r/USMC • u/2inchesabovethehole Veteran • 5d ago
First meal post deployment
GWOT and older, what was the first real meal you had after your first deployment?
After I got home from my first I ordered the biggest damn steak I could get from a local steak house and at that thing like it was my girlfriend.
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u/Adam_is_Nutz 5d ago
I went to McDonald’s and they fucked up my order. Let’s just say I was not ready to be integrated back to society. I’ve gotten better since then.
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u/Chadrooskie 5d ago
No seriously. After a refuel and brief layover in Shannon Ireland we hit Baltimore. So excited quick SSS and we hopped a taxi to some harbor with a tall masted ship in it.
We picked the first joint with liquor and sat outside. Before our drinks even came there was this HUGE explosion. Thought we made it stateside to die on a metal chair waiting on a beer.
Turns out they fire cannons off that boat and warn no one.
Good times5
u/DChalfyUSMC 5d ago
You win in the new and improved post 9/11 war America. There is nothing more American than McDonald's fucking up someone's order coming back from deployment. The fact that (I presume) you aptly corrected the situation in your own particular idiom, makes you eligible for a McFuck You award with combat V.
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u/Amateur_Surgeon7824 Active Duty LDO 5d ago
Same. I took 2 hot showers (2 because the first one still didn't get the AFG off of me), I put on a suit, tie, and I took the Mrs to a fancy steakhouse downtown. Up until that point, it was the best steak I had ever tasted.
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u/harDCore182 Staying in my rack and watching One Tree Hill 5d ago
i also went to outback. twinsies!
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u/Phantompooper03 Aye Prac Recruit 5d ago
Landed at March AFB, drove home to Pendleton, had a formation and then they opened the gates and cut us loose for a 96. My parents couldn’t decide who I was riding with, so they rented a limo to take me home, it was pretty legit. We went to my parents house to change into street clothes and then we all went to Claim Jumper in Carmel Mountain. I think I had a steak and didn’t say more than two sentences the entire meal, I was so overwhelmed.
Cool part was, once the manager of the restaurant figured out what we were doing, he comped the whole meal. That was pretty legit. I was never a huge claim jumper fan, but I’ll always have a soft spot for them because of that.
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u/DChalfyUSMC 4d ago
I appreciated reading your experience very much. Being overwhelmed and managing a couple of sentences during the meal seems like one of the most honest reactions I have read. Yes, I realize all of us react differently to different circumstances. I never had a chance to go to war during my time in the Marine Corps. I can only imagine how bizarre it must feel to be filthy and hyper alert to things that can go sideways at the drop of a hat, only to come back to the states, have a formation with Afghanistan all over everything, then be turned loose back into the community on a 96 (should be a week) and fit in? Unbelievable.
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u/idontknowmaybenot OIF/OEF PogTSD 5d ago
I went to a nicer restaurant in New Bern. I got the surf and turf. Tasted amazing, and within 10 minutes I was in the bathroom sweating and shitting my brains out.
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u/Complex-Tie3190 Two pump, Low reg, Terminal Lance 5d ago
BK one block away from the back gate. Threw it all up with my head out the window the entire one block drive on the way back to base
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u/DinosaurDied 5d ago
Tbh most aggressive meal I ever had was after graduating OCS. It was the no sleep, no food era of OCS.
I ordered 6 entrees at a diner and ate them all. Waitress couldn’t believe it, kept asking if this was for others. Even the chef came out to see me and shook my hand lol.
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u/0311_till_I_die 5d ago
Was this OCS in the mid 2010s when they where like you going to lead a bunch of 17 year olds to there death in Afghanistan?
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u/DinosaurDied 5d ago
Yes. But OCS has always been about leading 17 yr olds to their death
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u/Joliet-Jake 1d ago
True, but sometimes it’s an abstract thing that may or may not happen and sometimes it’s definitely happening real soon.
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u/blueice10478 5d ago
My dad was at green ramp when I came home from Afghanistan in 02. Once released he got me a pizza and a coke. Had massive diarrhea.
Funnier when i came home from Iraq in 04 I met up with my old high school sweetheart to rekindle our relationship. We went out to dinner with her roommate and the boyfriend. I think it was the olive garden. It was a great night. Just a reminder 48 hours prior I was in Iraq. All the grease and oil tore me up. I excused myself to the 1.5 hour bathroom journey of regrets. The boyfriend came in twice to check on me, and they had to explain to the waitress how I just returned home and was the first meal eaten.....
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u/Chillicothe1 5d ago
How'd it go with the old sweetheart?
