How US Navy DESTROYER Ships Feed 300 Sailors in Middle of the OCEAN?

[@navymedia]

If you were responsible for feeding 300 crew members on a ship in the middle of the ocean, what would you absolutely include on the menu? Let us know in the comments! Have you ever experienced food on a warship? Share your stories!

[@tjwwright]

Beer and pizza should be on all ships.

[@cheftomsd]

Vietnam E5 Navy cook here. I was a cook (Mess Specialist). Our food was very good, but menus are far more diverse now and a much bigger galley crew looking at this video. We had only 3 in the galley for 265 sailors. No special menus then, everyone ate the same thing. We did not always have access to fresh produce and made virtually everything from scratch which no one does today. Looks like a lot of frozen and quick prep items from Sysco which would be welcomed from a labor stand point. Never forget trying to fry donuts in heavy seas. Huge challenge not to get burned. We had no tilt skillet or convection ovens which really lightens to load.

[@edwardpate6128]

@@tjwwright Do 45 days straight underway and you will get two beer chits for some Budweiser LOL.

[@mrwest5552]

@navymedia - include smashed potatoes butter + meat gravy. never been fed onboard a U.S. warship. 1.3.2025 🇺🇸

[@twt000]

Roman army marched on only parmesan cheese. All one needs.

[@Dan5804]

I was a cook in the Canadian navy in the late 1970s and early 1980s good food and hard work our ships crew was 280 people. Cooks are constantly busy prepping, cooking, feeding, cleaning and then doing it all over again 3 times a day not including night meals ✌️

[@jamielee9350]

Fun Fact .... Back in 2002 a certain submarine rejected a pallet of provisions because there was a spelling mistake on the label ... The reply to a superior officer was "If they can't even spell who knows what else they got wrong" .. (PS . it was a UK sub)

[@kevinwpatterson]

We always see carriers or destroyers being resupplied. Never shows what life is like on a supply ship or how much they hold. Do one on those unsung heroes.

[@kentkarlsson8277]

I love this one because it's focus is on us instead off me. Something we have lost as a Nation many decades ago, happy to see that our military understand this on so many levels. Thank you for your service and happy new year !

[@maundamartin59]

I served on the Uss Hoist ARS 40 AS A CS IN 1992. I WASN'T a big fan of being on deployment. But im glad I was able to travel the 🌎 less than a year after highschool.

[@Dazza13Bravo]

I love watching these videos! I have a culinary degree. 10 years army but I was artillery.

[@100john4]

The math doesn't math. 1600 lbs of chicken a day for a crew of 300 is over 5 lbs of chicken per crew member each day and 350 lbs of lettuce for a crew of 300 is over 1lb of lettuce per sailor. I think someone miscalculated.

[@inspectorgadget346]

This might make sense if it was an aircraft carrier with 3500 souls on board

[@TheDrunknMonky]

i got stuck on the $300-400 per sailor per day for a food budget. that's wild.

[@stevebell4906]

Old Destroyer Sailor here ...Nothing like my Navy but in my time we always threw away more food than we served each and every meal....We would cook three pans of chicken or pork chops ration out the first pan and throw the other two pans over the side...I threw way more lettuce away than we could ever serve as a rotten mess... No where near near as many cooks or as expansive a galley...

[@pmeyer37]

I find the channel interesting and entertaining but figures and stats are often skewed

[@camilochavez6982]

The math doesn't add up. Major large cruise ship that hold a capacity of 6,826 people food budget per passenger is not near half of $300. And they feed the passengers 24/7.

[@Rhino1973]

My dad was a chef on the hmas voyager that sank in Sydney.he survived but recently passed having a state funneral

[@tinalaplaca6638]

This is really a big to do to feed all these folks onboard

[@edwardpate6128]

That looks like a first class restaurant compared to the mess decks on my old ship USS Preble DDG-46. That mess deck looks about 3 times the size for a slightly smaller crew size.

