Photo By Sgt. Cody Quinn | Spc. Mark Mendiola, a food service specialist with Headquarters Support Company,...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Thanksgiving gives Army food service specialists an opportunity to cut loose and unleash their creative side through the creation of elaborate decorations and centerpieces. The most impressive of these artistic feats may be the ice sculptures that adorn dining facilities across the Army.
“This is like art to me. There’re no directions to follow while doing this so you can work on it the way you wish. The outcome is my product,” said Pfc. Frederick Puplampu, a food service specialist with Headquarters Support Company, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, I Corps, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Soldiers began the process of turning large blocks of ice into detailed carvings weeks in advance. Selected personnel learned the tricks of the art by familiarizing themselves with the various chisels and power tools needed to sculpt away the excess ice and find the creation hidden within.
“You can come up with anything you want to, as long as it’s theme related,” said Spc. Mark Mendiola, a food service specialist with HSC, HHB, I Corps.
Sculptors worked diligently shaping cornucopias, giant nutcrackers and cannons among a host of other designs. Some of the sculptures were purely for decoration, while others were made to dispense drinks or hold food.
“It’s fun to do and it’s nice to get out of the DFAC,” Mendiola said. “Whether you’re in the kitchen or not: The job needs to get done. We try to get every facet of the culinary experience.”
Sculpting ice is different from chiseling a statue out of stone or whittling wood: Ice melts. Soldiers hunched over their designs shaping their work, sending ice chips flying in a desperate effort to finish before their creations turned into puddles.
“It’s very time consuming. You want to be perfect, but you don’t want to be too precise because it’s going to melt,” Mendiola said.
Not only did the sculptors have to race against the eventual destruction of their work, they had to meet a tight deadline. Many Soldiers spend Thanksgiving far from their families, and producing a feast featuring elaborate ice sculptures is one of the ways foods service specialists can ease the sting of being away from loved ones.
“It’s very humbling getting to do something a little different for those not going home on Thanksgiving,” Mendiola said.
| Date Taken: | 11.24.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 11.26.2014 16:32 |
| Story ID: | 148970 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 58 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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