O Club at NASP

[Jim123]

The "New" O Club was near the approach end of 14 at South Field. It was a brand new building, with a pool and the whole 9 yards. I don't know the real story, but I remember the rumors were that the building was built too tall and the FAA said that it violated the laws about runway encroachment, or something like that.

That club was losing money around 2009-2010 or so. There were some weird CNIC MWR rules about losing money too many months in a row or something like that. They first tried temporarily closing the greasy spoon in the line shack... that place sold a lot of egg/sausage mcmuffins and hamburgers from 6am to the early afternoon, or my personal favorite, "anything under the heat lamp for $1" a few minutes before they closed each day, or as I liked to call it, the Salmonella Special. That was often my lunch when it was my week to write the flight schedule, but I digress.

This 'close the greasy spoon' strategy was intended to make the club profitable for a month or two, long enough to reset the losing money counter, and then they would reopen the greasy spoon. Well, the strategy didn't drive any breakfast or lunchtime business back to the club (it wasn't only a few minutes' walk from the HT squadrons but once you got there the service was never very fast to begin with). Then a funny thing happened at the squadrons, the aircrew mess started a fundraiser selling hot pockets and mini pizzas. When the greasy spoon reopened then they now had some competition. Whoops.

The family pool at the club got shutdown too and the lap pool became the "combined" pool. All of the medium sized bases had to downsize to one swimming pool so that was the deal in a lot of places. Either before or after this, the combined pool got shutdown for some construction and renovations- concrete to make the shallow end shallower, conversion from chlorine to saltwater, and a heater so they could be open a couple more months each year. When it reopened then the opening months were reduced from the previous (unheated pool) year (WTF?). I think the family pool+exercise pool dynamic probably discouraged the fitness crowd. I get it that families/dependents gotta have something to do during their day and we were all little kids at one time, but I personally don't like sharing my lap swim water with swim diapers.

If MWR were allowed to run tattoo parlors and strip clubs a block outside the front gate, they'd figure out a way to lose money on those too. They're hobbled by a lot of weird government rules, so the way they have to run the equivalent of a two-star restaurant on base isn't comparable to running a real business. Anyhoo.........

 

[Swanee]

That club was losing money around 2009-2010 or so. There were some weird CNIC MWR rules about losing money too many months in a row or something like that. They first tried temporarily closing the greasy spoon in the line shack... that place sold a lot of egg/sausage mcmuffins and hamburgers from 6am to the early afternoon, or my personal favorite, "anything under the heat lamp for $1" a few minutes before they closed each day, or as I liked to call it, the Salmonella Special. That was often my lunch when it was my week to write the flight schedule, but I digress.

This 'close the greasy spoon' strategy was intended to make the club profitable for a month or two, long enough to reset the losing money counter, and then they would reopen the greasy spoon. Well, the strategy didn't drive any breakfast or lunchtime business back to the club (it wasn't only a few minutes' walk from the HT squadrons but once you got there the service was never very fast to begin with). Then a funny thing happened at the squadrons, the aircrew mess started a fundraiser selling hot pockets and mini pizzas. When the greasy spoon reopened then they now had some competition. Whoops.

The family pool at the club got shutdown too and the lap pool became the "combined" pool. All of the medium sized bases had to downsize to one swimming pool so that was the deal in a lot of places. Either before or after this, the combined pool got shutdown for some construction and renovations- concrete to make the shallow end shallower, conversion from chlorine to saltwater, and a heater so they could be open a couple more months each year. When it reopened then the opening months were reduced from the previous (unheated pool) year (WTF?). I think the family pool+exercise pool dynamic probably discouraged the fitness crowd. I get it that families/dependents gotta have something to do during their day and we were all little kids at one time, but I personally don't like sharing my lap swim water with swim diapers.

If MWR were allowed to run tattoo parlors and strip clubs a block outside the front gate, they'd figure out a way to lose money on those too. They're hobbled by a lot of weird government rules, so the way they have to run the equivalent of a two-star restaurant on base isn't comparable to running a real business. Anyhoo.........

Sounds like a standard MWR sham. And every club is damn slow. You need an hour and a half for lunch here on Cherry Point.

Does anyone know if VT-3 still has the Air Force grill going? 4 bucks for whatever they were cooking (burgers, dogs, brauts...) along with chips and a drink definitely filled my lunch quota many times. Especially when the only other option was the Subway next to the 7-11 sized commissary.

 

[Pags]

Sounds like a standard MWR sham. And every club is damn slow. You need an hour and a half for lunch here on Cherry Point.

Does anyone know if VT-3 still has the Air Force grill going? 4 bucks for whatever they were cooking (burgers, dogs, brauts...) along with chips and a drink definitely filled my lunch quota many times. Especially when the only other option was the Subway next to the 7-11 sized commissary.

AF Grill? Was that the North Field Fat Shack?

I lived off of the HT greasy spoon when I was in HTs. Breakfast burrito (with a hash brown folded up inside ?) if you were on the morning fam lines or meatball sub/chicken tenders if you were there in the afternoon. When you're waiting on a hotpit going to the club was too risky so that was for rainy days or lunch after a morning hop.