[@charlesmcintyre8142]

agreed

[@JohnBarrios-x7l]

I'm a former sailor served from 1983-1986 active duty... And 1986-1989 Active reserve duty. Your video brought some memories back. But much appreciated your care for reporting on food service on ships!!!!! Thank You

[@crouserm]

I'm happy to see this awareness of the value of people as a strength of our Navy. This is a strategic advantage! Also, fascinating look at how food happens even on "smaller" warships. The glance at onboard hydroponics makes me think that the Navy could do worse than assign a team to watch spacefaring science fiction.

[@DarkMeyer777]

When you are at middle of sea for months, away from your dearest family and love ones, your comrades and food is what keeps you going. And the chef is the one keeping everyone morale high, not the captain

[@martinmaranan931]

I served a Total 6 years in Destroyer Force Pacific And Atlantic Fleet in 1960- 1965.I am a Tin Can Sailor. Salty Sailor .

[@edwardpate6128]

Back at you from another Tin Can sailor. USS Preble DDG-46 1981 to 1985 here.

[@h.albertmayorga5522]

Thank for your service. Thank God for men and women like you.

[@charlesmcintyre8142]

@@h.albertmayorga5522 FF 1074 Harold E Holt messdeck was not that big USS Kansas City AOR-3 tour as mess deck MAA again messdeck was not that big

[@Evan-lr8nq]

Informal conversation goes like this, "Yo cookie! The food sucks!"...

[@cousineddie9573]

$300 to 400 per day PER SAILOR? LOL Since when is the Navy serving A5 Wagyu every meal?

[@okiesailor5417]

This is what happens when YT constantly allows videos with misinformation.

[@maxsdad538]

I was USAF back in the 70's, but for several years I flew exclusively out of a Navy base (NAS Keflavik), and while I can only speak of land based chow, with the exception of the EXCELLENT fare at USAF SERE schools, and one Navy abomination called "pork adobo" (Vienna sausages in tomato sauce), Navy food was consistently among the best.

[@mdmarko]

The Jan 25 average Basic Daily Food Allowance is $19.55/day in the USA and $24.70/day overseas. My guess - ships on deployment get closer to the higher figure, those in a US port get the lower figure.

[@okiesailor5417]

Where did you get these figures.

[@edwardpate6128]

Love seeing these videos! I will always be a destroyer sailor to my core!

[@rl64rl]

“Diverse . . . inclusive . .. “ I heard enough and ended this video at the 4:30 mark.

[@allenbateman3518]

Did he say they allocated $300-$400 per sailor per day?

[@imranhosein2706]

Crazy

[@goetzjam]

Yeah there is no way that is correct, not only is bulk purchasing cheaper but the efficiency and clear re-use of ingredients should make the cost no more then $10 per head per day, which is surprisingly around the same amount that many budget people think it cost to feed in the states (excluding maybe a handful of higher cost of living areas)

[@allenbateman3518]

@@goetzjam i was just checking to make sure I heard what I though I did, I played it back several times and that's what I heard every time..

[@johnbridgman4310]

Seems like a copy/paste error. From other videos I think the number is more like $30-40 per sailor per day. That was for a carrier so probably fewer economies of scale but I wouldn't expect a big difference. Other videos from the same creator used the same "1600 pounds of chicken per day" number for a carrier with 15x the crew so guessing something went wrong calculating cost for the smaller crew. All that said, the food looks really good. I'm always impressed with what a good job they can do at sea.

[@allenbateman3518]

@@johnbridgman4310 maybe, but 30-40 person each day is still alot. It doesn't cost me with family of 4 that much per day and we eat well..

[@okiesailor5417]

This video is full of misinformation. They dont give a $300 per person food allowance, they are given what is called a Basic Daily Food Allowance(BDFA) for each enlisted sailor onboard. A destroyer does not serve 1600# of chicken everyday. Their food storage spaces are not sophisticated at all. The meals are not served continously as the video states, it's 3 meals a day plus midrats for night shifts and it's usually leftovers. We used a 5 week cycle menu when we were at sea.

