Photo By 1st Lt. Kali Gradishar | A cook stirs the evening’s dinner in the dining facility kitchen at Pano Aqil...... read more read more
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PANO AQIL CANTONMENT, Pakistan – When U.S. Marines first arrived at Pano Aqil Cantonment, Pakistan, in early September, there was a significant amount of work needed to operate a temporary, but sustained, location for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and eventually the 26th MEU, out of which they could operate.
Sleeping in tents, eating meals ready to eat, and lacking additional facilities, teams stepped in to prepare the cantonment for the units as they augmented Pakistan government and military flood relief operations.
For one Marine sergeant, his task was to provide quality sustenance to Marines working laborious hours bringing relief supplies to Pakistanis affected by floods that tore through their villages and damaged homes and crops.
“The first thing I did when I got here was take a look at the chow hall to see how it was set up and what work needed to be done. There was a lot of work and repairs that needed done and a lot of cleaning,” said Sgt. Bernard Hudson, HMM-165-Reinforced mess chief. “After the initial clean-up… the contractors came in.”
Since the Marine units arrived at the cantonment, working relationships between the Pakistani contractor and the Marine sergeant were built and improved upon.
“When the contractors first came in, it was a rocky start because we didn’t know what to expect from both sides. There were some communication issues and we were wary of one another because it was a new experience for both myself and the contractors. That has really changed a lot since we first got here,” said Hudson. “I don’t think they knew exactly what we were doing here. Then they realized what we were doing here -- bringing food and supplies out to people affected by the floods. There’s a lot of respect between us now, and we have a very close working relationship.”
“My work with him is very good,” Tahir Mahmood, kitchen supervisor, commented about his work with Hudson. “The Marines from the U.S. are very great people. Every day I wake up early in the morning and leave very late – from four in the morning to ten at night to serve the Marines.”
As the Marine sergeant and the Pakistani contractors continue their working relationship, they share knowledge and experience in and out of the kitchen – from general techniques in the kitchen to household traditions.
“I’ve been training them on different aspects of food service like proper food temperature, food management, different recipe items and ideas and different sanitation ideas with the absence of hot water,” said Hudson, who has been in the Marine Corps for seven years.
“The success we have here is from a team effort as we put our heads together for good ideas for recipes to give the Marines more variety in their meals,” said the sergeant. “The head chef has a lot of experience, but not with American meals. So I’m teaching him a little bit about our recipes and techniques, and he’s teaching me about Pakistani recipes and techniques.”
Behind the scenes as U.S. Marine Corps helicopters and their crews bring relief supplies to Pakistanis in need is a Marine sergeant and a team of cooks providing sustenance to keep the Marine units well-fed and nourished for their often strenuous days. As a necessary piece to the mission puzzle, Hudson is prideful of his work – as a mess chief and also as a Marine.
“I’m following a legacy of family members in the military,” said Hudson, whose father was a retired Air Force master sergeant. “That reminds me to stay positive, stay motivated and do what I have to do and do it to the best of my ability.”
| Date Taken: | 10.14.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 10.17.2010 12:11 |
| Story ID: | 58269 |
| Location: | PANO AQIL CANTONMENT, PK |
| Web Views: | 99 |
| Downloads: | 5 |
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