A favorite flight school memory of mine was going to the club with a buddy who was a human garbage disposal. He ordered a club sandwich with a Reuben for the side. The waitress couldn't make sense of his order until he gave up on being sarcastic and ordered two sandwiches. Waitress says, "so two sandwiches and one side of fries." He looks at her with a determined glare, "if I'm getting two sandwiches then I want two sides of fries." Same dude later after a day in the sun at the Norfolk beerfest ordered a hamburger with a side of a brownie sundae and proceeded to top his burger with a brownie and ice cream.

I'm sure we could do a whole thread on wardroom feats of strength....

 

[Swanee]

AF Grill? Was that the North Field Fat Shack?

Maybe- The 2nd Lts from VT-3 grilling outside of their line shack, selling stuff for cash...

I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did.

 

[nittany03]

A favorite flight school memory of mine was going to the club with a buddy who was a human garbage disposal. He ordered a club sandwich with a Reuben for the side. The waitress couldn't make sense of his order until he gave up on being sarcastic and ordered two sandwiches. Waitress says, "so two sandwiches and one side of fries." He looks at her with a determined glare, "if I'm getting two sandwiches then I want two sides of fries."

I vaguely remember the Fat Shack (I think). But the one thing I distinctly remember about the Whiting club was that the cole slaw was freaking legit. I mean, I’m sure it just came in a can or similar, but it was seriously some of the best-tasting cole slaw I’ve had to date.

Also eating there for like a week straight whilst trapped on base after Ivan. But that food was free, courtesy of the U.S. Army National Guard.

 

[Pags]

Nah, this was different. There was a little building that was pretty much just a fryer.

 

[brownshoe]

I bet the strippers on Wednesdays and Thursdays at the NAS Miramar O’Club were funner.

Never mind...they’re probably all on Medicare now.

Me too! (Getting old.)

I'm just remembering the good old days with BzB, Derf, Corkyboy and climbing all over A-4's. Just wish I could click my heels and go back in time. What an adventure!

 

[Gatordev]

Nah, this was different. There was a little building that was pretty much just a fryer.

I remember the item that was pure gold was the chicken patty sandwich, because it was the least greasy. Those went fast. I wasn't a fan of getting some of the other grease plates and then having to go watch junior figure out how to trim a ball for another 2.x hours in the summer heat.

 

[Pags]

I remember the item that was pure gold was the chicken patty sandwich, because it was the least greasy. Those went fast. I wasn't a fan of getting some of the other grease plates and then having to go watch junior figure out how to trim a ball for another 2.x hours in the summer heat.

Because of the grease content it seemed to be more popular with the IPs then the SNAs. Many of the SNAs were too worried about airsickness to brave the greasy spoon. Bananas were popular due to the fact that SNAs had all been told that bananas were good for airsickness because they taste the same coming up as they do going down.

 

[Gatordev]

Yeah, I get it. I've just never been a grease eater except for certain foods. But don't get me wrong, I gorged on some grease sandwiches there, too, because there weren't any other options.

 

[Jim123]

bananas... taste the same coming up as they do going down.

Jägermeister too.

 

[CommodoreMid]

AF Grill? Was that the North Field Fat Shack?

I lived off of the HT greasy spoon when I was in HTs. Breakfast burrito (with a hash brown folded up inside ?) if you were on the morning fam lines or meatball sub/chicken tenders if you were there in the afternoon. When you're waiting on a hotpit going to the club was too risky so that was for rainy days or lunch after a morning hop.

A favorite flight school memory of mine was going to the club with a buddy who was a human garbage disposal. He ordered a club sandwich with a Reuben for the side. The waitress couldn't make sense of his order until he gave up on being sarcastic and ordered two sandwiches. Waitress says, "so two sandwiches and one side of fries." He looks at her with a determined glare, "if I'm getting two sandwiches then I want two sides of fries." Same dude later after a day in the sun at the Norfolk beerfest ordered a hamburger with a side of a brownie sundae and proceeded to top his burger with a brownie and ice cream.

I'm sure we could do a whole thread on wardroom feats of strength....

I'll thread jack with a feats of strength topic. My 2012 Kadena deployment we came up with the dirty dozen challenge. It involved 11 glazed donuts and 1 competitor's choice of boston creme or jelly filled for number 12, to be consumed in 12 minutes. I got through my first 6 donuts in 3 minutes, but the last 9 I only got 3 down. That deployment we had a couple people get 10 down, only one winner, an FE who finished the challenge in 9 minutes. Do not recommend.

 

[scoolbubba]

Maybe- The 2nd Lts from VT-3 grilling outside of their line shack, selling stuff for cash...

I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did.

Considering the line snacks are no more, probably not. I remember a big mwr to-do about it when I was in VT-2. One day there were burgers and such for lunch next door, the next day they were gone.

 

[Swanee]

Considering the line snacks are no more, probably not. I remember a big mwr to-do about it when I was in VT-2. One day there were burgers and such for lunch next door, the next day they were gone.

No more line shacks?!

 

[nittany03]

No more line shacks?!

I always thought North Field's layout was weird. "So yeah, we have squadron spaces over here . . . but the briefing rooms are across the street in this shack, the PR shop is in this random hangar over there, and then you sign for the airplane in this other random hangar over here."