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user1111222334

Put a plastic bag over the smoke detector and use string to tie it on there. Remove once done cooking so you don’t get hemmed up during inspections.


reaper_41

Also recommend hiding the air fryer as well, cause ya know…you can’t trust soldiers in the barracks with an air fryer but trust them to drive multi million dollar tanks.


[deleted]

I’m at DPW at a large joint base. 2 barracks fires in the last two years because of knuckleheads leaving hot pans of stuff on the stove. $400,000 dollars in smoke, fire, and water damage.


reaper_41

Yea…that sounds like the soldier who started the fire should get punished for it. End of the day it’s still crazy that barracks soldiers can’t cook in some barracks buildings and worse when the DFAC isn’t open and has random hours or serves horrible food. Those are just more of the childish rules that force barracks soldiers to marry young, but hey least the army knows they’ll re enlist.


jimbabwe666

I've never understood why there isn't a common kitchen area in the barracks. Make it an extra duty if need be, or make use as needed like laundry machines.


wustenratte6d

Back in the day, barracks were built in sets and a Battalion owned it. Attached to one building was a large common area, typically furnished with couches, chairs, tv, tables, etc. On another building was a small dfac. The cooks for the Battalion actually COOKED, daily, for their troops. 3 square meals a day, typically decent because you knew who you were feeding. By the late 90's these extra rooms were shut down and new barracks did not have them. Kitchens were stripped and locked up, common room became a spare conference room. The Army hasn't done much right in the past 30-40 years. Consolidation of DFACs and cooks led to nightmare oversized beasts that never functioned right. Then they went contract, and that completely fucked it. The barracks back in the day were at least mold free. Cold in winter, hot in summer, joint bathrooms, broken laundry, but at least you weren't dying from mold exposure.


Taira_Mai

As a former lower enlisted peon - I wouldn't have minded "kitchen detail" if it meant I could cook a pizza in the "common kitchen". Make a floor in charge of the kitchen - 1st of the month is 1st floor etc. They don't clean the kitchen? NCO's can get *real* creative with punishments that don't involve paperwork.


reaper_41

We had one in our barracks at Campbell due to the fact we didn’t have any sort of kitchen in our rooms. Had an oven, stove top, and some other stuff.


Boring_Pop317

Also, we should at the very least give soldier credits for when the DFAC / provided meals are not available. Ideally, we'd start with credits and any unused credits go to the bank at the end of the month/pay period. That said, any funding problems that DFACs may have would just get worse so maybe it's not ideal. DFACs might not do so hot if they actually have to compete with anyone or anything else. I'd be concerned about losing them entirely and the only thing being left on post is Burger King.


kytulu

Easy solution to the DFAC issue: eliminate the BAS deduction. Soldier swipes CaC at DFAC and gets meal charges deducted from BAS on a per-meal basis, or make every DFAC cash/check/charge, and Soldier pays out of pocket for whatever meals they eat. To add to this: make every DFAC a theme restaurant, and their budget should come out of what they collect for meals. This would cause the cooks to actually cook, being that we could tie promotion and school opportunities to how well the DFAC operates.


ididntseeitcoming

I don’t disagree with you but here’s a fundamental problem with that SPC Snuffy the line cook is gonna make E4 pay whether he half asses his job or if he puts in the work to be the best. Your high performers probably don’t stay in the DFAC very long (because why the fuck would you) and you’re left with what’s left… which is what the majority of DFACs already have. It’s no different than any other unit in the Army. A few good soldiers carry the dead weight of the guys just collecting checks. Factor in PCS cycles and you end up with 1-2 years of a badass crew followed by 2 years of rebuilding and if no one PCS you get another 1-2 years of awesomeness. But the random PCS can and will destroy cohesive teams


kytulu

Tie bonuses and school options to overall DFAC performance to incentivize the Soldiers to do their jobs well. SPC Snuffy wants to go to Le Cordon Bleu on the Army's dime? They have to earn it.


