Mess

A mess, also called a mess deck aboard ships and also a mess hall, is a designated area where military personnel eat, socialize, and live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the officers' mess, the chief petty officers' mess, and the enlisted mess. In some civilian societies this military usage has been extended to the eating arrangements of other disciplined services such as fire fighting and police forces.