My Take on Dining Out

So now that you have heard her take on the Dining Out, I guess it is my turn. Preparation for the Dining Out is the worst and really makes you hate it, but when you get there and partake in the tradition it really is great.

The original formal dining event was actually a Dining In. Dining In is for the unit only; whereas, the Dining Out is for the Soldiers and their spouses or significant others. It began in WWII when the US Military was working quite closely with the British Military. The first US military to partake in such an event was the US Army Air Forces (leave it to the Air Force to find a military funded event where they sit down and get fed). The US beefed it up a bit though when it finally took hold. We brought on the Grog. The Grog can be as delicious or as terrible tasting as the event planner/alcohol purchaser wants to make it. In ROTC we obviously had non-alcoholic grog, but we still found nasty things to put in there. For example, to commemorate Desert Storm poured in a pound of Brown Sugar to represent the sand. We also poured in Hot Sauce, Kool-aid, and other substances I can't remember. The Real Army Grog is a bit more potent, though. We poured in a 1.75 L of Cognac, Brandy, Whiskey, Soju, my 1SG made "camel dung" which was a delicious chocolate/peanut butter/pecan thing, and that is where my memory ends as I tried to drink it with the troops. But the real taste pleaser comes at the end of every Grog. The Command Sergeant Major (Commander's Right hand man/woman) has to put in a sock. The verse that goes along with it says that it is a used sock that brings in the sweat and hard work. Luckily for Taryn, I am pretty sure it was a clean sock. It looked pretty clean. In ROTC, we definitely used a dirty sock. This Grog sounds disgusting and it usually is. The Grog actually plays a very important part in the evening's events. All the soldiers are provided with a list of rules to follow. Most of these rules have ties to proper etiquette and training Soldiers to be civil, but they sometimes can be a bit ridiculous. So any infraction of the rules by anyone in a military uniform is enough reason to take a big gulp of grog. Here is a quick list of some rules I found on Wikipedia

• untimely arrival at proceedings
• smoking at the table before the lighting of the smoking lamp
• haggling over date of rank
• improper wear of uniform
  • inverted cummerbund (Note that U.S. Army regulation requires that cummerbunds be worn upside down: i.e. pleats down.)^[8]
  • wearing a clip-on bow tie at an obvious list
• gaffes
  • loud and obtrusive remarks in a foreign language
  • foul language
  • discussion on a controversial topic (politics, religion, and women are commonly forbidden topics)
• improper toasting procedure
  • toasting with an uncharged (empty) glass
  • rising to applaud particularly witty, succinct, sarcastic, or relevant toasts, unless following the example of the President
• leaving the dining room without permission from the President of the Mess
• carrying cocktails into the dining area before the conclusion of dinner
• haggling over penalties or fines imposed
• drawing a sword except in ceremony ^[9]

<sup>So Taryn had quite the fun experiencing this. 

I usually talk about how annoying the event is prior to the event, but after it I am usually pretty positive about the experience. No one got hurt, no one got into a car accident, everyone seemed happy, and almost everyone showed up to drill on time the next morning. 

On that note, I bid you good night and if you want to learn more Google Dining Out or Dining In and you will get the full scoop. Well, the stuff they can publish on-line ;)</sup>