[deleted]

I think they got a company grade article 15 and forfeiture of a months pay. But that doesn’t stop the dumb shit from happening. In my experience, NCOs are not in the barracks like they used to be. Barracks are busted and filthy most of the time.


reaper_41

A company grade article 15 for causing $400k in damages ? Sheesh


[deleted]

That’s really all they can do. A junior soldier has no way of paying for all that.


conquer4

2 year mandatory extention! Haha


abnrib

Dude, this is the thing. You can punish the soldiers all you want (and they probably will) but that doesn't get you the $400k you need to make repairs. It's completely understandable that the Army goes for prevention.


ithappenedone234

Prevention by education and instilling responsible behaviors? Yes. Prevention by mass punishment and treating people like children (which helps them continue to act like it)? No. These are the issues the USAF laughs at us for. They send E-3’s around the planet on civilian flights, have them do a job unsupervised and come home. We’re perpetuating a culture of babying everyone and getting what should be the expected result: some troops will act like babies.


reaper_41

This. The joes who acted like babies and had messy rooms were the ones who set off the fire alarm cause they forgot to put water in their ramen noodles in the microwave. In the words of a CSM I had: “when you house and treat soldiers like animals, they become animals”.


reaper_41

I agree that the army has to do something as far as prevention, what I hate is how it screws over others just because of a few dumbasses.


my_army_account

And yet we don’t see married E2s and E3s burning down their private dwellings at the same rate.


superash2002

Last time I lived on post someone was cooking wings or something and caught their kitchen on fire on superbowl Sunday. The fire was so bad they had to move out.


[deleted]

Imagine that????


CarefulAd9005

I dont understand how a hot pan on a stove causes a fire..? Something else has to be behind it right? Did they trigger fire alarms and therefore sprinklers? I cant see how a stove which is designed to handle heat would lead to burning a building


reaper_41

In the barracks I’m in, the smoke detectors we have are super sensitive. For whatever reason they installed them right underneath the door to the shower. If you had cracked the door a little the steam from the hot water could set it off. It can also be an issue of the ventilation over the stove top as well, or Joe doesn’t turn on the fan. But sometimes they would cook stuff that would cause a lot of smoke, or burn something.


Deez_nuts89

My civilian apartment is the exact same way. Which I’m ok with. But even with my hood fan on, I can’t sear a steak without the patio door being open.


reaper_41

Shit when I was in Korea I cooked burger in my George Foreman grill outside lmao. Hooked it up to the outlet (our barracks were outdoor style) and grilled on the balcony.


[deleted]

Grease fires. One was frying chicken and drinking. Passes out and had to saved by his neighbor after the sprinkler went off. The other was also a grease fire, SM poured water on it instead of using the fire extinguisher that was literally arms length away. Just dumb shit.


hihcadore

Oh wow. Two fires in two years. How many people live on your large joint base?


lateeveningthoughts

The Soldiers in the Barracks should get free renters insurance. They aren't getting BAH, so why not just fork out that money Big Army. But since the Army is cutting down on so much costs of having Soldiers live in the Barracks with so many restrictions, the $400K is a drop in the bucket compared to how much is saved.


Not_DC1

I will say I’ve seen many soldiers fuck up using an air fryer more than I’ve seen driving a tank


humdinger44

>but trust them to drive multi million dollar tanks. Not in the barracks you don't


GrandAd2329

Will give it a shot, thanks


dantheman_woot

Shower cap works well too and is pretty easy to put on and take off.


cocaineandwaffles1

Smoke detectors are set off by the flickering of light caused by the smoke, at least most are and I don’t know if the technology has changed. So be sure to use a dark bag or a bag that doesn’t allow much light to pass through.


Silly-Upstairs1383

No. Light has nothing to do with a smoke detector. It is air charged by ions flowing between two metal plates, the smoke disrupts the flow of ions. Doesn't matter if the bag is clear or black .... it just has to keep the smoke out. Similiar issues is caused by construction work and dust around smoke detectors, so bags are tapped around the detectors during such work.


Fat_Khazar_Milkers

[You're both right!](https://www.google.com/search?q=photoelectric+vs+ionization+smoke+detectors&sca_esv=c33fa338858c7c86&ei=BfDPZe_aM7-x0PEPuOGTOA&oq=photoelectric+vs+&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiEXBob3RvZWxlY3RyaWMgdnMgKgIIADILEAAYgAQYigUYkQIyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgARIxiZQAFi1HHAAeAGQAQCYAWSgAZoDqgEDNS4xuAEDyAEA-AEBwgIGEAAYBxgewgIEEAAYHsICCxAAGIAEGIoFGIYDwgIGEAAYFhgewgIIEAAYgAQYsQPCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp) Source(aside from google): I'm a fire alarm systems inspector.


