BMT: Chow Runnin’ and Grubbin’
Air force food is a separate and essential topic about BMT. The diet must be balanced and the air force rules are observed.
In this article, we will analyze what is air force basic training food, air force snake pit, air force chow hall, who is chow runner, and more.
Get comfy folks, this is going to be a biggie…but who doesn’t love food?!
I’ve had to psych myself up for this one, knowing that there’s going to be a lot to say.

Chow Runner
Chow Runner has a strong nerve trainee who guides the rest of the air force snake pit. Air force food is a separate and essential topic about BMT. The diet must be balanced and the air force rules are observed.
This is a duty that your MTI will assign to one lucky trainee. This trainee, the future Chow Runner, needs to have some serious cojones and will need to demonstrate some great military bearing from the get-go. If you’re transparent with your emotions, you don’t need to be chow running. Why? Because the Chow Runner is the trainee who approaches the Snake Pit – alone – addresses the MTIs and announces the flight as being ready to eat. Chow Runner is difficult but interesting.
Air force basic training food: water monitors
These are trainees who are the first to enter the air force chow hall, but the last to eat.
There are three water monitors designated on your flight. These trainees always fall out first with key personnel, but they are the last people to eat, always. They’ll enter the dining facility and walk into the back, along with the employees and the trainees on KP. They’ll do gloves and their hats, and then proceed to fill glasses with water and Gatorade and set it out for everyone coming down the line. After they’ve completed their work, they’ll go get their own food. Before breaking ranks (as there will be another flight coming in), they’ll need to request to do so from the DC doing inspections at that point.
Entering the Chow Hall
After you’ve come into the chow hall, you’ll line up in three columns and sign in (squadron, flight, name) at the desk. The grandmotherly woman working the desk in the Chow hall was probably the nicest, most friendly person we regularly encountered at BMT. She was a breath of fresh air. When you are done signing in, you’ll stand at attention. When the entire row is done signing in, the trainee against the wall will command, “trainees post left [or right, depending on which direction is “out].” You’ll execute a facing movement and proceed to stand in line, heel to toe with the person in front of you. As described before, you’ll be inspected by your DC as you march – not walk – in. You’ll do facing movements and take one step at a time in line, not stepping beyond a certain line, as to leave room for KP and employees walking in and out of the back. The KP trainees will say, “DETAIL, MAKE A HOLE!” as they walk by. You always have to remember your military bearing while in the chow hall, as the MTIs at the Snake Pit can see you walk in, not to mention you’ll have other MTIs walking in and out of the same door that you just did.
Stepping onto the Line
Air force food and the need for speed
Air force food and Leaving the Dining Facility
What is the Snake Pit
The Snake Pit is a long rectangular table that faces the food line. Its position enables the MTIs sitting there to see trainees coming in from outside, the trainees coming down the line, and all of the trainees eating. There is always one MTI who is working at the Snake Pit, directing flights into the chow hall. Other MTIs may be there, socializing with each other or eating. They will talk, laugh, and joke loudly, which is very unnerving. They will start to yell at trainees that are eating too slowly. They may, at any time, make you set down your tray and report to the Snake Pit. If you’re a newer trainee, they’ll probably call you over to ask you a memory work question and make an example out of you. Maintain your military bearing as best as possible, or else they’ll drag it out. Do not leave until they tell you to. If your performance is unacceptable, they’ll pull a 341. If you’re sitting at your table and doing something completely unacceptable, they will approach you while you’re eating and blast you at the table.
You can see what The Snake Pit is in this video.
Separate Tables
Air force food: dessert
Air force basic training food – the first weeks without desserts, maximum – a cereal bar. Although there are desserts in the air force chow hall, at first it is better not to touch them, so that MTI does not shout at you.
Air force basic training food: recommendation
- Eat a banana every meal that you can. It’ll give you the potassium that you need to prevent shin splints. Many of my trainees enjoyed putting peanut butter on their banana.
- Eat a peanut butter packet at every meal. It’s like another “shot” of protein that you’ll need.
- Careful when drinking milk, especially in the first few weeks when you’re really rushed. I saw numerous trainees throw up after meals because they’d been drinking too fast.
- Monday Chicken Wrap Day was one of my favorite lunches. Make sure to dip it in ranch, which you’ll find near the salad.
- Wednesday Pizza Day – amazing! This is also the same day they do wings, which many trainees loved as well.
- The vanilla yogurt (Weight Watchers brand) is the best flavor.
- One lunch is hot, sliced turkey. Add some shredded cheese from the salad bar and put it on two slices of bread and you’ll have an amazing sandwich.
- Lunches were always better than dinner.
- Get the biscuit with a hot fruit topping at breakfast. It’s the closest thing to the cobbler that you’ll get, and it’s delicious.
- The best cereal is Smart Start. I still buy it at the commissary. If they’re serving fresh strawberries that day, slice them and put them on top.
- They always have a ton of fruit at chow. I used to eat grapes every chance I could.
Bon appétit!
10 Comments
Tarynsaid
WHOA. All these rules for eating!!
Angelasaid
My husband was a chow runner, after his flight's chow runner was fired. He said it SUCKED, and that it's best for a shy person because it gets them out of their shell.
Erinsaid
@Taryn – Eating's serious business! ;)@Angela – I remember watching shy chow runners attempt to report their flight – poor guys! Ours was a strong black woman, in every sense of the phrase. The flight pit me against her in pugil sticks and I knew I was going down!
Courtneysaid
I think this process scares me most of all!!
Erinsaid
@Courtney – It definitely can be scary, especially in the beginning! Of course you get more time to eat as you get more comfortable with the procedures.
EpicChrisM21said
I was chow runner for all 8.5 weeks of BMT. People from my flight, sister flight and even my current unit still call me chow runner and still yell "chow runner go!" everytime they see me.
Erinsaid
@EpicChrisM21 – I know the feeling! Everyone still calls me Dorm Chief, LOL.
Tommy Griffinsaid
Good information. I leave for Air Force BMT NOV 12, 2013. I've saw you on YouTube Erin!! Lol
Erinsaid
@Tommy Griffin – Glad to help! Best of luck to you!
Missy Moosaid
Thanks for this, we just had our first letter from our son at BMT and he told us he is a Chow Runner and so gets yelled at twice as much as his peers. We were wondering what it meant and this explained it beautifully!