The basics of API

[CUPike11]

I've heard a nasty rumor that the O-Club is now only available for special events... Say it ain't so!!

Yeah it kind of started when VT-10 had TACAIR day and the entire squadron, plus api, plus the fleet guys who came, plus other aviators went there to have community briefs, a JO forum, and free beer. Well some senior officers tried to buy the entire bar out of booze and the O'Club only had like 5 6-packs or something that equated to not even enough beer. I don't remember the exact number, but I remember seeing enough beer for maybe 30 people. Anyways long story short, the O'CLUB command was so embarrassed by this that they fired the entire staff. MWR has now taken it over.

 

[Swanee]

Yeah it kind of started when VT-10 had TACAIR day and the entire squadron, plus api, plus the fleet guys who came, plus other aviators went there to have community briefs, a JO forum, and free beer. Well some senior officers tried to buy the entire bar out of booze and the O'Club only had like 5 6-packs or something that equated to not even enough beer. I don't remember the exact number, but I remember seeing enough beer for maybe 30 people. Anyways long story short, the O'CLUB command was so embarrassed by this that they fired the entire staff. MWR has now taken it over.

How long ago was this? I thought that MWR ran the place over a year ago when I was in API.

 

[CUPike11]

How long ago was this? I thought that MWR ran the place over a year ago when I was in API.

This happened in about April/May of this year....

 

[Swanee]

This happened in about April/May of this year....

No joke. Well that sucks. There were some pretty good times had at that club.

 

[RadicalDude]

Uhhh, pretty sure that's false. I think they just got outbid for the contract this year.Most of the same staff still works there, and its def still open for lunch every day and for drinking on Fridays.

 

[CommodoreMid]

If that story is true they went full retard from the time I went. Hell, I think if they only had a couple 6 packs on hand there would have been several times in my time in Pcola that I and those I was with could have cleaned them out singlehandedly.

 

[Uncle Fester]

The Club is completely outside the chain of command. Sodexho has a contract with MWR to run the joint (along with the Starbucks, etc), and the base CO has zero authority over how it's run.

Sodexho has been trying to run the traditional NASP O-Club into the ground for years now...it's way more profitable to do catering/special events than lunch and drinking. They deliberately scuttled the Lighthouse restaurant. They couldn't just shut it down; they had to show that business had fallen off. So they went from a full menu, full buffet, full staff at lunch to three-item buffet and one (count 'em) waitress. Amazingly enough, business fell off, and now they're catering and special events only. Except for the Chief's Club...Sodexho was unable to shut it down despite their best efforts. I had all this from one of the managers.

I think the low point was when the NASP CO couldn't get the Club for a command function because a civilian wedding party had already booked it. Completely civilian. Not some admiral's daughter or anything.

 

[Swanee]

I think the low point was when the NASP CO couldn't get the Club for a command function because a civilian wedding party had already booked it. Completely civilian. Not some admiral's daughter or anything.

YGBSM- how does the CO not have access to his own club, but a bunch of civilians with NO military connection can have a wedding party? WTF... Why call it a Club at all anymore?

 

[jtmedli]

The Club is completely outside the chain of command. Sodexho has a contract with MWR to run the joint (along with the Starbucks, etc), and the base CO has zero authority over how it's run.

Sodexho has been trying to run the traditional NASP O-Club into the ground for years now...it's way more profitable to do catering/special events than lunch and drinking. They deliberately scuttled the Lighthouse restaurant. They couldn't just shut it down; they had to show that business had fallen off. So they went from a full menu, full buffet, full staff at lunch to three-item buffet and one (count 'em) waitress. Amazingly enough, business fell off, and now they're catering and special events only. Except for the Chief's Club...Sodexho was unable to shut it down despite their best efforts. I had all this from one of the managers.

I think the low point was when the NASP CO couldn't get the Club for a command function because a civilian wedding party had already booked it. Completely civilian. Not some admiral's daughter or anything.

This certainly seems accurate. The NASP O'club is kind of a joke. Food is mediocre at best and choices are pretty limited. Our API parties there were lacking to say the least. Sadly, the museum restaurant runs circles around the NASP O'club in the food and culture department.

 

[eas7888]

This certainly seems accurate. The NASP O'club is kind of a joke. Food is mediocre at best and choices are pretty limited. Our API parties there were lacking to say the least. Sadly, the museum restaurant runs circles around the NASP O'club in the food and culture department.

I couldn't agree with you more. I found that the crowd at the museum's cafe was much more enjoyable. Lunch at the bar was the way to go.

 

[jtmedli]

I couldn't agree with you more. I found that the crowd at the museum's cafe was much more enjoyable. Lunch at the bar was the way to go.

Go hang out at the bar in there and the tour guides will come in there to eat and those guys have some cool stories to tell. I heard some wild stories and history just by going there and having lunch. Kinda wish the actual O'club was more like that...probably should be more like that.

 

[eas7888]

Go hang out at the bar in there and the tour guides will come in there to eat and those guys have some cool stories to tell. I heard some wild stories and history just by going there and having lunch. Kinda wish the actual O'club was more like that...probably should be more like that.

Yeah, I met a tour guide at the bar that used to fly airships for the Navy, and eventually ended up flying the Goodyear blimp. It really is sad that the O club isn't more like that. Maybe the museum should take over the club.

 

[squorch2]

Make the museum your club.

 

[Hotdogs]

Make the museum your club.

...Those cubi dogs were fucking money too...imho..

 

[squorch2]

For some enterprising studs out there - go talk to the cubi point manager, see what you can do about having later hours on Fridays or whichever. I'm sure they won't turn down the money.