[@billestep6804]

The food was pretty good when I was on a ship in desert storm for 9 months 3 meals a day plus midnight rations so 4 meals. We didn’t have plates. We had trays and went through cafeteria style. I was on an amphibious ship though not a destroyer.

[@jcaam8094]

1600 lbs of chicken daily for 300 people? You're nuts.

[@Tommy88-]

Very cool stuff!!

[@gschallert3293]

I heard $300 to $400 per day per person. Wow for that amount of cash they should be eating 16 course meals made by Iron Chefs.

[@DaRealPhillyJawn]

I never served but have friends who did. It's like 300 to 400 per month. Lol

[@oculosprudentium8486]

How many shifts do they operate on that warship? 3 8 hours shifts? I expect that it's manned and operating 24*7 so there may be some sleeping at all times as they rotate doing their shifts

[@TkKirkland-lm5wv]

Buffet breakfast, taco bar for lunch, maybe surf n turf for dinner ... Most guys shop at the ships store . The food lines for a Carrier go all the way up to the 03 level

[@Starsky1413]

Amazing organisation

[@yourseatatthetable]

Nice to see some new footage and not the same crap repurposed over and over, year after year...

[@petesheppard1709]

I trust that the CO and watch officers check on the crew's chow as well.

[@jrmotorsports55]

Thanks!

[@davidd6171]

Do individual military folks have to play for their food while on a ship?

[@RobertClolery-h5r]

Those cooks are gods!

[@joshflugel]

The order is exhilarating.

[@sabado-6]

🌭🍔🍖🥩🌮🌯🍟🍕🥪🍜🍛🍤🥧🍰🍮🎂🍨🍧🍲😋 This soldiers get better nutrition than the rest of USA population 😊

[@lisagerman2111]

I wonder what the cost differential is between ship-in-port resupply is, vs ship-to-ship transfers. I understand the need for training in both scenarios, as circumstances may change while a ship is at sea. It just has to be exponentially more expensive on every level.

[@speedydragon]

Budgeting $400.00/sailor/day is crazy lol. I guess a sailor eats more in a day than I do in groceries a month.

[@MichaelArgenta]

Did anyone tech them how to properly hold a knife. Also, Why headphones aloud to be warn in the kitchen ???

[@peted2770]

Grandpa's Navy is long gone.

[@stevebell4906]

That Mess deck looked abut twice the size of the one one A Cruiser...

[@Optimusprimerib36]

How does it cost $3-400 per day per sailor?

[@Ned-r4t]

All I can say is we never ate this good! Different time....

[@curtisphilumalee1447]

I’m guessing SOS isn’t served anymore according to the information on this upload. Retired Navy Seabee.

[@2264ish]

Question, is it free for all when it comes to eating, can a person eat as much as he or she wants and do the meals come free of charged or is it billed to the people eating?

[@nautifella]

Meals are part of the deal. Unless you are assigned to a shore command then you can request _"Commuted Rations"_ and get paid to *not* eat on base. At sea _you're eating on board._ No extra charge. As for portions, well that depends on how much you want and whether or not you meet fitness standards. You also need to figure in the guy running the galley. Some commands are real strict on portion control and some aren't. I served on a submarine in the 80s and we were pretty loose.... _and kinda chubby._

[@2264ish]

@@nautifella Ok, that makes sense. There is some really good looking food on this ship!!

[@USAads2023]

No way, for a submarine is 35$ per day

[@FireteamJoker]

Alternative proteins could all but eliminate the need for refrigerated storage. This would be a game changer. Probably not realistic for peace time due to moral and abundance of meat, but during war times it might be necessary to use these products. it could also become vital to reduce the power load on ships and cutting the cold storage down on a ship would be a huge help. Laser weapons are very power hungry.

[@peted2770]

I'm not sure if a country that doesn't feed their crews meat is even worth fighting for.

