I remember my first tour fondly for several reasons, one of them being the Mess was heaving with first and second tourists who enjoyed the operational work and then enjoyed a convivial evening most days. Dining in nights were no exception and we didn’t think twice about going to McDonalds for a few happy meals and persuading the Mess Stewards to replace Mr Vice’s starter with said hamburger and plastic toy. One day they tried it on me and when the burger arrived I called the Steward over. I was slightly more senior having joined up with extra seniority courtesy of my MSc and they all thought the grumpy flt lt was going to have a paddy. Instead I simply asked for cutlery - standards don’t you know - and when asked if I was really going to eat it replied of course, I’ve seen who’s on duty in the kitchen and this will be the best thing all night.
Several months later I somehow found myself living on a balcony in Baghdad eating MREs daily for 4 months, using my bayonet to make marmite sandwiches and being taught how to make MRE bombs by our tame USMC Gunny. The EOD unit didn’t see the funny side!