Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Joe Armas | Spc. Thomas Martin, a cook assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne...... read more read more
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Cooks are the unsung heroes in an Army unit. Working long hours with usually little fanfare or recognition, cooks provide soldiers with something that highly affects overall morale: chow.
One cook assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division has distinguished himself among his peers while providing that crucial morale booster to his fellow paratroopers here at Fort Bragg, and also in remote locations in southern Afghanistan.
Spc. Thomas Martin, from Vermillion, S.D., was recognized as the installation cook of the quarter May 9 at XVIII Airborne Corps Headquarters.
For Martin: family tradition, the opportunity to cook and the thrill of jumping out of a "perfectly good" airplane were the main things that lured him to join the United States Army.
“I wanted to be a paratrooper and follow in the footsteps of my father and my grandfather,” said Martin, who is assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th BCT.
“They were proud of me when I graduated Airborne School, and I felt a great sense of accomplishment as well,” he said. Combat service is also a family thing for Martin, who said that his grandfather served in Vietnam and his father served in Iraq.
Moreover, Martin’s love for cooking began in high school. He said that cooking can be challenging but also rewarding.
“I can spend hours cooking any dish,” said Martin. “I usually try to challenge myself and cook dishes that are more complicated, though. Those types of dishes tend to be more scrumptious,” he added.
Martin was recognized at both the brigade and division level before competing for the installation award. He competed against other cooks from across the post and had to go before a board where he was quizzed on his knowledge of food service operations. He also took part in a "cook-off" that ultimately determined the winner of the competition.
“It took a lot of hard work and dedication on his behalf to make it this far,” said Staff Sgt. Tristen Grayson, from Jewett, Texas, also assigned to 1-508th PIR, 4th BCT.
Grayson said Martin is a stellar paratrooper and is someone who is motivated to succeed.
“He’s one of the most squared away cooks here in the DFAC,” said Grayson. “He’s what you look for in a paratrooper nowadays.”
Martin says he enjoys working in the dining facility and doesn’t mind the lack of star power that eludes those who wear the Army’s cook white uniform.
“All of us in the dining facility understand that we have an important job. We don’t need the constant accolades or front page news coverage to validate that,” said Martin.
| Date Taken: | 05.09.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 05.14.2013 17:44 |
| Story ID: | 106909 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Hometown: | JEWETT, TX, US |
| Hometown: | VERMILLION, SD, US |
| Web Views: | 383 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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