Dining-Out

My very first dining-out was a huge success! I had a great time! The food was great, the alcohol was tasty, and the company was the best.

I was feeling pretty nervous since this was my first formal Army affair, but even though there were uniforms everywhere, things were pretty laid back. There were a lot of "Sirs" and "Mams" floating around, but they were usually preceded with a joke or some other light-hearted banter. Since I don't live on or even near a base, I don't usually see the day-to-day workings of ranks, but Saturday night was very relaxed and I felt at ease within minutes (I'm sure the alcohol helped with this as well.).

We got to see the Grog ceremony, which I'm told is usually reserved for dining-ins (soldiers only, as opposed to dining-outs which are soldiers and their civilian guests). This was...interesting. Basically, it consisted of pouring a whole lot of different alcohols into one pot and then drinking it. Each liquor/wine that was poured into the pot represented a different part of the National Guard. The first batch tasted like really liquored up punch, but the more alcohol they added the nastier that stuff got. I stuck to my vodkas and pineapple juice.

The entertainment of the evening was provided by a guest speaker and each company planned a skit. While the skits were funny, there were parts I did not get because they were inside jokes among the soldiers. The soldiers, however, were rolling.

While the dinner itself ended pretty early, the evening continued with everyone breaking off into their own groups and hanging out in their hotel rooms. The evening was so much fun. I am looking forward to my next dining-out. In fact, we (the FRG) are planning a dining-out for our unit before they deploy. I am so excited for it! I just know it will be even more fun and entertaining!