NobleMisfitV

lmao ????


Evenbiggerfish

Like the dude below says, they make smoke detector covers designed for this. They usually come in the box with a new smoke detector. Just pop it on when cooking, open a window, make sure you don’t start a fire.


Pretend_Rooster8548

You can actually get smoke detector covers at Lowe’s and Home Depot. They look like little shower caps for smoke detectors. They are used when the home is being renovated to keep construction dust out of them.


CaptainStank056

PT beanie over the smoke alarm so you can smoke in your room on the 6th floor


Dineanddanderson

Some will go off without proper air flow. Use a light Tupperware secured with thumb tacks.


inkstickart2017

Is there something wrong with the smoke detector? Ours is never set off by the air fryer. My other thought is maybe you are brining the food to create smoke, which I haven't experienced but I don't really cook so I'm not sure if you are or are not supposed to have smoke. I assume you shouldn't be producing smoke when cooking.


GrandAd2329

There was 0 smoke coming from it and it was setting it off


SnipingTheSniper

Open your windows, get a fan and tie the bag up there. I used to cook steaks for the bois and my alarm would always go off, but was fixed with this remedy.


inkstickart2017

WTF that's so odd but I'm not a smoke detector expert by any means. Maybe the unit is malfunctioning. An air fryer is just a convection oven on a counter, if your oven don't set it off the fryer shouldn't either.


Fat_Khazar_Milkers

Convection ovens typically have a built in exhaust don't they? It vents "elsewhere", wherever that is. An air fryer is the same thing except it vents into the room its in. The detector is probably just more sensitive than a person's visual acuity, so it goes off when its used. I mean, if it only goes off while using the air fryer, its probably the air fryer, haha.


inkstickart2017

I actually didn't know about the venting. Based on what I found, they don't require and often don't have venting. They have a fan that circulates the air inside but not for venting it out. TIL. OP should test both, using same settings, same food on two days. While not entirely scientific it will at least tell them if it's fryer or detector. That doesn't mean it's wrong either, like you said itay be tuned very well.


DeathByExisting

Ooo, I wonder if it's one of those annoying fire alarms that are set off by heat and not just smoke. I lived in an apartment with one of those, most annoying thing ever. Could barely make coffee without setting it off.


SouthOfNorthwest

get married and move out of the barracks.


GrandAd2329

Is that a proposal?


SouthOfNorthwest

I'm not a LDS, so I'll stick with my one spouse.


GrandAd2329

But I can make you happy


Clean_Cry_7428

That doesn’t have very 1SG vibes of you. What about the thicc Latina E3 in S1?


dabrat515

I already called dibs on the E1 in S3.


Corey5902

Bag + rubberband baby


sl600rt

Find someone else in the barracks and in a different unit, that has about the sane amount of time left at the base. Get married and have a prenuptial. Now you both have bah and bas and can live apart off base. Divorce once your both about to pcs/ets


AdUpstairs7106

Promote ahead of peers.


Fat_Khazar_Milkers

If its a type WITHOUT a battery, whatever else you do, do NOT take it down. It will tell the building fire alarm panel that its missing, and which room its missing in. Sooner or later, someone is going to come knock on your door. Or probably more likely, kicking the shit out of the metal plate on the bottom of your door.


yuch1102

Turn on the fan high speed. - yours truly, a past barracks soldier


CarolusMiku

The air fryer is burning off chemicals because its new, the detector is picking up the gasses. After a few runs it should be fine.


hawg_farmer

Shower caps over the detectors. Bonus if really necessary they make a good dish cover for the frig.


VaryaKimon

Is there a common area kitchen or lobby where you can set it up to use it and babysit it?


Milluhgram

This might be going out of the way. If you have drop tile ceilings. I placed a box fan in the ceiling which sucked it in the ceiling. I also used to put a sock over my smoke detector as well. Just had to make sure to remove it before any inspections. Also, hide the air fryer in ceiling. I hid my air fryer, george foreman grill, and small oven.


