{"id":23220,"date":"2021-02-01T22:48:10","date_gmt":"2021-02-01T22:48:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/02\/01\/the-militarys-worst-rom-meals-vol-1\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:23:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:23:58","slug":"the-militarys-worst-rom-meals-vol-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/02\/01\/the-militarys-worst-rom-meals-vol-1\/","title":{"rendered":"The Military\u2019s Worst ROM Meals, Vol. 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Good food can make the suck more tolerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bad food can turn an already-crappy situation into a literal sh*t sandwich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And judging by some of your photos, a shi*t sandwich isn\u2019t far off from what you\u2019ve been served while conducting your pre-deployment \u201cRestriction of Movement,\u201d or ROM, during the pandy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, many of you have been restricted to a barracks or hotel room for two weeks. You\u2019re likely very bored and looking forward to the meals they bring, both to feed you and to break up the monotony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then a bun without a hot dog shows up. Or a meat log of indeterminate origins. Or just a bunch of sad, small-portion food not fit for a military man or woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve put your gnarliest ROM meal pics in front of a promotion board and now bring you \u201cThe Military\u2019s Worst ROM Meals (TMWRM)\u201d Volume I.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve had really good meals in ROM, we wanna see those, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Send your pics, gripes and salutations to geoffz@militarytimes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Names below have been tweaked or altered so that angry COs can\u2019t come down on the rank-and-file for talking to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay fed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Very Marine Corps Christmas<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our first worst ROM meal comes from the mother of a Marine who spent Christmas in ROM over in Okinawa, Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Looks like we\u2019re dealing with some Class-D succotash, a big orange and a Snickers bar. It remains unclear whether the Marine ate the other half of the to-go box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe attached photo was the only meal received on Christmas Day,\u201d said the mom, who asked to remain anonymous so her kid wouldn\u2019t face blowback from a vengeful Gunny. \u201cTheir ROM was extended for a week for no reason and the mess hall was not made aware of this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while she appreciates the gallows humor of our \u201cThe Military\u2019s Worst ROM Meals (TMWRM)\u201d special report, she notes that \u201cthe way they are fed during ROM is straight ridic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just the Corps, but every branch,\u201d she added, reporting that Military Mom Facebook features images of similarly dismal meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is not acceptable that anyone serving our country is receiving less than a good, nutritious, balanced meal when they are in garrison,\u201d the mom said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mom said she\u2019s contacted her U.S. senator about these awful meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou better believe nasty letters were written to several elected officials,\u201d she said. \u201cOoh-rah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moms are the best. Call yours today. She just wants to hear your voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Potato is the meat<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marty sends us this delightful ROM meal from a recent stint at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
That’s yummy for y’tummy, bruh. (Photo provided to Observation Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

No meat. No protein. PLENTY of starch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadly, our guy didn\u2019t get any chili or shredded cheese for that hitter. He received neither butter, nor sour cream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was just straight spud to the dome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo ketchup, no salt, just a microwaved potato,\u201d Marty told us. \u201cI had to eat it like an apple. I\u2019ll never forget that night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The inbound food log will be heading outbound soon<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We here at OP are proponents of Shaped Meats. Meat loaf is delish, as is that weird frozen turkey loaf you can buy that\u2019s half \u201cwhite\u201d meat and half \u201cdark.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This \u201cTurd and Mac & Cheese\u201d was sent to us by a service member ROM\u2019ing in September in New Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A very bad ROM meal sent to us by a reader. (Photo provided to Observation Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The artistic license, the drawing of the evacuating buttocks, really makes this ROM meal pic the Chef\u2019s Kiss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI prefer not to share my name, and neither my unit because of Opsec reasons,\u201d he wrote. \u201cBut you can credit the picture from \u2018Al from the Majestic as F*#% Unicorn Platoon.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be fair, that mac n\u2019 cheese mound has the viscous sheen prized among mac \u2018n cheese connoisseurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hot dog, hold the dog<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This photo was sent to us sans explanation, because it needs none. Its sadness speaks for itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
