Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Anita Stratton | Oregon Army National Guard Spc. Sarah Kilby, of Portland, Ore., with the 821st...... read more read more
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FORT IRWIN, Calif. - Meal times are times for camaraderie. Soldiers gather to eat and have a chance to socialize but the main purpose is nourishment for a busy day. Cooks are an important part of keeping the Army strong and ready for action.
Oregon Army National Guard Soldier, Spc. Katrina Goins, from Coos Bay, Oregon, a cook with F Company, 141st Brigade Support Battalion (BSB), 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and Spc. Tristen Ayhens, from Baker City, Oregon, a cook with F Company, 145th Brigade Support Battalion (BSB), 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team (CBCT). Their job is to keep the Soldiers nutritionally ready for the mission.
“I like to see their faces when they have food,” said Ayhens. “They are happy when they’re eating.”
In the field, cooks don’t have fresh ingredients at their disposal to create a menu nor do they have the supply of water and electricity to operate a full kitchen. They are given heat-and-eat meals, called Unitized Group Rations (UGR), to serve hot once a day, and two Meals Ready-to-Eat (MRE), available for the other meals. The containers are put in a warmer, contained in a field kitchen on a trailer.
“The food comes in containers packaged in boxes,” said Ayhens. “We have a main course, fruit and vegetables and dessert.”
Goins and Ayhens need about two hours to get the food warmed and ready to serve. They do what they can for the Soldiers of C Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, 116th CBCT. It is the little things cooks do that bring big smiles to the Soldiers faces.
“The Soldiers were really happy to have coffee this morning,” said Goins. “They also really like PB and J.”
It is difficult to make packaged meals exciting. Goins and Ayhens like to change things up, such as mixing two different flavors of frosting for the cakes.
“The guys couldn’t figure out what the flavor was, “said Ayhens. “They thought it was really good, though.”
In another assembly area, Spc. Sarah Kilby, of Portland, Oregon, with the 821st Headquarters, Headquarters Detachment, and Pfc. Marcelina Deleon, of Medford, Oregon, with F Company, 145th BSB, feed the troops. They work to make A Company, 3- 116th Cavalry Regiment, Soldiers feel closer to home.
“They really liked it when we made tea,” said Deleon. “We also have cold lemonade available.”
The cooks say they enjoy their jobs. Customer service is a tenet Army cooks live by.
“Service with a smile, lead with a smile,” said Pfc. Curtis Bishop, a cook with Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion.
| Date Taken: | 08.20.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 08.21.2015 14:14 |
| Story ID: | 173904 |
| Location: | FORT IRWIN, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 322 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Cooks serve warm meals, cool drinks, by SFC Anita Stratton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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