The Great Surf and Turf Controversy
Controversy recently arose over Pentagon spending on ribeye steaks, lobster tails, Alaskan king crab, and salmon. The budget for those fancy foods was $25 million. Some commentators and social media pundits implied that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and the Pentagon brass would be eating all of it.
At nineteen years of age, I enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and my first duty station was near Edzell, Scotland. Since I was single, I lived in the barracks and ate at the nearby galley. That first year, I was often homesick at the relatively isolated base. I remember complaining about many things, but I don’t recall ever complaining about the food in the galley.
On my first morning at base, I discovered that the cooks would prepare eggs just about any way you wanted, including a wide choice of omelets. Later that first month, they served steak and lobster. My mom was a great cook, but I don’t remember her taking meal orders. Sitting around a table and eating good food is a great morale boost. It helped me adjust to my new life and make new friends.
So it isn’t just the generals and admirals who eat the steak and seafood. If you divide the current fancy food budget of $25 million by 2.1 million (the current number of service members) you get an average cost of $11.90, less than a steak dinner at the restaurant near my house.
Over the years, I had the chance to eat at many galleys, both on land and at sea. Some were better than others, but I only recall one time when things got bad. I served onboard the USS Missouri during the First Gulf War (Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm). As we prepared for combat, a logistics bottleneck formed. Bullets and missiles took priority, and gradually the cooks ran short of supplies. They did their best, but before the logjam cleared, we were eating plain spaghetti with water or from cartons of irradiated milk. Yes, we complained, but we did our jobs. That’s life in the military. Even before the fighting stopped, the food stocks arrived and meals improved, and on our way home we had some fine steak and seafood.
Often the young men and women in our military are away from home doing difficult and dangerous jobs. Feeding them well is worth the price.