At least the bun is big. (Photo provided to Observation Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We know everyone is busy, and orders must be carried out, and that the massive logistical machine that is the DoD sometimes lumbers\u2026but come on, man. Come on!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And double birds to that \u201cside dish.\u201d Looks like a sociopath\u2019s version of kimchi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mandatory meatless<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forgetting the meat, or forging on without the meat, is a recurring theme in your worst ROM meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sailor recently ROM\u2019ing in Virginia Beach sent us this sad-ass array of undercooked JoJo potatoes, a scoopa carrots and a big helping of still hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was seriously all they gave me,\u201d the sailor wrote. \u201cNo main course. They might have run out of food because of the league volume of sailors that were on ROM, but everyone on my floor in the barracks got this meal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Main course is air. (Photo provided to Observation Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How the rest be eatin\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It should be noted that these bad ROM meals aren\u2019t meant to indict all the countless military cooks doing their best in these unusual times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are soldiers, sailors, and airmen behind some of those meals and they take great pride in the food that they provide,\u201d one reader noted. \u201cWhen morale is low, the first thing that people pick on is the food. It is unfair to those who are trying their best in the jobs that they were trained for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Props to whomever oversaw this battalion of ROM meals. They don\u2019t look half bad considering the dismal reality we are all living through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
ROM meals extend to the horizon. (Photo provided to Observation Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We also heard from a Navy culinary specialist who cooks for a fleet command admiral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that their team has continued to push out five-star fare for the admiral and his guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you are going to show the worst meals during the pandemic, then please also consider showing the great meals we are continuing to serve as well,\u201d the sailor wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the pandy started nearly a year ago now, \u201cthe Flag Mess took action and set social distancing measures, put on our gloves, mask and continued to serve our Admiral and Guest,\u201d the CS added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out the Flag Fare:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
(Photo provided to Observation Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you do not carry a star on your shoulder, the succulence of this bird cannot be contemplated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
(Photo provided to Observation Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As my hard-nosed Great Depression-reared Irish grandma used to say when we\u2019d have lobsters on special occasions: \u201cI wonder what the poor people are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back into the ranks of the great unwashed we go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ye olde Log O\u2019Mystery<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What ah you? WHAT AH YOU? Foul log!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\u2026thing (maybe pork tendyloin?) was sent to us by a service member ROM\u2019ing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Food log just chillin’. (Photo provided to Observation Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll meals are given cold,\u201d the service member said. \u201cWe do have a microwave in our rooms but DFAC food isn\u2019t meant to be reheated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During our correspondence, the question remained: WHAT IS THAT?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, and I was too scared to eat it,\u201d the service member said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mysteries deepen<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of you were perplexed by the enigmatic nature of what you were given to ingest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sailor recently ROM\u2019ing at Naval Base San Diego sent us this mound of happy. Eat up, Shippy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Something and something with rice. (Photo provided to Observation Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Field food<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our final entry comes from our friends in the 1st Armored Division out at Fort Bliss, Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This soldier was at least outside and not confined to a room, but still, yikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our first photo showcases a coagulated version of that ol\u2019 favorite, rice n\u2019 gravy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was cold out so by the time we were given plates out on the gun line the gravy had hardened,\u201d the soldier noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Git some! (Photo provided to Observation Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Of what food class is this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crepes with a sauce? Pancakes and sausage shrapnel, swimming in maple syrup?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
He misses his neighbors. (Photo provided to Observation Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMashed potatoes\/gravy with two meat pieces,\u201d the soldier tells us. \u201cProtein is a must!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for reading, keep those entries coming and we\u2019ll see you here again soon for Volume II of \u201cThe Military\u2019s Worst ROM Meals (TMWRM).\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We asked for pics of the nastiest food you were given during ROM. You did not disappoint.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":48819,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-post-observation-post","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":65,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news","military-culture","off-duty","left-column","home","middle-column"],"primary_category":"military-culture"},"4":{"categories":["your-air-force","news","military-culture","off-duty","daily-news-roundup","newsletters","left-column","home","middle-column"],"primary_category":"military-culture"},"5":{"categories":["your-army","news","military-culture","off-duty","daily-news-roundup","newsletters","left-column","home","middle-column"],"primary_category":"military-culture"},"6":{"categories":["your-marine-corps","news","military-culture","off-duty","daily-news-roundup","newsletters","left-column","home","middle-column"],"primary_category":"military-culture"}}},"categories":[101,23,88,89,68,12,26,13,65],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3355],"class_list":["post-23220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-left-column","category-middle-column","category-military-culture","category-news","category-newsletters","category-off-duty","category-your-navy"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"XTOQ2VU4SJFANP5GTQ4TPQAIVE","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/02\/01\/the-militarys-worst-rom-meals-vol-1\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"observation-post","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\nThe Military\u2019s Worst ROM Meals, Vol. 1 - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We asked for pics of the nastiest food you were given during ROM. 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