Army Cooks Share Recipe for Safe Meals

Photo By 1st Lt. Ryan Pace | Clockwise from Left: Staff Sgt. Mary McClinnahan, Sgt. 1st Class Rufus Trader, Sgt. Ocentia Gordon and Spc. Eric Harris pose with their coworkers. Photo by 1st Lt. Ryan J. Pace  

KUWAIT

11.29.2006

Story by 1st Lt. Ryan Pace 

143rd Transportation Command

By 1st Lt. Ryan J. Pace
143rd Transportation Command (FWD)

Kuwait - Army cooks stationed in Kuwait focus on serving safe meals to troops.

Army cooks of the 143rd Transportation Command feed approximately 2,000 soldiers per meal and supervise over a total of 120 third-country nationals filling the dining facilities with up to 800 patrons at a time. Not an easy job, in addition to often switching shifts to work elsewhere or perform basic soldier tasks as well.

"We interact more with people," said Spc. Eric Harris, "this is a supervisory position."

Duties mostly include security, supervision and support to ensure safe and nutritious meals at all times. All cooks also have to transition from being soldiers to cooks and ultimately supervisors, as they sometimes manage an entire dining facility with an average of 45 or more third-country national cooks to one soldier.

"You can work with 2 people staffed, but the bottom line is that we need a headcount and a manager to run operations," said Staff Sgt. Mary McClinnahan.

Another mission that is stressed is security and control of the facilities, as many people enter and exit daily and without the efforts of Army cooks, there would be a high risk for safety and health risks. Many cooks also take trips to Iraq on convoys to continue their mission with others up north and rotate out, so they have an understanding of the meaning of security and the importance of maintaining it.

In speaking with a few soldiers of the 143rd TC, of 243rd Engineering Company of Baltimore, Maryland- the focus of every deployed cook is simple; Focus on safety at all times.
"Soldier's take ownership over the safety of soldiers and it all starts with washing your hands," said Sgt. Ocentia Gordon, "Safety is in our hands."

The diligence of the cooks to maintain this safety awareness is not only within the dining facility but also with the soldiers that eat there. Safety is vital to each meal that is served; sample trays are stationed daily to monitor the food and cleanliness starts with each soldier before they enter the facility.

"Zero percent of soldiers have been sick-in fact, in 27 years in the food industry, I have never had a patron get sick," boasts McClinnahan. "The main thing is the food industry is-you have got to be clean."

Words of wisdom are not taken lightly from Staff Sgt. McClinnahan either, since she actually owns her own restaurant in Johnstown, Penn. named, 'Mary's Home Cooking'. When asked her favorite dish, "Lasagna is my favorite," says McClinnahan, "with 10 different cheeses and sour cream to build the flavor." She plans to finish her tour shortly and open up a second restaurant in North Carolina upon return home.

• Date Taken: 11.29.2006
• Date Posted: 11.29.2006 16:40
• Story ID: 8436
• Location: KW