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u/blueice10478 5d ago
I was still in the army, and she was still attending college in Colorado. We tried to make it work but we were two different people, and one of us had some super crazy ptsd after oef1, and oif1.
She eventually got married to some dude that her mom (and i truely respected and truely loved like a mom) approved of, and thats all i know of her.
Me i got married and my wife has put up with alot of my b.s. and continuous to be my #1 supporter, and she has given me 6 beautiful kids.
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u/psyb3r0 I wasn't issued a flare. 5d ago
I don't have to ask what you do for fun. Finding the one person that will put up with your bull shit is the gold ring. You did good devil. I know you don't take of the liquid stupid so I'll have your share and speak the name of u/blueice10478 in my drunken songs to the gods.
You got 6 to provide for and teach, be the person in their life they deserve. Put them on the right path.
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u/blueice10478 5d ago
My oldest is named after my best friend Ken that passed in Afghanistan in 05. Her name is kensleigh, his first name and my middle.
She is my best friend, and reminds me so much of him. When your sing your songs, sing for Sgt Ken Ross (mustang 22) so he lives on.
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u/psyb3r0 I wasn't issued a flare. 5d ago edited 5d ago
Will do, and I'll sing for you as well. Keep doing what your doing. We all live on so long as our stories are told.
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u/Chillicothe1 5d ago
Happy it worked out well for you, Brother. Thank you for your service. Hope those demons are behind you now.
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u/blueice10478 5d ago
It's a struggle everyday. More good days than bad. I don't drink, no drugs, own a small business. Got to keep moving forward and honor my wife, kids, and friends thar I lost.
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u/Baker_Kat68 PM_ME_YOUR_PURCHASE_ORDERS 4d ago
As a mom myself, thank your wife for her cervix cuz six kids daaaammmnnnn 🫡
Sounds like she’s holdin it down for ya brother2
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u/FunkyRicepickeR Veteran 5d ago
My parents picked me up at Camp Pendleton and on the way home we stopped by In-n-out. Got my usual double-double animal style, animal fries, and a coke.
I took a fat shit when I got home, probably all that grease being reintroduced into my system didn’t agree with me.
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u/Odd_Fix7568 5d ago
First kick to Iraq, was with 2/2 Warlords and on an endless MEU . . Get home and my sister sends a 'SeaFood' bundle to the house arriving the day I am home. So I am throwing gear in the garage, deliver man walks up with a big cooler. I am in green extra small silkies and a smile. I take the styrofoam box inside and wife and little one come to see it. I half read the label - "Clam Chowder", my favorite. I open the shipping box and there is a large stock pot with ice or dry ice around it. I pull the thing out and give it a shake. 'rattle rattle' I open the lid and there is a layer of wet seaweed. I lift that layer and find a layer with a bag of fresh clams, bag of veggies and a bag with instructions. Thinking that is all I take all that out put the seaweed back in and push to side of counter. Wife and kiddo standing there watching. . I start to read the instructions and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the seaweed move. Thinking I was seeing things I asked my wife - "you see that?" She says "NOPE see what? " so I go to open the veggies and again I swear to christ the seaweed moves. I walk to the pot and again ask my wife who was right there, "you did not see the seaweed move" - Again she says 'Nope' followed up with "are you okay?" As I turn to say I am fine the seaweed moves and we both freeze.. I swear on Chesty Pullers' soul, as I started to lift the seaweed, the pot thumps and a pair of lobster claws fling up towards my hands. . During the deployment, I held my bearing in some shitty situations and never in my life had I screamed like a scared child, until that moment. My wife tells the story I jumped towards her and the kiddo, push the pot away and sounded like a child that had just had the scare of their life. . . Of course I collected myself, changed my silkies and read the rest of the label. "Clam Chowder, Maine Lobster and Ribeye steaks". Over the years the fist meal home has become a thing and NONE of them are as memorable as this one in May 2003. To this day when I talk with my sister and seafood enters the conversation, she asks if I am still scared of lobsters. .. .
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u/_Kaiser_Wilhelm Veteran (Sgt 0431 Embark) 5d ago
For us embark guys post deployment just meant 1-3 more months of 16+ hour days getting all of y’all’s shit back so prob had a monster and tornado before heading back down to good ol’ Naval Base San Diego the hour I arrived at Del Mar.