[@jeromethiel4323]

The military always is about people. And people require food and morale to perform at their best. The best tech in the world doesn't mean a damn thing if the people running said tech aren't at their A-game. And for those who have served, they all know they aren't cared for as well as they could be. But the fighting spirit of these people still shines through. Keep your heads up, sailors, there are people out there who know how much you sacrifice, and appreciate it very much.

[@alexrompen805]

Man...this has come a LONG way since I served and we traded among ourselves for portions... I loved salad and he loved corn, so we traded who got what portion of each....

[@Rocky-or4rz]

Thorough inspection huh?! I remember when I was stationed in Japan my buddy who I went through boot camp with was stationed on the shitty kitty and had mess duty. He said they use cans labeled "Meat-not for human consumption". And they served that to the crew. He still did not even know what animal it was because it literally just said meat on it. I miss the Navy. To all you fellow shipmates who are veterans now, I am about to trigger you "Muster all E4 and below on the fantail for working party" haha how many working parties did we do? Too many!

[@kerry-j4m]

Which year were you on the Kittyhawk ??? And which city were stationed at in Japan ????

[@Rocky-or4rz]

@@kerry-j4m I was never on the kitty, my boot camp buddy was. He was homeported out of Yokosuka and I was homeported in Sasebo, I only saw him once or twice a year when we went up there for training. This was in like 2001-ish.

[@albertbrown8825]

That's not true. Just think what would happen. Daily inspection by one of the ships Hospital Corpsmen. False information.

[@Rocky-or4rz]

@albertbrown8825 hahaha you clearly have never been in the Navy

[@DarrenShaw-ev5tb]

Goon ! Gotta be You !!

[@845835]

0:52 $300-$400 per sailor a day for food? Is it a Michelin star menu?

[@kirkwaggoner7328]

Was that really a shot of the mess deck on a tin can? I was on a 688 where we had 1/3 the crew but only about 1/10 the area of the ness deck. The bird farms must be absolutely gigantic. Still it's said that submarines have the best chow in the Navy.

[@williamcooper2368]

I grew up in SAN Diego. I remember going to the cafeteria. When I was a KID. With my DAD it would cost like 40-cents in the 70s. We would go to the BASE. on the weekends. And collect ALUMINUM CANS ALL DAY. WE MADE BANK.

[@JeffersonMartinSynfluent]

I never saw a mess deck the size of these on any DE. Nor were there any yellow shirts taking a break from launching airplanes topside.

[@jimrotharmel]

300 to 400 a day per sailor. In the early 80s on my carrier, it was 3.00 dollars a day per sailor so??? the navy had great chow, and I was a cook it was the time of my life.

[@chadmoore9336]

He just said the budget is $300-400 dollars per sailors per day!

[@suryowirawanwibisono]

$300-$400 persailor per day?? Wowwww

[@johns.1664]

wtf?!? 300-400 usd$ per day, per sailor...wtf?!? thats a monthly...if not a 2 month budget for me!! i need to join the navy!!!🤯🥰👍

[@joshflugel]

There's also lots of seafood to catch out there and there's nothing inplemented yet that benefits from it.

[@anthonylafayette4385]

Try fishing when your ship is doing 25 plus knots.

[@KennyInSubic]

🤣🤣 @0:53 Sorry but they don't get that much a day to feed each sailor.....

[@jtchristiank1]

$300-$400 per sailor daily for meals? I feed a family of three for two weeks for that cost; just saying being former Army.

[@BobtheScienceGuy]

300-400 dollars PER SAILOR PER DAY?

[@WayneWatson1]

Your numbers are way off and make zero sense.

[@SSGTJAB]

I was in the Army, for about 1 year now I've been watching videos about food service in the Navy. WHHYYY!!! I don't know why I find these videos interesting.🤔

[@antoniobranch]

"You don't go into the Navy just to eat salads."

[@cyoohoos]

$300/day per sailor?

