I heard that in US military barracks there are now KFCs and Burger Kings in the mess halls?

Question

Is this true? I'm writing a work of fiction set in Iraq and was wondering about this. Thanks in advance to our brave men and women!

Answer 1

I've never seen one when i was in the Army maybe out side of the base but not inside. My base was right in the center of South Carolina and i never saw a KFC or Burger King but boy did i wish. Definetly not true

Answer 2

Well, as you can see, the answer depends on many things. Some bases have none of the fastfood chain stores. Some do, but they're not attached to the barracks or Mess Halls, they're usually in a food-court set-up near the commissary or BX. Barracks are like apartment houses, typically, used only for living/sleeping and doing laundry. Barracks don't have their own mess halls, those are at a central place on the base, typically.

As for the overseas situation, some of the bases/camps are going to have fast food (My son's base did in Iraq... BK and Pizza Hut... although he said neither one tasted right) but some won't. I would recommend you do a bit more homework about what you'll find where, regarding chow / fast food, and military life. Otherwise, your book just won't rink true.

Answer 3

Mess halls, as you call them (the military call them DFACs, or Dining Facilities) do not contain fast food outlets like Burger King. Most military posts usually have a food court, usually situated near the PX, however; and those often do have fast food vendors. The food vendors in a PX food court are run by AAFES, usually, but not always; and the outlets you'll generally find are Burger King, Popeye's, Taco Bell, Subway, Anthony's Pizza, and sometimes Baskin Robbins. You'll also sometimes other names, like Robin Hood's Sandwich Shoppe, and often generic names, like "Asian Wok" or "Special T's". This goes for CONUS/OCONUS permanent bases, by the way; not forward-deployed bases. In Iraq and Kuwait, if a post is big enough and permanent enough, the most common fast-food vendor you'll find is Burger King. The very first Burger King in Iraq, ever, was opened right about the time I got to Iraq. By the time I left, quite a few larger FOBs had Burger Kings, and I'd heard rumors that they were thinking of bringing Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and/or Subway as an option to some of those FOBs. Not even in deployed DFACs, however, will you find one of those vendors. They almost always set up shop near the PX, not the dining facility.

Answer 4

There are Burger King outlets on virtually ever Army and Air Force base. And Popeye Chicken (not KFC) is also present. But, they are part of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service operations and are concessionnaires who pay a handsome fee for the privilege. I understand in Iraq there is a Pizza Hut and a Subway Sandwich shop (again part of the exchange service operations) at Balad Air Base outside Baghdad. None of those operations are in mess halls. However, since you are planning a work of fiction, you might want to come up with invented names for outlets such as these. Both of those fast-food empires have very touchy lawyers.

Answer 5

In the mess halls...DFACS, no, and that will never happen. On a military base, it's usually just Popeye's, Anthony's Pizza, Charley's Steakery, Burger King, and some sort of taco establishment (usually Taco Bell, but not always) in a food court.

In Iraq, they're lucky if they even get Burger King. Other than that, you eat what you're given. No luxuries.

Answer 6

Yeah, there actually are. I have seen them with my own eyes. I saw a Burger King while I was on base.

The first guy is right. I did not read carefully. I saw the Burger King at the BX, not in an actual mess hall.

Answer 7

Nice to know the US Defense Department is giving a chance to the US Military to get obese just like over two thirds of the US civilian population.

Is it to late for the average American to realise they are going to be facing some very seriouse health issues with regards all the fast food they are eating, and the problems of being able to recruit fit people for the military??

Answer 8

Everyone already hit it but here is a fun part they didn't
Every base has a combination of the following (maybe 1 maybe all of them)
McDonald's
Burger King
Popeyes
Anthony's Pizza
Sbarros (Pizza)
Starbucks
Good Fortune (chinese)
Seattle's Best
Some random sandwich place
Taco Bell
Long Jhon Silver's
Then they have a Chow Hall/Galley/ Mess Hall/ etc. Fast Food stays away from chow.

Answer 9

Sorry but your information was misleading they don't have them in barracks or in dfacs the dfacs would lose what little money they get now. some larger fob's like anaconda have a burger king i don't know if its still there. but the barrack? the barracks are your rooms where you sleep.

Answer 10

There aren't things like that in the barracks. There are on bases but not in the barracks....