The chow hall (or dining facility) is an interesting place, definitely warranting mention. When you go into the chow hall, you are required to call out your social security number and branch of Army (Regular, Reserves, or National Guard). There is to be no talking beyond this in the dining hall. This rule is strictly enforced at first, and loosely applied toward the end of training. You eat in silence, and seating is filled in a routine, orderly manner. Once you have completed your meal, you "double up" your tray with that of another private. This conserves time and prevents congestion in the tray dumping line.
The chow hall is a place you grow to like- the food is decent, and you are usually hungry due to the exertions of training. It is also remotely air-conditioned, which is a welcome change from the humidity of Missouri in the summer. Perhaps most importantly, the grumpy civilian servers are charming (if not slightly funny), and there's nothing like a day of KP (Kitchen Patrol) to get you loving the rest of training that much more.
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