Forward Area Support Team cooks ensure Soldiers eat well

Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Jimmy Mosby and Spc. Thomas Gleason, Headquarters Company, 225th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad give Lt. Col. Mark D. Collins and Command Sgt. Maj. Anthony Johnson a tour of their kitchen, Nov. 27.  

TAJI, IRAQ

12.01.2008

Courtesy Story

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

By Capt. Katharine Lubinski
2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – At many of the combat outposts and joint security stations north of Baghdad, Soldiers enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving meal Nov. 28 thanks to a few dedicated cooks and other support personnel.

Forward Area Support Team Soldiers from the 225th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Stryker Brigade "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, worked tirelessly to prepare a home-style Thanksgiving meal for Soldiers throughout the Warrior Brigade battle space.

More than half of the Warrior Brigade spent Thanksgiving at their combat outposts and joint security stations. To prepare for the meal, Warrant Officer Reginald Lemon, the 2nd Stryker Brigade food service advisor, coordinated with the cooks to provide food to each site. Sites requested the food more than a month in advance. One week prior to Thanksgiving, the logistics convoys began delivering the supplies to the sites.

"The [cooks] at the sites used their food service knowledge to take ownership of the mission, putting on the best Thanksgiving meal possible despite their limited resources," Lemon said.

Each site has only two cooks to serve approximately 200 Soldiers. To feed so many people such a massive meal, many cooks worked until the early hours of the morning, returning after a brief respite to finish the meal. At the larger sites, cooks worked throughout the night until the meal was finished.

To thank the cooks for their hard work, Lt. Col. Mark Collins, 225th BSB commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Anthony Johnson, the 225th BSB senior enlisted leader, visited the outposts and security stations on Thanksgiving.

"We want to recognize the hard work these food specialists devoted to preparing a great meal," Collins said. "Cooks work hard every day. On days like this, they willingly go above and beyond. They wanted to give the best possible holiday meal at their sites because of their commitment to the Soldiers they support."

"It's important for us to see the fruit of their labor and let them know we appreciate their hard work," Johnson said.

Soldiers from the logistic convoys volunteered to escort the commander and sergeant major on this mission, sacrificing their holiday relaxation to thank others for their hard work.

"This was a good mission to be on. I know I've never had a Thanksgiving where I got to do something like this. Showing these Soldiers that we appreciate what they do is important," said 1st Lt. Miles Haurtiz, the logistics convoy commander for the Thanksgiving mission, during his mission debrief.

• Date Taken: 12.01.2008
• Date Posted: 12.01.2008 10:56
• Story ID: 27017
• Location: TAJI, IQ