Photo By Staff Sgt. Harrison Winchell | U.S. Navy Lt. Ross McCaskill, construction manager, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of...... read more read more
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CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti – Navy Lt. Ross McCaskill, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, construction manager, is currently on his second deployment at Camp Lemonnier Djibouti.
After arriving here for the first time in 2015, Navy Lt. Ross McCaskill became an integral part of building nine of the structures people enjoy on Camp Lemonnier today – including the main headquarters building, a gym, and a Pizza Hut, just to name a few.
As a construction manager who has spent 18 years on countless construction projects, one project stands above the rest – the Wardroom, a recreational facility that provides an opportunity to enrich service members' social and professional well-being through camaraderie and observance of traditions.
While the structure of the Wardroom was complete in 2016, something was missing on the inside – a feeling of home.
So when McCaskill, a Texas native, returned to Djibouti in 2020, he looked to expand on the Wardroom he built half a decade prior by offering another one of his talents, this time using grilling utensils instead of construction tools.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” McCaskill said. As an eternal optimist, he looked at the situation at hand and immediately came up with a solution to help improve service members’ morale.
With his love of cooking and BBQ in mind, McCaskill decided to use the unseasoned and uncharred smokers sitting in the scorching and dusty corner of the Wardroom. He would grill fresh meats and other food for service members at the Wardroom as a way to give them a literal taste of home.
“That’s one of the driving forces for me…letting the guys who are having a really rough day come in and remember what’s back home,” he said. “That’s why I like doing it.”
What started as a small operation run solely by him has now evolved into one of the most popular and elite groups on camp: the Wardroom Pit Masters, a team of experienced grill chefs.
Their meats cooked within the confines of a brick smoker – its metal door tightly shut by wooden planks and cargo straps – was first enjoyed by Wardroom members during their inaugural 4th of July cookout.
On several other occasions, this group of five grilling gurus has served more than 200 people who lined up just to get a taste of the team’s labor of love.
“Cooking with the guys has made this deployment so much better, and it feels good knowing that I’ve made other people’s deployments a little bit better,” McCaskill said.
The Wardroom is now a coveted retreat, grown from a little wooden shack to a gated paradise where one can escape from the stressors of a deployed environment, and the grilling operation continues to flourish and grow under McCaskill’s hand.
“I like when people compliment my food, but it’s better when they say it reminds them of home,” said McCaskill, a resident of College Station.
Navy Lt. Commander Heather Wilkins, the Wardroom Vice President, said McCaskill had been a phenomenal food boss.
“He truly works through each cook with his whole heart, and it brings a new sense of satisfaction to the Wardroom members,” Wilkins said. “I believe that our members can see the dedication he shows toward making their day a little better, and they can use that same esprit de corps and pass it along to their units when they return to work.”
Though McCaskill’s time in Djibouti is limited, he doesn’t want his contributions to end here. His team has already received invitations to grill in their communities upon their return home.
Fellow pit master Marine Corps Maj. Greg Sommers, aviation maintenance officer, Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234, agreed in sharing the sentiment of his companion, stating that where the hunger and resources exist, they’ll be there, ready to fire up the grill.
The tightly knit group of friends will bring their food and values wherever they go. And McCaskill, a graduate of Texas A&M University, said his grilling journey would never end, as he plans to continually strive to help others, give back and cherish his environment, wherever that may be.
“Being an Aggie, it’s all about selfless service, it’s all about community, and this is my community now,” McCaskill said.
| Date Taken: | 09.04.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 10.04.2021 03:06 |
| Story ID: | 406498 |
| Location: | CAMP LEMONNIER, DJ |
| Hometown: | COLLEGE STATION, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 585 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, A Taste of Home, by SSgt Harrison Winchell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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