We now know that the Enlisted Dining Facility Control Record, NAVSUP Form 338, provides a daily cumulative record of the financial condition of the GM.

The leading MS uses the data available on the NAVSUP Form 338 for menu planing and for menu revision and adjustment to accomplish the following goals:

Determining the financial status of the GM before preparing a menu, especially when planning to use high-cost menu items

Comparing the daily monetary allowance with the daily food cost as a check of the actual cost each day with the authorized cost for the same day

Relating the actual cost of one ration to the daily menus to determine the relatively high- and low-cost menus and to use that information in planning future menus and to adjust menus that have resulted in excessively high costs

The FSO will check the NAVSUP Form 338 daily to make sure the GM is operating within the authorized allowance. This daily check also makes sure the NAVSUP Form 338 is being posted daily.

Whenever an overissue occurs, immediate action should be taken to determine the cause and eliminate the overissue by a corresponding underissue.

SPECIAL MEAL FEEDING

When specific conditions are met, there is a need for issuing special meals. These meals are issued for consumption aboard aircraft, small craft, or at a duty station away from the GM. The following are the different types of special meals along with a brief description of the conditions that should be met when they are issued:

Flight meals. Enlisted members of the armed services who are entitled to a meal without charge in a GM when permitted or required to fly in Navy or Marine Corps aircraft are issued flight meals without charge. Enlisted personnel who are not entitled to meals without charge, yet have TAD or travel orders permitting or requiring them to fly in Navy or Marine Corps aircraft, are charged for flight meals at the current prescribed rate. Other special provisions applying to flight meals are discussed in the Expenditures and Accounting section of the NAVSUP P-486, volume I.

Boat meals. Boat meals are issued at no charge to enlisted members of the armed services who are entitled to rations-in-kind and are unable to return to the GM for a meal for reasons such as assignment as beach guards or boat crew members. Navy enlisted personnel receiving COMRATSBAS and officer personnel must pay cash for each boat meal received.

Bag lunches are issued to personnel entitled to rations-in-kind when assigned to duty that prevents them from returning to the GM for a regular meal. When bag lunches are used, they are accounted for as regular GM meals, or as special meals, whichever method is most administratively helpful to the GM.

In-transit meals are for enlisted personnel of the military services that are in a group travel status, including air travel, and are not receiving per diem or COMRATSBAS. They are entitled to transit meals at no charge when they cannot be fed in the GM. RESPONSIBILITIES

Discussed next are the responsibilities of both the FSO and the requesting officer in processing requests for and issuing special meals.

Food Service Officer

The FSO is responsible for the following:

Requisitioning authorized food items required for special meals

Procuring nonfood items authorized for the preparation of special meals

Providing the facilities and supervising the preparation of special meals

Maintaining files of the receipt for flight meals to substantiate billings to foreign governments ENTITLEMENT CERTIFICATION.- A responsible officer or chief petty officer certifies on the NAVSUP Form 340 the eligibility of the United States enlisted crew members and passengers not receiving per diem or COMRATSBAS to receive special meals without charge. The officer or chief petty officer lists the name of each individual, meal pass number, and the abbreviated name of the activity to which the person is assigned.

ISSUE PROCEDURES.- The FSO is authorized to issue special meals only when paid for in cash, or when proper certification is acquired. Proper certification shows that the person who will consume the meal is entitled to a special meal at no charge. The FSO makes sure only the number of special meals is prepared as requested on the signed copy of the NAVSUP Form 340 that is completed by the requesting officer.

At the time of pickup, the FSO or his or her designated representative verifies the completed original NAVSUP Form 340 with the cash collected. All meals issued without charge arc justified with a signed certification of entitlement to special meals or a receipt of special meals.

The FSO or his or her designated representative obtains a receipt signature from the requesting officer or the requesting officer's designated representative. This receipt signature goes on the NAVSUP Form 340 when the special meals arc picked up.

The FSO or his or her designated representative acknowledges receipt of cash on the working copy of the NAVSUP Form 340 and returns the receipted copy with the special meals to the requesting officer. The FSO then retains the original NAVSUP Forms 340 with the signed certification to prepare the monthly Special Meals Report, NAVSUP Form 1340, with the signed certificate for posting the monthly Ration and Sales Report, NAVSUP Form 1357.

Requesting Officer

The requesting officer is responsible for the following:

Determining eligibility for special meals

Preparing the NAVSUP Form 340 for request and receipt of special meals

Collecting charges for special meals sold for cash Endorsing orders for special meals made available to enlisted personnel receiving per diem

Obtaining signatures on the reverse side of the NAVSUP Form 340 for special meals furnished to enlisted members of foreign governments

The requesting officer (usually the air terminal officer, squadron duty officer, or officer exercising operational control of the flight, small craft, or group travel operation) prepares, in triplicate, the Special Meal Request/Rcccipt, NAVSUP Form 340.

One signed copy of the NAVSUP Form 340 is then forwarded to the FSO at least 3 hours before the time special meals are picked up from the foodservice office.

The requesting officer receives payment from personnel receiving special meals in one of the following manners:

Cash in the amounts prescribed by Naval Supply Systems Command instructions.

Certification by an officer or chief petty officer that personnel are entitled to meals without charge. A list of names, meal passes, or travel order numbers, and the activities to which assigned are provided to support the certification.

Signed receipt for flight meals (on reverse of NAVSUP Form 340) from foreign personnel.

Endorsement of travel orders to show receipt. The requesting officer then makes sure the original NAVSUP Form 340 is completed, showing the breakdown of special meals requested and the signatures of any foreign personnel on the reverse, to provide to the FSO or his or her designated representative at the time of pickup of the special meals.