[@bardigan1]

OK I know it's a goof-up but, what did they mean by $300-$400 in food per sailor daily

[@AriAbuko]

Part of $900 Billions a year military budget. 🤷

[@onetimer44]

300 sailors. 1600 pounds of chicken every day? That's over 5 pounds of chicken per person daily. $300-400 per sailor daily? This has got to include the inflated costs of mission specific equipment and preparation. These numbers don't work.

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

Diverse dietary needs ? Not in the army I served in years ago.

[@paulespinoza974]

With aplomb!!!

[@mattmckay417]

1600 lbs is more than enough for 800. Also the $300-400 per sailor per day is way off

[@MrTeko75]

300-400 dollars per day per sailor? Where's the other 380 dollars disappearing to?

[@kirkstensgaard618]

The United States of America has finally earned an Emperor.

[@peted2770]

It looks like they may be overfeeding those sailors. The crew is looking a bit chubby.

[@Guido17395]

Highest quality? I think not. I was in the Navy. The food was very mediocre. It's better on smaller ships such as destroyers and cruisers.

[@GeraldMiller-mp8fc]

$300 to $400 per day per sailor for food? This cannot be true.

[@kmcd1000]

$300 to $400 per sailor per day. WTF!

[@HarshmanHills]

uh...not sure where you get your numbers from but there is zero chance that you use 1600 pounds of chicken each day for less than 300 crew members. same thing with 350 pounds of lettuce in a day. no chance service members are eating a pound of lettuce a day. plus no way they are spending $300-400 per person per day

[@bager1246]

you get the same uniform, boots. weapon, and you should get the same food

[@carlkruse3862]

$300-$400 per day per sailor? Not a chance.

[@bobechs7905]

$400 per sailor per day? I think I could feed the average hungry American with that amount. Even Canadians can't eat that much for long.

[@Spetsop]

Says "strict military nutritional standards" while showing images of pizza and deep fried chicken.

[@appletreeblunt]

$300-$400 per person per day in food ? AHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA

[@DaRealPhillyJawn]

That should be a month not a day. 😅

[@brettmog6474]

A lot of bureaucratic pockets need to get filled before the food gets there

[@lukehemsworth3686]

5lbs of chicken per day , per sailer ?

[@artheriford]

what do cloth masks, that the CDC has already said don't do anything, do when you are standing outside?

[@James-ki6xi]

I reallyenjoy these videos, but 5.33 lbs of chicken per sailor per day. Lawd the crew will grow feathers.

[@KilldozerNY]

Quality control on this vid is very sus .

[@juansanchezvillalobosramir8571]

I love these videos, but the numbers don't really add up here. 1600 Pounds of chicken for 300 sailors doesn't sound right that's over 5 lbs of chicken per person per day. And spending $300 to $400 on food per sailor per day also doesn't sound right.

[@williamcooper2368]

IT'S CRAZY HOW MUCH FOOD. THEY USE EVERY DAY.

[@edwardpate6128]

As a former destroyer sailor I will say as a sailor in my mid 20's back in the 1980's I could chow down 3 meals a day plus midrats and never gain a pound. Working 18 hour days 7 days a week will do that.

[@creepycrespi8180]

??? how do 300 sailors eat 1600 lbs of chicken daily? that is over 5 lbs of chicken a day.

[@GlennSasser]

That hog in the oven with the head on it will they make hog head cheese?

[@MadCow999]

The narration in the video is repetitive. It took 15 minutes to say what could had been said in 8 minutes.

[@MichaelLynn-kk7po]

300-400 per sailor per day. I don’t think so.

[@alexpeters3548]

interesting

[@blueslime1980]

300 sailors?!? Navy can't even count!

[@sasasimunovic7709]

They have a kitchen. There, I saved you 18 minutes.

[@MidnightWarrior1976]

Impressive. But all sounds too good to be completely true. I'm sure there are plenty of complaints.

[@kirkstensgaard618]

An Emperor in fact. Kulu kulu Wai o ka Lahui