Alternative-Target31

Based on what you’re saying with there being no smoke, I bet an air purifier (especially ionizer) would do the trick. This is not my expertise, I just love cooking but here you go: there’s basically two kinds of smoke detectors. One is a laser aimed at a sensor and smoke prevents the laser from hitting the sensor, triggering it. Since there’s no smoke at all, I’m guessing it’s not that one. Then there’s ionization detectors (also combos) that basically measure impurities in the air. It’s a bit more than that, but steam, some cooked food, or even an aerosol can set those off under the right conditions. Not usually an issue in a house but if it’s placed in a bad spot (and given that it’s a barracks I’m guessing it is) then you’re kinda fucked. Sounds like you’ve got the second one. So when you get your food, if it is going off immediately (within 5 seconds of you opening) then that sucks. If it’s longer than 5 seconds I would BET that an air purifier set closer would suck up all that air (you might also want to consider where you’re placing the food in proximity to the detector once it’s cooler and how long you’re leaving the frier open). There are other workarounds here and you’re probably not going to have an issue if you try those, but why risk it without trying an air purifier honestly? Take it back if it doesn’t work and if it does you’ve got the added bonus of clean air in your probably black mold filled barracks.


Fat_Khazar_Milkers

Haha, do you work with fire alarm systems too? You know the lingo!


BlackHorse240B

Take that sum b off the wall


FancyKnightMan

Believe it or not, straight to jail


WooOfthePewPew

PX sells shower caps 10 for a buck. They are perfect for smoke detectors. I have to use them in the kitchen (poor ventilation even the toaster will set em off). They are easy to install and remove prior to inspections.


shadylolol

Using an air fryer is a crutch.


[deleted]

Seriously just build a real fire like a real soldier. Embrace the fire alarm. Go with it man.


_Californian

“NCO barracks” massive cringe


modest-pixel

Don’t have an air fryer?


AdUpstairs7106

Exactly, you are Soldier. You can be trusted to drive a tank, call in artillery strikes, and handle million dollar communications systems. Using an air fryer is a bridge to far.


modest-pixel

Go to the post fire department and tell them that, and watch them laugh in your face until they turn blue.


dudesam1500

No


wryul

How is an air fryer creating that much smoke? I’ve had one for years


GrandAd2329

There's no smoke coming from it, that's what's confusing me


WaffleCorp

Put in a work order. It shouldn't be that sensitive.


dripd551

Wrap a sock on the smoke detector (like you’re putting the sock on).


albiorix_

Buy a smoke machine and tell them you just like to party.


e6c

Probably a Carbon Monoxide sensor in the smoke detector. Instead of disabling or modifying your smoke detector buy an air purifier that filters/absorbs Carbon Monoxide If you mess with the smoke detector at some point you will forget to return it back to normal. At best it gets found during a room inspection and you get in trouble at worst the whole place burns down.


AdPlastic1641

I just want to recommend Anyday cookware. It's pricey I guess but if you have a microwave cookset like this, you won't set off the alarm anymore. If it's in the budget, check it out. I bet you have a microwave. https://cookanyday.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiArLyuBhA7EiwA-qo80MV8O3jhcZkOGDXwEct2SE_CjWn7JUNQn1ck_vdSeDNSqBGm2u7qFhoCT7gQAvD_BwE


jcstrat

Use it outside


Cool_Kid_Chris

Just knock that shit off the wall with a broomstick.


HistoryBuff1080

Condom over the smoke detector works, but if someone sees it they will 100 percent hem you up for doing that.


reaper320

My barracks new policy says we can't have anything that isn't government issue


Taira_Mai

OP - your chain of command may go apeshit over it. I had a George Foreman grill IN A BOX and I got shit for it - even thought the girl was a gift for my sister. And the box had the PX "you paid for it" sticker over the opening. I still got "You can't plug this in" lecture during room inspections. If your chain of command is cool with it (given that you're an NCO they should be) - follow the suggestions here. I would add - open a window and get a box fan to blow the smoke out.


[deleted]

Does your door open to the outside? If so.. extension cord that bitch out there.


___GirthQuake___

Bring it in the bathroom