys do this video from a few other countries with very different cuisine, namely Japan and Turkey. Maybe even Taiwan.

[@franciscomiranda693]

That’s some real officer shit, I never got fed like this as enlisted 😭

[@Dyrdeksk8r]

and they just leave all their dishes there to be cleaned. Officers really get treated so well before they are even officers

[@JJVJ11]

To this day the best officers were prior enlisted.

[@chinookh4713]

to be fair it is a school so

[@Ocean-Jay]

​@JJVJ11 had a couple good LTs that were civilian bachlors to ocs, but yeah most officers that I liked turned out to be previous enlisted.

[@The2ndFirst]

No shit right? I did get fed pretty well overall though.

[@bigfrogdogamerica4691]

super cool to see this! i did electrical work at two of their buildings on site, its a really cool and interesting place.

[@kathleenclarke1622]

The Cook Staff is amazing! It’s a unbelievable endeavor but they pull it off everyday!!! Bravo Zulu staff!!!

[@beverlysmith8344]

When I was in ROTC in highschool. We went to West Point for a Drill Team competition. It's a really nice school. The whole atmosphere is relaxed. The view they have of the mountains is beautiful. I wish I could have attended this school.

[@retroguy9494]

Did you apply?

[@loganleroy8622]

It’s relaxed if you don’t go there as a student. It’s weird though because it’s a different kind of stress.

[@johnan3398]

Mess hall workers are the best.

[@zchen27]

The more you look at these videos showcasing how military/industrial kitchens feed thousands of people multiple time a day the more you respect them.

[@robertmoran4631]

I had the opportunity to attend the SCUSA conference at westpoint and actually live with the cadets for 3 days. Everything there is impressive and it all runs on a very well fabricated system that works as a machine. The food was good, it wasnt michelin star grade but it was good nutritious and edible, it is the military after all.

[@KennySmith_AKA_JerseyKid]

I’m feeling more homesick than before I started watching this video. I miss the friendship

[@PREA51]

ahh yes i remember especially in the field i got 5 min to eat my meal... cold, things mixed together just gulping it down otherwise you wouldnt get in enough calories lol. i once mixed choco powder with vanilla protein powder and beef stroganoff whilst it was cold. washed it down with an orange energy powder with water

[@ms.annthrope415]

And made John Wayne bars with the chocolate powder mixed with water spread over cookies. I drank the syrup in the canned fruit (C rats) just to get that extra bit of calories and sugar.

[@citylumberjack9169]

Infantryman's breakfast - pinch of Copenhagen in one cheek, pinch of instant coffee in the other.

[@banglevision8207]

My homies literally just came back from a month and half or 2 months for some long detail at west point. They said the food was trash lmaooo😂😂😂

[@l-eazy1775]

💯💯💯

[@purselady7323]

Look like it

[@back2the80s]

Was it that spaghetti?

[@carlosvictoriafalcon637]

Back in the 70s I ate well as a cadet (save plebe year where I suffered under the first class cadets). Steak night on Wednesday and surf and turf once a month. The desserts were wonderful, Black Forest tart, Napoleon slice and who can forget the Martha Washington sheet cake! (By the way we yelled the minutes!)

[@davidziemann9653]

This is great. Not quite the same level but I remember the food at Air Force Basic Training in 1985 and it was delicious. I've heard most people lose weight at basic, I gained 15 pounds. LOVED the food!!! Kudos to the cooks!!!

[@dayofthecrow7626]

I've had to deliver to them a couple of times so this is cool to see what they make with what I delivered

[@NailGlam24.7]

Unbelievable! Fun and educational to see this done.

[@DDd-gm8uz]

Were you unaware they ate food?

[@user-qq1ms5hc9o]

Bravo to all of the cook staff !. Bravo to all of the cook staff !.

[@Nokenify]

Love this! More!

