Philippine Sea. (November 16, 2023): For centuries, food has been the obsession of Sailors at sea and a major factor affecting morale. In this photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Estrada Eguizabal, Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Imani Cothran-Hickman, from Grayson, Georgia, receives a sample of a culinary dish prepared for the final round of a cooking competition on the aft mess decks aboard the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan.

“How’s the chow?” is a serious question for Sailors and Admirals alike who spend an average of six to eight months a year at sea. The typical U.S. vessel has three messes (or galleys), one for the officers (called the wardroom), another for the senior non-commissioned officers, and a third for lower enlisted personnel.

These dining facilities churn out an astounding 17,000 meals a day to some 5,500 people, around the clock, seven days a week. The one hundred plus cooks and servers, or culinary specialists, ensure the crew’s nutritional needs are met while operating in a high-pressure environment around the clock.

Provisioning an aircraft carrier alone is a momentous task.

In a single day, a galley will go through 1,600 pounds of chicken, 160 gallons of milk, thirty cases of cereal, 350 pounds of lettuce, and 20,000 cups of Joe. These basics are often supplemented with regional food to add a bit of variety. To put it in household terms, the Navy buys anywhere from $45,000 to $65,000 worth of groceries every day, or between  400,000 to 1 million pounds of food a week.

To help boost morale, the Navy sets menus for 21 days and hosts Taco Tuesdays or Mongolian Grill Mondays to spice up a crew’s appetite for variety. These culinary specialists know the Navy sails on its stomach and the vital role they play in sustaining morale at sea.