No fries with that: fast food axed at Afghan bases

No fries with that: fast food axed at Afghan bases

news.yahoo.com

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Fast food joints where soldiers wolf down burgers and pizza will soon be a thing of the past at bases in Afghanistan, as the U.S. military reminds soldiers they are at war and not in "an amusement park."

(visit the link for the full news article)

At first thought, I imagined this could make sense. Then I remembered that KBR ran the dining facilities. I realized then this doesn't make much sense, unless the real issue here is KBR.

KBR is contracted to bring in and cook so much food. They are paid loads of money to do this. The KBR contracted cooks can easily make over $100,000 a year at a forward operating base. Now what happens when not enough people eat at the chow halls? Food is wasted and it starts to look like money is being wasted on KBR. Well we can't have that. Those personnel on those bases will eat at the KBR DFAC and like it.

news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 5/4/10 by MikeboydUS]

The U.S. military says its beef with the burger joints is that they take up valuable resources like water, power, flight and convoy space and that cutting back on non-essentials is key to running an efficient military operation.

I can agree with that.

I am glad to see the Americans aren't trying to get rid of the Tim Hortons at the airfield.

the busy Canadian Tim Horton's outlet that sells coffee and doughnuts will stay on.

That would be an awful blow to Canadian morale over there.

[edit on 5-4-2010 by GAOTU789]

Chiun, "Do you know why they call it 'fast food'? Because it speeds you on the way to the grave."

The occasional FF treat is OK but a steady diet of it will kill your insides.

reply to post by Kaytagg


If they were going to really cut back on non-essentials, they would cut KBR. Instead they would only use UGR-As, UGR-Bs and MREs. The As and Bs would be prepared by military personnel and not by contractors.

Originally posted by intrepid
Chiun, "Do you know why they call it 'fast food'? Because it speeds you on the way to the grave."

The occasional FF treat is OK but a steady diet of it will kill your insides.

They still have KBR "fast food" at the KBR DFACs (dining facilities).

KBR DFACs have fried chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, ice cream with tons of toppings, all kinds of sodas, pastries, cakes, cookies, and pies.

This is the stupidest thing i have ever heard.

What next regular chow hall hours and having the troops change into the uniform of the day so they can eat.

Its not unusual for servicemen to burn over 10,000 calories a day humping there gears(75 to 100 pounds) on 14 to 18 hour patrols.

All they want and have time for when they get back to base is high calorie fast food, sleep, and getting ready for the next days patrols.

The navy seals had this same problem in Vietnam, Stupid base commanders running there bases like they were stateside.

Since in Vietnam most of the Seal operations were at night and the Seals slept during the day they found that they were unable to use the base chow-halls during regular chow-hall hours.

This was why the Seals moved to forward operating bases with there own support personal.

reply to post by ANNED


The problem isn't the calories, it's the cholesterol intake into the blood system. You can be rake thin and have a heart attack, caused from the inside.

reply to post by intrepid


MREs arn't light on cholesterol. The First Strike sandwiches are a little better with 20mg per entree though, except the bbq beef which has 40 mg.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/7d5f20931b56.jpg[/atsimg]





[edit on 5/4/10 by MikeboydUS]

reply to post by MikeboydUS


Jeez, feed them Subway.

I'm saying that the way stuff is prepared is important. Fries? Fried obviously. Potatoes baked or mashed are better imo. Takes longer but much better for you than FF or those damn rations.

reply to post by intrepid


Apparently even Subway got the axe. So much for healthy food

The list of casualties will include Orange Julius, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Subway, TGI Fridays, Popeye's and Dairy Queen.

m.washingtontimes.com...

Well seeing as how the "Boardwalk" as it's called it only about half a mile from where im currently sitting at my bunk typing, personally I think i can see both sides of this situation.
On one hand, yes those stands do take up valuable resources, on the other hand for some folks here they are a great moral booster to an armed force who is slowly becoming not only dis-satisfied with being here, but also disillusioned as to why we came here in the first place.

But I mean, hey, I suppose these shops are what happens when you let the Air Force run the show....honestly im actually a little surprised there isnt a theme park here yet....

reply to post by blood0fheroes


What do you think of the idea of KBR going too, leaving just military personnel prepping A and B rations at the DFACs?

Do you think Green Beans Coffee should have been axed? It was left off the list of places to be cut.

We're not that bad, a theme park? Maybe a nightclub or spa

Originally posted by MikeboydUS

At first thought, I imagined this could make sense. Then I remembered that KBR ran the dining facilities. I realized then this doesn't make much sense, unless the real issue here is KBR.

KBR is contracted to bring in and cook so much food. They are paid loads of money to do this. The KBR contracted cooks can easily make over $100,000 a year at a forward operating base. Now what happens when not enough people eat at the chow halls? Food is wasted and it starts to look like money is being wasted on KBR. Well we can't have that. Those personnel on those bases will eat at the KBR DFAC and like it.

Well first it is not going away since he has no control over the other non-American joints, but what he saw was a gaggle of people that looked like a scene from the star wars movie alien bar. Kandahar is the only place that has this and all the other camps are very striped down to bare essentials.

So it is an attitude thing he is not willing to promote and that is about all there is to it…

Chowhalls are always full no matter what and KBR doesn't run them all.


Edit to say: KBR food is pretty damn good, and the majority of the workers in the chowhall are contracted 3rd world nationals...no 100k jobs there hehe



[edit on 5-4-2010 by Xtrozero]

Originally posted by blood0fheroes

On one hand, yes those stands do take up valuable resources, on the other hand for some folks here they are a great moral booster to an armed force who is slowly becoming not only dis-satisfied with being here, but also disillusioned as to why we came here in the first place.

But I mean, hey, I suppose these shops are what happens when you let the Air Force run the show....honestly im actually a little surprised there isnt a theme park here yet....

You want to boost moral in Kandahar...hehe lord....

Why not head out to Castle for a few months of tube and bag toilets, trey rations for every meal, cold showers when you can get one and no air condition tents...hehe I'm sure Kandahar will look rather good after that.

reply to post by Xtrozero


Bagram had the same kind of setup, unless that was axed too. KBR ran every American DFAC at Bagram. Salerno also has KBR.

The only places I didn't see KBR were the smaller bases.

Originally posted by MikeboydUS
reply to post by Xtrozero

 

Bagram had the same kind of setup, unless that was axed too. KBR ran every American DFAC at Bagram. Salerno also has KBR.

The only places I didn't see KBR were the smaller bases.

Marines use a different company, but the brit chowhalls all seem to be KBR. I was only in Kandahar, Bastion/leatherneck, Castle, Dwyer and Delaram.