[@jamesgreen3417]

As a Retired Royal Navy Chef and a professional chef for 40 years. The way that they produce that volume of food, is limit choice in hot section. Plus besides that overcooked pasta and factory produced tomatoes sauce everything will come in pre packaged to save time and reduce wastage

[@fatbastard70]

Others here have raved about how great the food seems to be but you've nailed it. That spaghetti and meatballs and tomato sauce looked like pig slop! How much of all that food is prepared earlier and elsewhere and by other people and so the 'cooks' --- are they cooking or are they just unpackaging and heating? Rather sums up what so many think is cooking nowadays... go to supermarket, buy pre-prepared frozen muck, defrost in microwave, put it on a plate and call it home cooking... Even many of the videos in YT about how to cook this or that by 'master chefs' use pre-prepared sauces, chopped veg. pre-cut meats etc. Can no one actually cook anything from scratch anymore? By the way, why do so few Americans hold knives and forks properly? (And pens & pencils?)

[@purselady7323]

I think the food looked disgusting. I would lose weight if I went there.

[@EnabIing]

@@purselady7323it’s free food, quit complaining

[@AbuHajarAlBugatti]

@@purselady7323 Yeah ya already sound fat

[@AbuHajarAlBugatti]

Yeah and probably half of it being GMO crap too with tons of chemical additives included. If it was organic quality, Id say the stuff here in the video including the salad choices looked fine. The pasta and meatballs still looked like something the average food place here would charge me 10-12 euros for

[@countykerry6953]

Bravo to all of the cook staff !

[@politicsuncensored5617]

I remember friends who joined the navy before me. Most went to a ship first from boot camp/A school & most went to that ship E-3 or below. That meant they spent the first 3 months on the ship working 20 hour days in the ship galleys. I came out of A-school & went to 18 months working at the Brooklyn navy yard. I made sure that when I left that I had made the rank of petty officer 3rd class E-4. That way I did not have to work in the ships galley's. Much respect to the men & women in our armed forces that cook. Often a thankless job. Shalom

[@brandon-rg9bp]

this is why i have respect for school lunch workers they may have worked in the military

[@UnCoolDad]

Italians everywhere are cringing at the sight of that spaghetti 😂

[@saucerspecial]

Or anyone who knows that you don't cook spaghetti with the meatballs prior to the sauce being done. Overcooked slop

[@user-jd8qx8ll7c]

So amazing to see this operation and that they get fed well. Bravo to all of the cook staff !.

[@CalmVibesVee]

Thank you. Respect.

[@MegaDrainProductions]

I have no idea how other army bases operate, but I'm sure the duration you're allowed to eat is longer depending where in the cycle you're at. I remember in the beginning weeks of basic where I was at, you were in and out just how this video shows. However, much later in the cycle to the point where you're closer to graduation, drill sergeants are a lot more lenient with the time and can sit back a little.

[@bobkrist1]

Terrific piece, well done.

[@gitouttamycage9221]

This is mind-blowing! I'm going to save this for my son to watch after he graduates (in four years) so he can get a better appreciation for what fueled his career ❤️

[@WyomingSkysAboveMe]

Awesome. Love the mess hall. Chow!

[@user-iw2fq3ky9q]

I had a job as a dishwasher for the airbase chow hall during my jr and senior year of high school. All the branches of the military are trained to cook this way.

[@donnieray746]

This sounds kinda trivial, but as a kid I got a chance to go on the USS Alabama, North Carolina battle ships. I got to take my oldest son to spend the night on The Yorktown in Charleston SC.. Nothing could compare to what you guys do, and go through. But my time on those older vessels has made me have more respect for everyone on your ship's

[@2averagenoobs108]

Man, as an infantryman who has been in for 3 years, CPL, I respect the cooks not because of what they give us at the DFAC, but because of what was given to us during OSUT. Call em POGs, but man, when they give you something other than MRE's in the field, or during training, they are the best thing to happen to the Army. All you 92G, be proud. We love you, but also hate you, in a good way :P EDIT: Idk who somehow manages to get cake, but enjoy every bite, it wont last.

