Marine corps mess night???

Question

what the heck is the point???
i'm mainly mad b/c we had to pay for my husband's mess night tonight and we have a baby coming any day now....the last thing we need is to pay $50 for some dinner and open bar!

someone please explain so i can try to feel better about this!
thanks!

especially when the officers aren't paying at all...

he has to participate....it's mandatory!

honestly, i can understand the comraderie, but i've talked to other people about it and they said this is oddest "mess night" they've experieinced.

i'm all for him participating, but the mandatory thing and the charging money bothered me.

also, the officers really did get a free ride. it was the idea of the guy organizing it...his way of kissing as* :)

nice huh!

yeah....i'm starting to get the feeling that this particular squadron is a bit crooked.
i should have known better b/c a single marine is having an affair with his fellow marine's wife and everyone knows...yet they do nothing.

i;m starting to anticipate a transfer of orders.

thanks all.

Answer 1

I am at a lost. I have never heard of enlisted men paying for or being obligated in attending a Mess Night. Mess Nights were for Officers, so they could dress up show off their medals, feel like soldiers even if they were desk bound paper pushers and bond with their fellow warriors. It does work but NCO and enlisted are subjected to other gatherings that they never had to pay for. Drop a call to NCI. Something smells hinky.

Answer 2

Are you sure the officers aren't paying? I have many friends in the Marine Corps, and from what I've been told the tickets for mess night are pro-rated according to rank, so the officers actually have to pay more for their tickets than the enlisted members do.

You asked what's the point. If the Marine Corps is like the Air Force (and I'm 99.9% sure it is on this issue) there's no rule that says you HAVE to attend mess night, which is referred to as a "Dining In" in the Air Force. However, there is also an unwritten rule that says if you don't participate it'll harm your career because your superiors will see you as someone who doesn't truly believe in the concept of teamwork and camaraderie.

I'm very sorry your husband had to pay $50.00 for mess night, and if he were in the Air Force we probably would have taken up a collection from the senior NCOs and junior officers to at least cover part of the cost for him. Just remember that he's doing what he can to be a part of the team, and his attendance at mess night will help him in the long run.

Answer 3

Being in the catering business, I frequently cater for MEPS headquarters in my area. I was invited to a mess night last year, but declined because of a conflicting schedule. I'm one of the few civilians who gets invited, however I am a former Marine who works closely with the Corps on many occasions. Knowing first hand, that the Marines have a relatively small budget to work with, they hold their funds for important occasions. Award ceremonies, or all hands meetings are most common. Family Holiday parties are also an important occasion for these units.

Things like retirement ceremonies, mess night, and transfers of personnel are not part of the budget. Although they are important for camaraderie reasons, it's usually up to the individual to pay his part. Naturally, these occasions are not mandatory, however, for political reasons it's best to attend.

Incidentally, every one pays their own fair share, including officers. An invited guest, on occasion, may get a free ride, but even that comes out of the unit's budget, not from the other attendees.

Answer 4

Mess Night

Answer 5

The point is comraderie with the rest of the command and the Marine Corps brotherhood. As a Navy officer, I can guarantee the Marine Corps officers did not get a free ride, as mentioned by the previous person, they probably paid more for their tickets. If your husband is a career minded individual, then he needs to attend functions such as this in order to network with people who can have a major impact on his job, and therefore on you and your baby.

Anyone who wants to attend a function like "Mess Night" or "Dining In" should never let money stand in the way. Have your husband talk to his immediate supervisor if this comes up again and I'm sure it'll be "taken care of."

Good luck with the baby and give your husband a big "hooyah" for me. We need guys like him.

Answer 6

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Marine corps mess night???
what the heck is the point???
i'm mainly mad b/c we had to pay for my husband's mess night tonight and we have a baby coming any day now....the last thing we need is to pay $50 for some dinner and open bar!

someone please explain so i can try to feel better about this!
thanks!

Answer 7

I never heard of this...must be something new since I was in. I imagine a lot of enlisted personnel are in the same boat as you. My solution would be simply do not participate. Once they figure out people can't afford things like this maybe they'll make some changes. Congrats on your baby.

Answer 8

Did you or hubby ask if family readiness group would be willing to pay?

I REALLY detest the mandatory crap they have to pay to attend.

But I would be careful asking FRG to pay - cause if you don't have kids yet - there are others with kids that might be in a worse position than you that didn't ask for assistance or whom the assistance would have gone to. Know what I mean?

Answer 9

First off if he had to pay to attend, it was not mandatory. Someone may have told him that it was, or he may have told you that it was, but if it is a mandatory event then he would not be "required" to pay. A few exceptions would be a graduation mess or something similar, but then only attendance is mandatory not the purchase of the meal.

I was often told it was mandatory for me to join the NCO club, but I never did!

Answer 10

they cannot force him to participate in anything unless it's free. that's just the way it is.

Do the officers know that the enlistedmen had to pay admissionto the event? If they do, and they didn't do anything about it, they could soon be up the creek. you have to understand that everyone has a boss.