Quartermasters Feed Lightning Forge Soldiers Despite Pandemic

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Edwin Basa | SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii- Sergeant Dillion Barhorst, from 569th Quartermaster Company, washes his hands while providing culinary field support for 25th Infantry Division's Lightning Forge exercise at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, July 12, 2020. The field sites included several hand washing stations and safety guidelines to help combat Coronavirus Disease-19.  

WAHIAWA, HI, UNITED STATES

07.11.2020

Story by Staff Sgt. Edwin Basa 

305th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii- U.S. Army Soldiers from 569th Quartermaster Company supported the 25th Infantry Division’s Lighting Forge multi-echelon field training event from July 7 through July 19. The Field Feeding Company provided meals to the units participating in the exercise while overcoming new obstacles brought by the Coronavirus Disease-19 pandemic.

“We only keep one to two personnel up on the Military Kitchen Trailer at once, so we can make sure that they keep their distance,” said Sgt. Dillion Barhorst, Army Food Service Specialist with the 569th Quartermaster Company.

“We also wear gloves when we are actually preparing the food and we make sure that we wash our hands before we go up there," he added. "We try to keep everything as clean as possible."

The 569th Quartermaster Company provided breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in preparation for their upcoming Joint Readiness Training Center rotation while enforcing safety protocol.

“They have taken special precautions to make sure that they incorporate all of the safety measures in field sanitation and in making sure that the food is being prepared in a safe manner for us," noted Maj. Samantha Shay from 524th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.

Shay said the 569th Quartermaster Company has the same sanitizing procedures that the rest of the Army does. She emphasized that they follow a stricter protocol due to their role in food consumption.

“I have full faith in them, otherwise, I wouldn’t be eating out here," she added.

Soldiers from Schofield Barracks were tasked with assisting the 569th Quartermaster Company. Kitchen patrol Soldiers adapted to a new training environment and learned how to properly maintain cleanliness for the units.

“My typical day here is, we get here at five, we do the necessary things to start the day as in fill up the sinks with water, heat them up, make sure the gas tanks are full of fuel, then we wait until breakfast starts, that’s when the dishes come in,” said Private 1st Class Darious Hart, on kitchen patrol with 25th Special Troops Battalion.

The kitchen patrol Soldiers from Schofield Barracks recognize the importance of their role in sanitation during the Coronavirus Disease-19 pandemic.

“The Army takes Covid very seriously,” Hart noted.

The culinary specialists will continue providing support for the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team as their training for JRTC and Pacific Pathways advances despite Coronavirus Disease-19.

“We have a lot of safety measures in place to prevent the spread of Covid,” said Staff Sgt. Dante Trotter from St. Louis, Missouri, "we are just out here to support the troops."

• Date Taken: 07.11.2020
• Date Posted: 07.28.2020 04:50
• Story ID: 374703
• Location: WAHIAWA, HI, US