[@fletchercobb4398]

I also AKC within the grounds of the NTD so that the WMDYs don't BXN when the food AQMs. You had 6 acronyms and I knew exactly 1 of them.

[@jesse111487]

Take it you where at sandy hill I was over at harmony church

[@MustardMade]

Acronyms

[@carlsagan2607]

When you had a long ass day where everything is going wrong, you go to the dfac and there’s some bomb ass Mac n cheese… that’s America right there.. god bless the cooks they work hard

[@2averagenoobs108]

@@jesse111487 Alpha 3/47.

[@seanharrison3504]

I had a non-conference track meet at West Point. My event was long jump, so I finished rather quickly in the am. I decided to walk around the campus and wound up getting escorted out of 2 different areas. What a time lol

[@PunchingBabyZebras]

That 2x portion impressed me, big brain 🧠😮

[@persnikitty3570]

Thank you all for your service. On the civilian side, don't forget the dishmonkeys. The dish washers' duty is to clean and sanitize everything the cooks use, along with the flatware and tableware used by soldiers. If things aren't up to spec, harm is caused, especially in the medical bays and hospitals, not to mention our servicemen and women being compromised by a hastily cleaned sheet pan. I became a MED200 discharge in '95 from crappy lungs during Army Basic, and spent most of my 'hurry up and wait' time in the kitchen. The civilian staff at Ft Knox actually cared about their work, and I was honored to be their dishmonkey.

[@OGReStart]

Thanks for sharing! Cool stuff to gain more insight to.

[@anthonyvang7003]

There’s something about him following up “it’s definitely the crispitos” with “sir” that got me rolling

[@mikekubiak8467]

Very interesting video!!!

[@Skatejock21]

I remember when I was in culinary school, the military came to recruit us. One thing they said that as much as society appreciates the soldiers, nobody thinks about who cooks for them. The cooks are your behind the scenes in the military. Yet the least appreciated. The only thanks they get is from the soldiers themselves. Cooks in the military, those who go out to vietnam and afghanistan, etc. They are trained as soldiers first.

[@wickandde]

So amazing to see this operation and that they get fed well

[@lorinasr7910]

My husband is a SST chef and I was his sous chef at a DFAC. We served Generals to Basic soldiers. Met a lot of nice people

[@BMAN4000]

very nice captions insider business

[@thebeansarehere1]

The fact the cadets weapon shot with the BFA blew me away

[@frankfurtonfoottours2361]

In 1981, our cook class at AIT in Ft. Dix, went to West Point to see the mess hall. We were so impressed. It was certainly nothing like the mess halls at Basic Training. The 1st women cadets were there, so of course, we women were thrilled to see them. We had just finished Co-ed Basic, and were pretty proud of ourselves. Go 94-B. (yes, I know this MOS has a different name now, but it will always be 94-B to me)

[@riggingpots3453]

The more women in the military the worse things will become for the enlisted troops. Where do I get my research how about 5000 years of military history

[@lookoutforchris]

The lowering of military standards and the inclusion of women, the obese, and illegal immigrants will be seen as one of the largest contributors to the downfall of the United States. Today it was reported that the average veteran does not want their children to enter the military. It’s becoming an alternative to jail… and it all started with lowering the bar so women could enter.

[@allendulles2481]

​@@riggingpots3453 Exactly! That lady had no place in the armed forces and should be ashamed of herself for being an agent of chaos. I'm sick of this anti-nature agenda from these psychopath anti-reality losers.

[@toastedgrapes7961]

@@riggingpots3453 For combat personnel, I can agree to an extent. But women are just as qualified as we are for a multitude of other roles. Medical staff, logistics, pilots/drivers, communications, etc.

[@tisjester]

@@riggingpots3453 Well you need to do a bit more military history LMAO. Women have been in militaries forever and in most other countries much longer than in the US (1917). Not just support rolls either, they have been and are fighters. Lyudmila Pavlichenko would beg to differ with you. A simple google search would tell you how wrong you are.