Twice the Citizen: Army Reserve Food Service Technician and Army Civilian Logistics Management Specialist

Photo By Spc. Cecilia Soriano | U.S. Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Mondi, food service technician, 143d Expeditionary Sustainment Command, explains the role of the field feeding team from the 564th Quartermaster Company assigned at King Faisal Air Base, Jordan. Deployed culinary specialists are in charge of preparing and serving meals, inspecting and ordering food supplies, and ensuring the safety and cleanliness of the kitchen. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Cecilia Soriano)  

JORDAN

05.30.2023

Story by Capt. Janeen Phelps 

143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

As an Army Reserve Soldier and an Army Civilian, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Mondi embodies the limitless possibilities of the Army slogan, “Be All You Can Be,” by bringing skill sets from both worlds to a deployed environment.

Mondi serves as a food service technician, deployed with the 143d Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Jordan, and an Army Civilian logistics management specialist for a quartermaster company. His training has led to opportunities to travel, experience other cultures, and serve a greater purpose abroad.

“What brought me here was taking accountability of the property on base, visiting the first field fielding team in theater and making sure everything is going alright with them, as well as key leader engagements with the Jordanians,” Mondi said.

Previously, field feeding teams did not come into the theater. “The mission has changed, as far as the requirements,” Mondi states.

In 2015, the Combined Arms Support Command unveiled a consolidated field feeding company concept, where food service specialists are consolidated into a single company within sustainment brigades.

In doing so, units can request a field feeding capability to support operational requirements, much like they do with other sustainment requests and other combat service support functions, if required.

The 564th Quartermaster Company is the first field feeding team to report to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. “They are their own team. They don’t have a first sergeant and a commander. They are all they have, and they fall in under a sustainment brigade for support,” said Mondi.

“It’s great to be here and be able to work with these young Soldiers. As [the Army] has gone through the years, we haven’t always had 92Gs that were cooking. So it’s nice to see them out in the field and doing the job that they came to join the Army for."

The U.S. Army is committed to building high-performing and cohesive teams in an inclusive environment to accomplish its mission. Soldiers like Mondi continue to demonstrate that the Army builds leaders and provides them the opportunities to be influential advisors to peers and leaders around the world.

• Date Taken: 05.30.2023
• Date Posted: 05.29.2023 13:00
• Story ID: 445717
• Location: JO
• Hometown: ORLANDO, FL, US