Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Terrance D. Rhodes | Service members partake in the first hot meal on Barclay Training Center Nov. 9, 2014,...... read more read more
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MONROVIA, Liberia – As the first group of service members arrived in Monrovia, Liberia, in support of Operation United Assistance, many of them didn’t know what to expect – from living situations to the day-to-day schedules. But what they did expect was pre-packaged rations – Meals, Ready-to-Eat – for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
However, that changed after a few weeks.
Hot quality meals were served for the first time on Barclay Training Center here as well as other locations across Liberia, Nov. 9. The meal provided a well-needed change of pace for Soldiers, and a morale booster.
“Our normal routine is to provide everyone with three MRE’s a day,” said Staff Sgt. Shaletha Worlds, dining facility manger and senior food operation sergeant for Joint Forces Command – United Assistance.
With more than 500 service members and civilians assigned to BTC, more than 125 boxes of MRE’s are used daily, said Worlds. Service members are allowed to “field strip” their MREs, giving them a chance to mix and match different MRE’s to add variety.
“I’m very excited about serving hot meals, because it makes everyone happy, and that’s my job – to boost the morale of the Soldiers,” said Worlds, a Flint, Michigan native.
The hot meal consisted of chicken potpie, a wheat biscuit, green beans, red velvet cake and grape juice. This may seem normal to some people, but to some Soldiers it was long overdue.
Sgt. Akile J. McKnight, a team leader with the 194th Military Police Company, 716th Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Brigade, said that eating a hot meal is like receiving gifts for the holidays.
“It was like a baby’s first Christmas,” said McKnight, a Charleston, South Carolina native. “I told one of the cooks ‘how does it feel to be the morale lifters of the base today?’ It was a great step in the right direction for morale.”
By comparison, the hot meals seem like they have won over most of the service members.
Spc. Steven Barrow, a team leader also with the 194th MP Co., knows the difference between MREs and a hot meal.
“MREs you have to heat up; hot meals you don’t,” said the Orlando, Florida native.
All in all, the hot meals cheered up everyone’s day.
“Talk around the camp has been talking about hot meals since we got here. It’s good to finally eat real food,” said Barrow.
| Date Taken: | 11.09.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 11.11.2014 08:14 |
| Story ID: | 147534 |
| Location: | MONROVIA, LR |
| Web Views: | 2,789 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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