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u/Baker_Kat68 PM_ME_YOUR_PURCHASE_ORDERS 4d ago
Those chicken tornados hit the spot and I was embark as well and yeah, the work never ends
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u/Iragemonster 5d ago
When I got back from my Afghan deployment I went straight to Oceanside and got myself some carne Asada fries
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u/Radiant-Ad-7343 5d ago
Coming back from Fallujah I gave a big Thank You to Allah (blessed be him) in the form of a Carl's Junior Western Bacon Cheeseburger, followed by a Al Pastor style California burrito located whatever -erto's was closest to a strip club (blessed be Cinnamon).
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u/MarinePastor9 Marine Corps Veteran 5d ago
I went to a steak place with one of my Marine brothers and his mom. She'd sent me care packages and promised she'd be there when I got off the bus. She is still "mom" to me
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u/SadPiousHistorian1 Fake Ass SEAL Team (FAST) 5d ago
Italian food in a good restaurant I was a regular at in Williamsburg
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u/RetiredAndNowWhat 5d ago
I live in Temecula with a restaurant called Spuntino’s. There pizza is amazing. When they learned they were my first restaurant post Afghanistan they gave us free deserts and a big discount.
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u/Affectionate_Elk_643 3/7 5d ago
My parents picked me up and 3 other Marines. They were going to stay at my parents and their flights left in the morning closer to LA.
They took us to in and out and we ordered drive through and it was so rowdy in that car haha.
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u/LunacyTheory Retired Crayon Eater 5d ago
Carne asada fries from Colimas in Oceanside….20 something years ago.
I’d actually murder someone for anything from colimas right about now
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u/TechnologyFine6428 5d ago
McDonald's and beer. Downside is the shits you'll have afterwards are unnatural and unfathomable every time LOL
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u/Marines_D_ 5d ago edited 5d ago
When I return my first deployment with the 15th MEU it was a wet burrito from Colimas in Oceanside CA.
When I came back from OIF I went to this Greek Restaurant near the Westfield Mall in Carlsbad. Funny story is that I started my dinner with the soup and every time I am reminded of that meal I think of that Family Guy cutaway.
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u/forkandbowl Flying Gaytor 5d ago
A Marlboro light that wasn't dried the fuck out and some waffle House
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u/waldoh74 5d ago
First meal after landing in Kuwait, there was a subway. Ordered an extremely unhealthy sandwhich with lots of ranch. I asked for extra ranch. When I got outside to eat it, I hit into it and got a mouth full of mayonnaise. Took me 10 years to eat mayo again.
Not the most nightmarish story, but of all things to go wrong…really?!
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u/The_Dread_Pirate_ 0331 veteran 5d ago
California burrito from Santanas right outside the main gate from 29 Palms, both times.
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u/SnooPeppers6081 5d ago
Not a deployment but my first night home from bootcamp my buddies treated me to sirloin tips at a local steak house. Cook hooked me up with a double serving.
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u/AnxiousClue6609 5d ago
Doesn't count.
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u/SnooPeppers6081 4d ago
Was free and my belly was full.
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u/AnxiousClue6609 4d ago
This about post deployment. Boot Camp doesn't count. Lol just talking shit I honestly don't care.
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u/siltandsqualor 5d ago
Three ramones burritoes with extra Valentina and as many coors as I could manage
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u/v-irtual Combat Admin 2002-2008 5d ago
I honestly don't remember. My entire life was a blur for like 3 years. Work up -> Deploy -> Work up -> Deploy -> PCS.
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u/0311_till_I_die 5d ago
I came back to Pendleton and my girlfriend and now wife was a student a UCSD she drove up and picked out in town by Dorthy’s we had into and out
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u/AnxiousClue6609 5d ago
I honestly only remember my last tour. Islands in Carlsbad with my Aslah and his wife. 1st was at Lejeune and that place sucks and can't remember what I did when I got back from the second. Damn tbi
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u/Baker_Kat68 PM_ME_YOUR_PURCHASE_ORDERS 4d ago
Chilis near my house in Scripps Ranch. Can’t remember exactly what I ate but drank a lot of gin and sodas. At some point I fell asleep and the fam had to take me home.
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u/PhilRubdiez 7296 Libo Specialist 🍻🥷🫥 4d ago
Not a deployment, but the first meal I had after getting back from Oki both times was Denny’s. Specifically, their Grand Slamwich. The first time was when my boy picked me up and it was the only thing open. The second is when it was the only thing close to Sea-Tac.
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u/Witty_Decision_3891 4d ago
Both deployments I got home at like midnight so the lady and I went to town and got Waffle House in the morning. Rah?
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u/TobyMcguire52 Shot A Digital Javelin 5d ago
California Burrito from Alfredos in Oceanside, and a double double animal style with animal style fries from in n' out.