Episode 8 - Fighting Food
One of the biggest US Army bases in the world fights to feed 12,000 hungry soldiers a week at Fort Bragg’s big bad kitchens!
In Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the Falcon Inn is one of the US Army's largest dining facilities. With just three manic 90 minute servings for breakfast, lunch and dinner, this monster cafeteria is run with military precision.
Open seven days a week, the 538 seat Falcon Inn is always packed. A 105 strong team makes sure that eight service stations are stocked well enough to satisfy the biggest of appetites. These really are the hardest working cooks in the military.
Today, the team is dealing with a breakfast crush, as soldiers cram into the dining facility to fuel up for the day ahead. It's the usual protein packed meal, so the chefs are scrambling to keep up the supplies of breakfast essentials like, eggs, bacon and cream ground beef.
Lunchtime promises to be even busier, with paratroopers preparing for an afternoon jump. And to make life even tougher, Sergeant Gardner, the Falcon Inn boss, finds herself chasing a missing delivery full of crucial provisions.
In the kitchen, the cooking team is rushing to replenish every item on the serving lines, while at the same time maintaining a culinary standard that's way beyond stereotypical army slop. It's a fast-moving operation, but these cooks won't stop until every last soldier has a healthy feed and a full stomach.