CAB recognizes top cooks of the quarter

Photo By Monica Guthrie | Sgt. Crystal Bryant (second from left), Headquarters Support Company, 603rd Aviation Support Battalion, is awarded NCO Cook of the Quarter, and Spc. Keith Williams (second from right), Company E 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, was awarded the Soldier Cook of the Quarter by Chief Warrant Officer Toney Simpson, food service advisor (Left) and Master Sgt. Beverly Hamlette, food service noncommissioned officer, both members of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, and Brigade senior, April 8 at the Falcon Cafe dining facility, Camp Striker, Baghdad.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

04.09.2008

Story by Spc. Monica Guthrie 

3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division

By Pfc. Monica K. Smith
3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – The 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division recognized its tops cooks for the 2nd Quarter of 2008 at the Falcon Cafe dining facility here April 8.

Sgt. Crystal Bryant, Headquarters Support Company, 603rd Aviation Support Battalion, was named noncommissioned officer Cook of the Quarter, and Spc. Keith Williams, Company E, 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, was named Soldier Cook of the Quarter.

The Soldiers were awarded an Army Commendation Medal, a brigade coin and a four-day pass to Qatar.

"I didn't think it was going to be so fun," Bryant said of the competition. "It feels excellent to be recognized in doing your job."

The battalions were asked to choose their top cooks to compete at a two-day brigade-level competition. The first day required cooks to prepare a dish using an Army recipe for 100 people. They were judged on their culinary and presentation skills. Bryant and Williams were the top two Soldiers for that event.

During the second day, cooks went before a five-member board and answered questions related to their military occupational specialty along with Soldier skills. Again, Bryant and Williams stood out.

"A job well done," said Master Sgt. Beverly Hamlette, the brigade senior food-service NCO with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd CAB. "You can tell from their performance that they worked hard for what they accomplished."

"I didn't want to go and I have to thank my NCOs for pushing me to go," said Williams. "I didn't think it was a big deal but toward the end I realized just how big of a deal it really was."

In fact, feeding an army of Soldiers is no easy task. Since 1775 when the first food-service mission was established, food-service specialists have had to adapt to different battlefields and environments, said Maj. Robyn Johnson, the brigade S4 with HHC, 3rd CAB. Today, more than 26,000 meals are served a day at the Falcon Cafe.

"We're here to provide food for the Soldiers and to ensure their health," said Bryant. "We want Soldiers to have the proper nutrition over here so we can get them home safely to their families."
To others who will be competing in the next Cook of the Quarter in June, Bryant says, "I'll help you out. We can study together."

• Date Taken: 04.09.2008
• Date Posted: 04.16.2008 13:16
• Story ID: 18482
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