Photo By Staff Sgt. Jonathan Fernandez | Spc. Andrew Garden (right), a wheeled vehicle mechanic assigned to the 103rd...... read more read more
FORT A.P. HILL, Va. – For more than 30 years, the U.S. Army has been using the mobile kitchen trailer (MKT) to prepare meals and feed troops, but on Jan. 11, U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers here implemented the use of the assault kitchen (AK) for the first time.
As part of the Nationwide Move 15 exercise that kicked off here Jan. 12, Soldiers from the 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command brought with them the newly-unveiled assault kitchen and put it to the test by using it to feed hundreds of troops.
Nationwide Move 15 is an annual Army Reserve approved functional training exercise designed to provide Reserve Component transportation units with valuable, realistic training by conducting real-world operations in support of continental United States activities.
“I realized that the assault kitchen was not yet being used in the reserves,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Danny Wolf, the food program manager for the 103rd ESC and native of Wood Dale, Illinois. “I thought what better opportunity to show what it can do than to bring it here and to use it in Nationwide Move 15.”
Compared to the MKT, the AK is highly versatile. The AK can be transported in a cargo Humvee and a light tactical trailer allowing Soldiers to cook the food while on the move. During transportation, the passenger sets up a timer for the food, and when the food is ready he notifies the driver to pull over, changes out the trays and heats up the remainder of the food. When the Soldiers arrive at their destination, it can then be set up with an experienced two-man team and ready to be served in about 30 minutes.
In addition to being able to prepare meals on the move, it allows Army food service specialists to feed 250 Soldiers twice a day for three days without needing to be resupplied.
For its first mission, the AK was used to feed over 400 Soldiers when a water pipe at the local dining facility burst unexpectedly and a need arose to find an alternate means of cooking.
“When I heard that a water pipe burst, I immediately volunteered the AK,” said Wolf. “I knew the crew and the unit could handle the demand and they did their job well.”
The AK was also put to the test when the need arose to feed approximately 300 medical Soldiers training in the field. The team loaded it up, hooked it to a Humvee and transported the unit to a remote site where it was quickly set up. A short time later, Soldiers were enjoying a hot meal.
With its efficiency and versatility, Soldiers found the design and engineering of the AK makes it easy to maintain as well.
“The whole unit is fairly easy to work with,” said Spc. Andrew Garden, a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the 103rd ESC and a native of Des Moines, Iowa. “Even the bigger, harder pieces are straight forward.”
Because the equipment is brand new to the reserves, many of the reserve Soldiers still need the proper training on the AK to become proficient with it and certified on it.
“The certification course is about 16 hours,” said Spc. James Vancalster, a food service specialist assigned to the 753rd Quartermaster Company, 103rd ESC and native of Green Bay, Wisconsin. “I was able to use our training time here to train a few of the cooks on the equipment and they loved it.”
“The Soldiers are excited to receive training on the AK,” said Garden. “I was showing another mechanic the features and engineering of the AK and he was very enthusiastic about learning everything he could about it.”
The Soldiers of the 103rd ESC plan to continue using the AK throughout the year as they progress through exercise Nationwide Move 15.
“I want everyone to see the benefits of the AK,” said Wolf. “I believe it’s going to make a real difference.”
| Date Taken: | 01.11.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.21.2015 15:07 |
| Story ID: | 152392 |
| Location: | FORT A.P. HILL, VA, US |
| Hometown: | DES MOINES, IA, US |
| Hometown: | GREEN BAY, WI, US |
| Hometown: | WOOD DALE, IL, US |
| Web Views: | 3,660 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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