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COMBAT OUTPOST LION, Afghanistan - For any deployed soldier in the outskirts of southern Afghanistan, the basic needs of food, water and proper hygiene are vital ingredients to keeping them motivated and on the move.
Deep in the village of Do’ab near the tip of the horn of the Panjwa’i district lies a small combat outpost where U.S. Army Spc. Curtis Bess prepares hot chow for his fellow comrades in a tiny kitchen compartment, known as an expeditionary TRICON kitchen system.
The food service operations specialist and Daleville, Ala., native assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 25th Brigade Support Battalion said having a hot meal is a huge morale booster for soldiers.
“It’s nice to see a huge smile on their faces when they are served a hot meal after a rough day,” said the 25-year-old.
After cooking on different forward operating bases and combat outposts around southern Afghanistan for almost eight months, Bess finally settled in COP Lion two months ago.
Waking before the sun and everyone else at COP Lion, Bess ensures his fellow soldiers of A Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, are fed well before they start their patrols and other missions. Bess ensures everyone is fed and asks soldiers what they would like to have.
“Bess tries his best to accommodate food requests from his fellow soldiers,” said Pfc. Dylan J. Bose, an infantryman assigned to 1-5 Inf.
With five years experience as a field cook and two deployments, Bess and his battle buddy, Spc. Brandon J. Brown find creative ways to make a frozen meal into a five-star feast.
For New Year’s Day, Bess and Brown made a special meal consisting of a baked ham, a turkey, mashed potatoes, collard greens, snow crabs and fried shrimp despite the lack of a big, fancy kitchen.
“For the majority of these soldiers- this is their first time they are away from their families and we wanted to do something special for them,” said Bess.
Indeed, the soldiers were grateful to see the huge meal Bess and Brown made that evening.
Bess hopes he is making at least a small difference at the COP despite providing soldiers with only one of the three essential needs.
Overall, Bess said he enjoyed working and living in COP Lion but looks forward to returning home in a few months.
| Date Taken: | 01.01.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 01.14.2012 09:52 |
| Story ID: | 82417 |
| Location: | COMBAT OUTPOST LION, AF |
| Web Views: | 278 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Cook provides morale to fellow Soldiers, by SSG Nazly Confesor, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
